Invisible Man
There are many underlying themes throughout the Invisible Man ranging from ignorance and racial oppression to identity and invisibility. In simple terms, the novel is based on race in America but this only stems from the real meaning behind it which is an individuals search for their own identity and place in society. The first hint we see of this theme begins with the prologue in which he first characterizes himself as being invisible. By being invisible, the narrator claims that he is not seen as a person but instead as a race. His race automatically gives certain attributes and stereotypes to a person that is based on a generalization. This makes the narrator feel paralyzed as an individual. He feels that white people only see him as a race and this consequently prevents him from prospering in any way. This separates him from society, which leads him to that feeling of “invisibility.”
Identity is the differences and similarities in social groups. However, the narrator is kept from exhibiting his differences from other African-Americans because of the white man. The fact that he remains nameless throughout the novel shows how his ethnicity
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