*What does the narrator mean when he says he became "ill of affirmation" on page 573?
*How is polysyndenton (overuse of conjuctions) used to show the inner rage the narrator would feel while affirming others in their errors?
*By allowing others to get away with injustice (or pretending not to "see" it), how do we make others (or ourselves) invisible?
*What definition of invisibility motivates the narrator to return to social action?
*What is the effect of the rhetorical question that ends the novel?
*How does this novel relate to Morrison's Beloved, thematically or otherwise?
*What social statement is Ellison making with Invisible Man?
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The Invisible Man relates to Beloved because both main characters demonstrate a strong will and persistence to live. Both novels deal with the injustice of racism and how those who face it daily handle it. Both novels made me stop and think about how horrible racism can be and how horrible it would be to face that. I hope that everyone who read these books got the same feeling I did. Considering most of our school is white and hasn't faced such deep seated hatred, I commend the choice in these books because they are eye openers.
The epilogue of Invisible Man made me really think about who is visible and invisible in society. When we allow others to get away with injustice, we become invisible because we succumb to their ideas and power. The narrator decides to emerge above ground again because when one makes no decisions or impacts upon the life around him, for the better of humanity, he is also invisible. The narrator explains that if we do not put our knowledge to action, we forget the things that could empower us to help society. The narrator was unsure whether the principles of equality and visibility were greater than the men who were out to corrupt the idea for their own benefit. The question that ends the novel is thought-provoking in a sense that any person in society could be invisible if he does not work selflessly for society.
In the epilogue "the inviisible man" refers to justifying the mistaken beliefs of others. He was taught to do this I think in college, all of the so called educated black people there were way too content to stay under the heel of the white man. This is what he says started his rebellion and was how he became an invisible man. I think that this is important to point out because going along with other people's idea of who you is the root of so many problems. In this case it held back an entire race.
I don't think Invisible Man relates to Beloved very much. I mean, sure the main characters are both black, had to deal with racism, and were full of symbolism, but they both felt really different to me. Beloved felt like more of a mystery, especially while I was figuring out why her daughter died, and it wasn't a fun book for me. Invisible Man is now one of my favorite books, was beautifully written, and I really liked how he used symbolism by keeping the narrator anonymous.
The thematic tie between Beloved and Invisible Man is that both involve blacks who have to deal with racism and abuse and must overcome this day to day, and eventually completely overcome racism in their hometowns. Both novels were also extremely symbolic in that the authors wanted to get the point across that racism was horrible in any form. Both autors also used symbols as a large part of the messages that they wanted to get across.
By allowing others to get away with injustice we make both others and ourselves invisible. We make others invisible in the sense that we act like we didnt see anything. we pretend that nothing happend. We make ourselves invisible in the sense that doing nothing about an injustice. Is like not even being there at all. People must take action against the injustices in the world and be "visible"
Invisible Man and Beloved are related because they both have main characters who suffer great hardships. Both of the novels explore racism and its lasting effects on society. They also exemplify that strong will and perseverance can get you through anything. I agree with Ashly when she said that our school consists of mainly white students. We aernt very integrated and therefore we havent experienced hatred because of race. These books not only open your eyes but open your mind to how cruel the world can truly be. They taught me that nobody should be treated differently than someone else just because of their skin color.
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