The Invisible Man: Summary

Part I of Essay
In the novel, The Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, written in 1952, a young black man's struggle to find an identity in a harsh and very manipulative society is exemplified. The narrator's experience and struggles are often expressed through the memory of his grandfather's ....

Part II of Essay
.... to his own people and urges his son to "overcome `em with yeses, undermine `em with grins, agree `em to death and destruction, let `em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open." These words remain imprinted in the narrator's mind throughout the book, although he never fully understands their meaning. His grandfather's words eventually serve as catalyst for his subsequent disillusionments, the first of which occurs directly after he graduates from high school. At this time, the narrator is invited to give a speech at a gathering of the ....