Quest for Black Identity in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man

Abstract

The main issue in the novel Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison deals with the existential crisis about the main character called Invisible Man, which is not only the problem of the main character but this is a social and political problem. The concept of white about black has thrown the existence of black into darkness. He shows sympathy with the black people of the USA, because he finds them to be the victims of the white man's injustice and oppressive policies. Although slavery was legally abolished, the white continued to treat the negroes badly, Who were the victims of injustice, exploitation and even their existence was ignored. So search for authentic self was necessary and many blacks began to revolt against this injustice. In this novel, the protagonist emerges from his underground "hibernation" to establish his true identity and prove him as a human with certain existence. Although the so-called whites think that they are visible and the protagonist as an invisible man, but the protagonist sees visibility in him. The narrator sees life impossible in the white dominated world, so he emerges from there and starts journey for the establishment of his true identity and places himself in the contemporary American society.