Betrayed Into Invisibility

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (1952) – A young black man struggles to understand who he is and why he is “invisible” to the society that surrounds him. On the journey, people he trusts, people he reveres, and even those who claim they want to help him, will all betray him.

Offering an opinion on this novel requires, a certain care on my part. Outside of our humanity, the narrator and I have nothing in common. It would be presumptuous of me to offer any judgment of the life or decisions made by him. With that in mind, there is a word that suggested itself repeatedly as I read Ellison’s acclaimed novel.

Betrayal.

The narrator (who is never named) is a young black man from the South. Along with some people in his hometown, he has hopes that his future will be bright. But at every step along that journey, people maim his basic idealism. The white businessmen who require a humiliating spectacle before he receives a scholarship to black college. The college itself will betray him, as will institutional donors who hide their racism behind pious support of the college. Members of the black community who have chosen a “go along to get along” survival tactic that keeps them subjugated by whit society. When he meets political radicals in New York who say he will be the next great black leader, he soon discovers that his value to them is only as a tool. Through it all, the narrator hangs on to a desperate belief that everything will make sense. A vain hope that the good he expected will surface at last.

In the book, we begin with the end. He has adapted to the fact that he is invisible in society. By accepting that fact, he can live “off the radar”, owing no one anything. He finds a hidden place to call home, where he pays no rent and lights the space by tapping into the electrical system where no one will notice.

There is so much depth to the story about the story. This is Ellison’s first novel. He drew inspiration from “unusual” places like Dostoevsky, James Joyce and “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot. The creative choices Ellison made (and fought to keep) make this a work unlike other African-American writers of his time. It drew a lot of criticism because of that. But it would also catapult him into the literary star field. “Invisible Man” was the launching point for a long and honored career.

I always want to add “The” to the title, but it doesn’t belong there. “The Invisible Man” is the early science fiction classic by H.G. Wells. His invisibility is the result of his own action. The narrator’s invisibility is thrust upon him. It is a burden until he comes to grips with it.

Rating – **** Recommended