Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison Published by: Random House, 1952

1. Invisible ManBy Ralph EllisonPublished by:Random House, 1952 Joseph EchevarriasBlock 2B

2. Introduction • Setting:Varying, in the early-middle 1900's. • In the beginning:The book opens with a very descriptive and slightly confusing explanation of what Ralph Ellison meant by his invisibility, and introduces the book as an autobiography of his life.

3. Main Protagonist and Antagonist Pro: Ralph Ellison Ant: Himself As an autobiography, his book lets us see many of his personal thoughts and interpretations; many of which show that he is his own worst enemy. • Recalling his past events, he often sees a lot of the world against him, and often pictures himself as fighting a battle.

4. Central Conflict • As with many books written by African Americans at the time, the main focus of Invisible Man is racism, however Ellison's take on his own experiences adds a bit of mysticism. Believing himself to be non-pathologically invisible, he interprets some events in his life differently than other people would.

5. 3 Minor Characters Jim Trueblood Mr. Norton Dr. Bledsoe Trueblood provides a archetypal picture of the common Negro farmer at the time. Norton provides us with the picture of a kindly and rich old man, very charitable. The angry headmaster of Ellison's old college, he paints the image of a modern, powerful, influential man.

6. Critic Reviews • George Mayberry:This is the story of a man born in the South with abilities that brought him great opportunities and later social "advantages" in the north. It is a story told with great accuracy and hilarity of pensive disillusionment.Link to Mayberry's review • Irving Howe:Though he is greatly talented, Ellison is not a finished craftsman. The tempo of this book too hysterical and when he should be persuading or simply telling the readers (something), he forces and tears. Link to Howe's review

7. What I Think • As a whole, the book was satisfying enough to continue through until the end, but certain parts felt very drawn out and over-analyzed. For a reader who is less accustomed with descriptive language, it may even be hard to follow the plot of the story. However, despite this, I would recommend this book to anyone willing to use much time to take in the full image of the novel.