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 financial outlay as an excuse to place expectations and assumptions on the narrator and the Black community because he views himself as an important part of their story, whether or not they want him in it.
More explicitly, the narrator and the other characters repeatedly encounter systemic anti-Black racism as they move throughout the world. One notable instance is the narrator’s arrival at Liberty Paint, where his employers immediately vocally evaluate him based on his race rather than his qualifications. The elderly Black couple being thrown out by the white landlord, too, highlight systemic racism.
Though the Brotherhood is ostensibly an organization working toward racial equity, racism is also deeply evident within its ranks as the story progresses. When Brother Tod Clifton is killed in an act of racist police brutality, the white members of the Brotherhood find it appropriate to disavow him as a “race traitor” for performing a puppet show that caricatures Blackness. The narrator protests this, upset that they should be the ones to adjudicate Clifton’s Blackness, and is told that one of the white members is a perfectly adequate authority on the matter because he’s married to a Black woman.
Racism occurs between Black characters, too—notably, Dr. Bledsdoe calls the narrator a racial slur when they have their argument about his expulsion. The narrator is shocked to hear this from another Black man, realizing that Bledsdoe has invoked something so deeply, canonically hurtful because he views the narrator as the “wrong” kind of Black.
A corollary inequity is evident when the narrator arrives at his first Brotherhood party and is introduced to the other members. He meets Emma, who greets him and then privately asks someone else if they think he’s “Black enough” to be the Harlem district spokesperson.
Expert Q&A
Why did white people help Trueblood more after his disgrace than before his crime?
White people helped Trueblood more after his disgrace because his story reinforced their racist beliefs and allowed them to vicariously indulge in forbidden fantasies. Trueblood's tale of incest satisfied their morbid curiosity and confirmed the perceived moral and racial superiority of whites. They paid him both to hear the story and to alleviate their own guilt, compensating him for confirming their biases.
In Invisible Man, why do college students and teachers fear Trueblood and black belt inhabitants?
College students and teachers fear Trueblood and black belt inhabitants because they threaten the image and identity the college strives to create. Trueblood's actions, particularly his incestuous relationship, reinforce negative stereotypes that the college community seeks to overcome. This legitimizes the white oppressor's views and undermines the college's efforts to establish a new identity for African Americans. Trueblood embodies the identity the college wants to distance itself from, posing a significant threat to their mission.
How does Booker T. Washington influence the narrator in Invisible Man?
In "Invisible Man," Booker T. Washington influences the narrator through his rhetoric of submission and gradual progress, contrasting with the more radical approach of W.E.B. DuBois. The narrator initially admires Washington's philosophy but struggles with the tension between Washington's moderate approach and DuBois's demand for immediate equality. This conflict reflects the narrator's internal struggle for identity and freedom, ultimately leading him to reject both paths and embrace his invisibility as a form of resistance.
Why did the scholarship men subject the narrator to an ordeal at the club in Invisible Man?
The men who are giving the narrator a scholarship in Invisible Man put him through a humiliating ordeal at the club to make it clear that, however highly educated he is, he will always be inferior to them and subject to their power.
How do Invisible Man and The Outsider reflect the transformation of African American rights struggle?
The search for identity in Invisible Man and The Outsider shows how neither the struggle for African American rights nor certain societal shifts can fully account for the profound alienation felt by certain people within modern American society.
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