The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Prologue

I have started reading Ralph Ellison’s novel titled The Invisible Man. Instead of purchasing the paperback copy like I normally would, I opted for the audio version. Reading this way feels like I am more absorbed into the story and it allows for better understanding, especially since the writing style is reminiscent/conversation like… it seems that the narrator goes off into tangents when he revisits certain experiences. It is very interesting to hear the modulation of the speaker’s voice; changes in the tone and pitch reveal many emotions that normally would’ve been lost if I was reading the book myself. From what I’ve learned so far, the speaker has a lot of anger that he has managed to repress, but there was one violent incident where he almost lost self-control. He feels intense animosity for the culture that he is living in and refers to other people as “sleepwalkers”; he claims he does not appear in the dream they are living in. The narrator explains his “invisibility” early on which is important because the extended metaphor takes a very literal approach. He clarifies that he is a man of substance, flesh, and bone, but he is still invisible because people refuse to see him. Since the narrator lives his day-to-day life going unnoticed and alone, he spends a lot of time pondering his identity. This habit has also strengthened his creativity, which peaks whenever he listens to Louis Armstrong. He expresses great admiration for the jazz musician and states that his music has the ability to propel him toward taking action. This action that he’s referring to is left unspecified.