Invisible Man - Final Assessment

Task: Write an essay on the following:

Prompt
In developing the character of the Narrator and describing his experiences as the
“invisible man,” what is Ralph Ellison saying about the lives of black people in
American society?

Directions:
Using the framework of the traditional Hero’s Journey, develop an essay in which you
explore how the Narrator’s life provides a critique of American society.
In your essay, discuss three separate incidents in the life of the Narrator that connect to
phases of the Hero’s Journey.

Questions to consider:
● How does the Narrator fit the model of the traditional hero and how does he not?
● Heroes are typically thought of as high visibility characters. How are the concepts
of visibility and invisibility related to the Narrator’s hero’s journey?
● How does light, darkness, blindness, and invisibility shape and inform the
Narrator’s identity?
● What has the Narrator learned about himself in the end?

-Brainstorm
-Review the Hero’s Journey (stages)
-Discuss three separate incidents you will use in the life of the narrator
to connect to the Hero’s Journey
-Gather evidence and quotes from the text to support your analysis
- Rough Draft: Must be Hand written during class time.
- Final Draft: Minimum 2 Pages double spaced

Success Criteria
Your essay should:
● Develop a thesis that clearly addresses the development of the narrator as an “alternate hero”
and links it to a critique of American society.
● Support your thesis with a discussion of three specific incidents (scenes) chosen for their
connection to the hero’s journey
● Use thoughtful text evidence from each scene which explores the development and thinking of
the Narrator
● Include commentary on the text evidence which explores how the specific language of the text
illuminates the development of the Narrator and his role in society.
● Provide a conclusion which both revisits and reinforces your thesis but also explores the larger
meanings and impacts of the novel.
 The invisible man is a book by Ralph Ellison. He was saying about the lives of Black
people in American society that they’re suffering because of the racial system that doesn't permit
that the black people have the same rights as the whites. The hero’s journey is a a consists of a
series of steps or stages that a hero goes through during their adventure, some of the author’s
adventures that are related to the hero’s journey are when the narrator went to the scholarship for
give a good speech this is connected with the step 2 in the hero’s journey “The Call to
Adventure'' because after that decision he going to face a lot of challenge to identify himself.
Another adventure that connect with the hero’s journey is when he know Mr. Norton & Dr.
Bledsoe, this is connected with the hero’s journey “Meeting with the Mentors” because they are
the person that controls the college in which he gets the scholarship. Another adventure that is
connected with the hero’s journey is when he gets kicked out of the college by Dr. Bledsoe, this
connected with “Crossing the First Threshold” because that action what’s the step for him to start
knowing the real world.

The narrator in “Invisible Man” fits the model of the traditional hero through his
unwavering determination and transformative journey to overcome adversity and find his true
identity. The narrator fit the model of the traditional hero by overcoming obstascle, he faces
numerous obstacle, including racial oppression and societal expectations. One piece of evidence
that can prove it is when the narrator participates in a brutal & humiliating “Battle Royal” event
as part of white town’s entertainment. This scene symbolises the instistuition lized racism &
dehumanization that the narrator & other Africans Americans are subjected to. Another piece of
evidence that can support this is when the narrator finds employment at the Liberty Paints
Factory where he is assigned to work in a basement area known as the “optical white” room, he
is exposed to dangerous and toxic chemicals, all for the purpose of producing white paint. This
scene symbolizes the racial hierarchy and the exploitation of black labor for the benefit of white
society. The narrator does not fit the traditional hero model, because although the narrator's
actions challenged social norms and exposed injustices, the impact they had on society at large
was limited. He was unable to effect significant change or bring about a social revolution,
deviating from the hero model where heroes often bring about transformative social change.
 The concepts of invisibility and visibility in "Invisible Man" shape the Narrator's hero's
journey, as he navigates between societal marginalization and self-empowerment. The concept of
"invisibility" is reflected at the beginning of the book as it is overlooked and ignored by those
around him. This invisibility symbolizes his lack of power in a society that marginalizes and
represses him because of his race. He is a victim of systemic racism, making him invisible in the
eyes of the white-dominated world. However, as the Narrator began to question and challenge
society's expectations and norms, he began to rediscover his own visibility. same identity that
they were previously repressed by conforming to society's expectations. This new visibility
signifies your individuality in your hero's journey. but as the narrator progressed he realized that
true visibility comes from accepting your individuality and not conforming to society's
expectations. When he began to find out about this, he began to reject the roles that have been
assigned to him and became visible by speaking his truth and asserting himself. These two pieces
of clairvoyance demonstrate how the narrator was oppressed by the racial situation he was
facing, in such a way that he became invisible in the eyes of society, but as he progressed and
questioned himself, that insivility diminished and he realized that being invisible is not a lack of
value, but rather an opportunity to navigate society with greater freedom and independence.

The interplay of light, darkness, blindness, and invisibility serve as potent metaphors that
intricately shape and inform the identity of the Narrator in "Invisible Man." Light, darkness,
blindness and invisibility shapes have a very important meaning in the book Invisible Man
because they deeply inform the identity of the Narrator, highlighting the invisible nature of his
existence and the search for self-discovery in a racially divided society. light and darkness, this
book is seen representing knowledge and ignorance, visibility and invisibility. At the beginning
of the book, the narrator describes himself as an "invisible" man because society refuses to
acknowledge his existence as a black man. However, as he gains knowledge and understanding
of the social structures that oppress him, he begins to see the power of the light. The interplay
between light and darkness symbolizes the complexities of the Storyteller's identity and his quest
to find light amidst the shadows. Blindness is reflected as a metaphor for the lack of awareness
and understanding that affects both the Narrator and society as a whole. The Narrator
experiences multiple cases of blindness throughout the novel, such as when he blindly follows
the dictatorship of the Brotherhood which was dominated by whites, believing that this would
lead to his liberation. However, he eventually realizes that his blindness has made him complicit
in perpetuating the marginalization of his own identity.