Invisible Man Themes
The main themes in Invisible Man are invisibility and identity, racism and inequity, and power and control.
- Invisibility and identity: The unnamed narrator is uncertain of his own identity and describes himself as functionally invisible to others.
- Racism and inequity: The narrator constantly encounters inequity, and both implicit and explicit racism, in his interactions.
- Power and control: Many of the conflicts in the novel revolve around the struggle to establish and maintain power and control.
Themes: All Themes
Themes: Invisibility and Identity
The themes of invisibility and identity are tightly intertwined within Ellison’s text.
When the invisible man describes himself as “invisible,” he doesn’t mean he’s literallyinvisible. Rather, he means that those around him simply don’t register him. He explains this as a problem with their “inner eyes,” in contrast to their physical eyes—something deep within them chooses not to see the person standing before them, even as they visually...
(Read more)Themes: Racism and Inequity
Racism is a major theme throughout Invisible Man, both implicitly and explicitly. Implicit racism is evident in many of the narrator’s interactions with white people, even those who believe themselves to be benevolent. Mr. Norton, for example, has invested heavily and generously in the Black college, and appears to care a great deal about the success of the community, but he is also deeply self-aggrandizing about that investment. He uses his...
(Read more)Themes: Power and Control
The personal and institutional conflicts within Invisible Man can largely be viewed as fights to retain power and control.
When Dr. Bledsdoe expels the narrator, it isn’t because he has caused any tangible harm. It’s because he has been involved in something Bledsdoe finds disreputable, which threatens the school’s standing and, by extension, Bledsdoe’s own station in life. As he and the narrator argue about the impending consequences of the...
(Read more)Expert Q&A
Key Themes and Conflicts in Ellison's Invisible Man
In Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, key themes include identity, invisibility, and racism. The protagonist struggles with societal expectations and his own search for self-identity. Conflicts arise from systemic racism and the protagonist's internal battle to define himself within a society that refuses to see him. The novel explores the complexities of being invisible in a world driven by prejudice and stereotypes.
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