Literature Analysis #2

Invisible Man

Part 1:

In Ralph Ellison's novel, Invisible Man, the main character starts by talking about his life as an 'invisible man.' Then he goes on talking about his past. He starts out as a trustee's driver. He drives him outside of the college campus, where he gets sick by sitting outside in the sun for too long. He takes the trustee to the Golden Day, a bar, and there he becomes unconscious and even sicker. Because of his irresponsibilities, he is kicked out of the college and has to go move to New York. There he doesn't know what to do or where to go. He meets a lot of new people and gets caught up in a riot in Harlem. Slowly, though, he realizes and learns how to live a good life invisibly. Without many people noticing him, living quietly and to him it was an awsome life. In fact, he said it was even better to live like this than to live where evryone notices you all the time.

 

Part 2:

The main theme of this book is gow to be responsible and take consequences when you deserve them. I think Ellison wanted to write about this character, 'the invisible,' becaise his story and way of living invisibly is vey interesting and different.

Part 3:

The protagonist is dynamic because he starts out living life and feeling it as one way, like putting yourself out there, standing out, and let your voice be heard. By the end, he thinks of life differently, like keeping it simple and living silently and still be having a good life.

Part 4: 

A symbol in this book is the locket with the trustee's daughter's picture. It changed the main character's point of view of the trustee and white people in general. He used to think that they were just selfish people who only thought about themselves and ignored what others felt. He realized that the trustee cares about everybody since he said that everyone's life was his destiny. It all depended on them. 

Part 5:

I chose this book because the title and the preview if the book were interesting. The title Invisible Man left me thinking about who he was, what did he do, how did he live. I read how he was invisible beacuse people refused to see him and it caught my attention.
 

Part 6:

One part of the book that I can relate to is the part of the bar and the fight inside.This made he think of a party my family had about 5 years ago. Towards the end of the party at night, there were drunken men who got into a big fight. In the book, they all jumped on the biggest man who was the one who kept everything in order. Hey didn't want him to boss them around and take away their privilege of drinking and being loud. In the party, my dad was the one that was sort of being the 'boss' and took thier beer away because they were too drunk. They all attacked him to try to get their beer back.Also, I can realate to the main character. Sometimes I feel that I am invisible among everyone else. I feel ignored at times like I'm there, yet they don't see me.

 

Part 7:

One idea from this book that I'll remember for a long time is that you are invisible because others refuse to see you. I will remember this when I'm taking any kind of risk. If I take a risk, I'll stand out and people will see me. If I don't and just live life safely, then I will also be invisble. People only see what they want to see and what they want to see is daring, excitement, and things that stand out. Only then will I be visible. The main character lives invisibly where no one notices him. He lives invisibly so that's how others see him.