
Invisible Man
First published 1952 · 480 pages
About this book
Invisible Man is the story of a young black man from the South who does not fully understand racism in the world. Filled with hope about his future, he goes to college, but gets expelled for showing one of the white benefactors the real and seamy side of black existence. He moves to Harlem and becomes an orator for the Communist party, known as the Brotherhood. In his position, he is both threatened and praised, swept up in a world he does not fully understand. As he works for the organization, he encounters many people and situations that slowly force him to face the truth about racism and his own lack of identity. As racial tensions in Harlem continue to build, he gets caught up in a riot that drives him to a manhole. In the darkness and solitude of the manhole, he begins to understand himself - his invisibility and his identity. He decides to write his story down (the body of the novel) and when he is finished, he vows to enter the world again.
Books like Invisible Man
More by Ralph Ellison
- The United States in Literature
The United States in Literature1952 - Prentice Hall Literature
Prentice Hall Literature1989 - Juneteenth
Juneteenth1999 - Twice-Told Tales
Twice-Told Tales1966 - Fiction
Fiction1993 - Shadow and act
Shadow and act1964 - Words of Ages
Words of Ages2000 - Flying home and other stories
Flying home and other stories1996 - Living with Music
Living with Music2001 - The Collected Essays of Ralph Ellison
The Collected Essays of Ralph Ellison1995 - Three days before the shooting--
Three days before the shooting--2010 - Homme invisible pour qui chantes-tu ?
Homme invisible pour qui chantes-tu ?2002