An Appreciation of Symbols in Invisible Man

【Abstract】Ralph Ellison is a famous contemporary American black writer. His novel Invisible Man made him an instant celebrity. Symbolism is one of the most outstanding writing techniques in this novel. This paper gives an appreciation of symbols in order to present the novel’s profound themes and the people’s complicated inner worlds.

【Key words】Ralph Ellison； Symbols； Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison is one of the most important American novelists after World War II. His reputation rests primarily on Invisible Man， which establishes him as an influential important figure in American literature. This famous novel is both a historical biography of the black man in America and an anguish process of man’s quest for identity in this dehumanizing and absurd society of racial discrimination. The invisibility of the protagonist―a nameless Afro-American reflects the universal problem of modern men.

From the title of this novel to its content， from the prologue to the epilogue， blindness and invisibility are the major symbols throughout the novel. In modern society， people confront the common problem of self-loss and individual crisis， which is the result of people’s blindness and invisibility. Besides， it indicates the hardship that the young protagonist has to suffer on his journey for his true identity.

The symbols of blindness can be found almost everywhere in the novel. At the “Battle Royal”， the black boys are blinded by white blindfolds. It implies that the black are bullied and manipulated by the white. The blindness of the protagonist is foreshadowed here. It reveals his inability to see the cruel reality of society and his submission to the white men. In the Brotherhood， Brother Jack has an artificial eye. The blind eye symbolizes that he cannot show the protagonist the right direction and he cannot help the protagonist achieve racial equality for the black. On the contrary， he misleads the protagonist to a tortuous pathway full of thorns.

In Invisible Man， there are also a lot of symbols of invisibility. In the prologue， the protagonist bumps into a drunken white man who insults him. The angry protagonist beats the white man severely， but the white man stubbornly refuses to apologize to him. It suddenly occurs to the protagonist that the white man actually doesn’t see him. He is invisible in the white man’s eye. The same situation happens again when the protagonist is in the factory’s hospital. There， he is strapped in a coffin-like electrified machine and receives a painful inhuman treatment， which is on purpose to destroy his personality and get rid of his threat to the society. In his confused consciousness， the protagonist hears two men arguing over the proper treatment on him. One doctor prefers surgery， while the other is in favor of the machine. The doctors argue about the treatment methods impersonally in the presence of the protagonist as if he is invisible.

There is close correlation between blindness and invisibility. Blindness causes racial prejudice against the black and also leads to the black to refuse to acknowledge the truth about themselves. As a result， the black become invisible in the racist American society. In the novel， both the white and the black ignore the protagonist’s existence， and pay no attention to his humanity， individuality and dignity. For example， Dr. Bledsoe tells the na?ve protagonist directly： “You are nobody， son. You don’t exist―can’t you see that？” It is the first time the protagonist hears someone tell him that he is nobody and he is invisible in this world. The vet doctor in Golden Day calls him “an invisible mechanical man.” “Invisibility” in this novel symbolizes the protagonist as well as many blacks have no social position in American society. Only when the black have discovered their invisibility can they strip away all the illusions and various false identities imposed on them. Only when the black have discovered their invisibility can they regain their individuality and shoulder their responsibilities in the society.

In a broader sense， blindness and invisibility are not only for the black， but it is the fate of all individuals in the world. Symbolism， the exquisite art in this novel， gives the themes profound meanings and the original flavor. This novel transcends the limits of race and explodes broadly the modern men’s dilemma. It encourages people to redefine their interrelationship with the world， and assert their individuality and identity through personal struggle and an acceptance of personal histories and traditions.

References：

[1]Ashe，Bertram.African-American Fiction[M].Cambridge University Press，2002.

[2]Baker，Houston.Black Fathers and Sons in America[M].University of Georgia Press，2001.