“Invisible Man”

Ralph Ellison

“Invisible Man”

No one see the invisible man for what or who he is. People are not willing to see him in the light he feels they should. He wants to be respected and treated as he does exist and matters when in reality he is treated the opposite. He tries to play it off as if being invisible does not bother him by saying, “It is sometimes advantageous to be unseen,” but then he shows that it does bother him by finishing that sentence with. “although it is most often rather wearing on the nerves” (page 2298).

I think that being ignorant plays a great part in being invisible. Being ignorant is to be close-minded. Knowledge gives us light. “The truth is the light and light is the truth” (page 2300). Ignorance blocks us from the light, from being able to see and view things and people from a different angle. In the first part of this story when his picture was in the Daily News as a mugger he thought, “poor fool, poor blind fool” (page 2299). The blond man was ignorant to what had happened to him. He thought he was attacked for his possessions? He was attacked for lack of respect. He was attacked to show that he did not need all the control as a white man and that African Americans are here too. We all should be seen. Because the white man did not show this respect his life was threatened.
Another thing I noticed is that being invisible makes us ignorant as a civilization due to the fact that ever month we are giving our money to an “invisible man”. We do not know whom we pay for our mortgage, auto, or even our credit card. We just pay it to the invisible man whom at any moment could take everything away from us. Ellison says, “Several years ago (before I discovered that advantages of being invisible) I went through a routine process of buying service and paying their outrageous rates” (page 2299). “I also fight them for taking so much of my money before I learned to protect myself” (page 2300). He claims he protects himself by becoming invisible. If no one knows he is there then how can they take his money? “I have been carrying on a fight with Monopolated Light and Power for some time now. I use their service and pay then nothing at all, and they don’t even know it” (page 2299).

I believe the over view on this story is that in one way or another everyone used their power, freedom, or even physical attributes to get what they want or need out of life. His grandfather said, “Live with your head in the lion’s mouth” (page 2305). I understand that to mean, take chances! Challenge things and people, including you, all throughout life. Keep your goals even when you are the invisible man.