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Sofia Carrasco
Ap Literature/ Pd.4
11/5/15
Invisible Man Free Response
In chapter 1 of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the narrators grandfather is a powerful

symbol that illustrates the constant struggle the black narrator will undergo in a white dominated
culture. We are introduced to the grandfather in the beginning of the chapter on his deathbed. He
is described as the meekest of men but his last words are anything but meek. He tells his son to
battle the white oppression by undermin em with grins and agree em to death and
destruction. This had a profound effect on the way the narrator views his interactions with the
white people in his town. The narrator is torn between wanting to please the white authority
figures but to not become the traitor his grandfather believed he was on his deathbed. The
words of his grandfather echoed in his mind throughout his entire life.
After being teased, taunted, and beaten bloody, the narrator is awarded a briefcase and a
scholarship to the black state college from the white superintendent. He immediately thinks of
his grandfather, without letting him spoil his triumphs and stands beneath his photograph in
order to express a sense of superiority he feels. The narrator is grateful to the white
superintendent for giving him this gift of education, yet it shows that without this gracious gift he
probably wouldve never gone to college. But the narrator's subconscious does not allow him to
revel in this accomplishment for long. That night his grandfather invades his dreams. The
narrator finds envelope after envelope in his briefcase and is instructed to open one and read it by
his grandfather. The letter reads To Whom It May Concern, Keep This Nigger-Boy Running.
This dream expresses the fact that the narrator can please white authority figures and can be

smarter than white students but he will never be equal to them. He will always be chasing
recognition and acceptance of white people. This dream and his grandfather's last words will
haunt the narrator for many years of his life.