Yams In The Invisible Man Essay

The Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, is full of symbols that encapsulate the struggles of the Invisible Man throughout the novel. The most important of these symbols are the yams which represent the Invisible Man’s identity, the briefcase which deals with the hopes and dreams of the Invisible Man, the glasses that relate also to identity, and the colors black, grey, and white, which are symbolic of the racial differences in America.

The yams in the Invisible Man are symbolic of his identity and his transformation. After roaming the streets during a bitter cold winter, he spots a yam stand. As the narrator stares at the yams, he already can tell that it is going to be sweet. The yam vendor tells the narrator that “everything what looks good

The narrator is obsessed with following the rules of society. This is appealing and what everyone expects of him but it does not bring him happiness since he is controlled by the majority. The yams gave him a sense of nostalgia and after taking the first bite, he felt like a free man. He suddenly realizes that he had been controlled his entire life and now wants live his own way. He no longer cared about who was watching him and “what was proper” (264). This is the turning point in the the narrator’s life where he transforms from a naive young boy to a young man with his own opinions.

The briefcase is introduced into the novel when the Invisible Man takes part in the battle royal. The grueling fight between two black men, blinded then electrocuted, represents the distractions that keep the Invisible Man’s mind away from the reality

This represents the American society and the different races. The narrator believes that throughout his life, America is segregated into the majority and minority. He believes that he is part of the minority which prevents him from having the freedom that the majority has. Ellison uses a reverse role of the what the colors white and black actually represent. In the novel, black has a negative feel while white is more positive. This portrays the two races depicted in the book and how the society feels about them. During the narrator’s time at the Optic White Paint Factory, he is told that in order to make the whitest paint, he needs to add ten drops of “dead black” liquid (200). This is ironic because in order for the white paint to look white, black needs to be added to it. This portrays that blacks are just as important as whites in a functioning