The Role of Characterization in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man

When building upon the plot of a novel, authors often experience the confusing and even conflicting roles and effect that both the characters and other special features have on the plot. The characterization of both the human and non-human events often brings about a counter effect on the readers who comprehend a story much more as compared to where there is no characterization. Ralph Ellison’s “The invisible man”is an example of a novel that emphasizes both characterization and the use of vignettes to create additional features and effects on the overall outlook of the novel. The nameless young black man in “The invisible man”elicits a wave of mixed reactions which have an implication of the plot of the novel and the understanding by the audience. The aim of this essay is to analyze how vignettes and characters influence the development of the main protagonist.

The unnamed narrator who claims to be an “invisible man”has to move from the racist south to North America which is less racist (Ellison 123). The author, however, claims that those around him do not see him but rather chooses to see things around him and the figments of their imaginations which make them make conclusive opinions about him and themselves. The first vignette that the author uses in the novel comes from the unnamed narrator’s explanation of the genesis of his name. The narrator, for instance, explains that he was invisible to others not in a physical sense but from a psychological perspective as the people around him deliberately choose to ignore him (Ellison 35). The unnamed narrator states that “And my problem was that I always tried to go in everyone’s way but my own.”The quote by the unnamed narrator further reinforces the implication that the author does not act in accordance with his will but with the will of the society.

The narrator employs the use of various characters who come in contact with the unnamed narrator and influence his life in various ways. An example is in the case of brother Jack who is also the leaders of the Brotherhood (Hill & Lena 56). Brother jack influences the thoughts and perceptions of the main character when he implies that the ideological approach has failed to the solution of the problems facing African Americans. Although the initial contact that the leader of the brotherhood makes with the unnamed narrator makes appears to be harmless, the narrator later realizes the effects of the practice. Upon knowing Jack, the unnamed author is initially thrilled as he sees hope and encouragement in the brotherhood group where he can be free. Jack’s contact with the narrator makes the narrator realize that the leader of the Brotherhood wanted to attain and satisfy the selfish needs of the brotherhood (Hill & Lena 132). The unnamed narrator later compares the leadership and intent of the Brotherhood leader to that of the white people who were equally cold and oppressive.

The author strives to relate Jack’s brotherhood experience of leadership to that of the white people who are said to be oppressive and uncaring of the narrator’s existence (Ellison 114). Through the symbolism that the author portrays when he explains that Jack’s eye was “made of glass,”the readers get to know the root cause of the unnamed the unnamed narrator’s opinion about the brotherhood. The unnamed narrator further analyzes the intentions and purpose of the brotherhood which he realizes that just like the ideologies of the white people, they were useless and ineffective. 

The second vignette emanates from the scene where Blesdoe’s remarks that “I’s big and black and I say ‘Yes, suh’ as loudly as any burrhead when it’s convenient, but I’m still the king down here. . . . The only ones I even pretend to please are big white folk, and even those I control more than they control me. . . . (Ellison 111) ”These words were spoken to the narrator by Dr. Bledsoe who rebuked him for taking Mr. Norton to the less desirable areas of the campus. Bledsoe adopts a mocking tone and denounces his black roots with the claims that it was the combination which has made him get and even maintain control over the campus. Bledsoe speaks these words so as to justify his move to expel the narrator who has offered a peak of the real lives of the blacks to the white man (Ellison 112). In this scene, the narrator is disenchanted from the world and the rest of the black community as he feels betrayed and unworthy.

Ras is also one of the characters that further brought a sense of conflicting opinion to the narrator. The narrator states that while he thought he left all the hatred, confusion and absurdity that he had experienced while at the south (Hill 15). To the narrator, the character of Ras symbolizes change, reforms, violence, and passion all acting in the same motion. An example is when Ras states that, “Women? Godahm, mahn! Is that equality? Is that the black mahn’s freedom? (Ellison 8)”The narrator, therefore, feels confused, frustrated and even intimidated when he encounters the forceful and violent character of Ras. According to the character Ras strives to overthrow the white supremacy movement through the use of force and violence.

Another vignette that influences the plot of the story and the fate of the character in the story is “blindness.”The narrator states that, “When I discover who I am, I’ll be free (Ellison 103).”Blindness is a general term and expression that occurs throughout the plot of the story and hence it affects the main protagonist who chooses to ignore it. The main form of blindness in this concept is prejudice which is often directed towards other races and one’s self (Hill 76). The characters use the boys who fear blindfolds at the “battle royal”to symbolize the blindness and lack of realization of the exploitation of the blacks by the whites. Through the observation of the narrator, we further get to know that the eyes of the statue belonging to the founder of the college were empty while that of Jack were made of glass an indication that each of them was blinded by their beliefs and ideologies which were stopping them from seeing the reality.

Another notable character in the book is Rinehart who is not featured in any place in the book but only through reputation. However, through Rinehart’s character, we are able to relate the elements of the different identities that Rinehart possess to that of the main protagonist (Hill 56). The narrator explains that he had decided to become invisible due to the prevailing conditions which were rather confusing and satirical to him. The narrator wears dark glasses in one instance while in Harlem and many people confuse him for Rinehart who was known to possess many identities. Rinehart’s character according to the narrator symbolizes freedom, possibility, and complexity (Ellison 45).  To a greater extent, the narrator likes and even adores the character of Rinehart who to him is a symbol of liberty and change as opposed to the oppression, confusion, and misconception that he was accustomed to.

Ralph Ellison’s the “Invisible Man”has been used to trigger a sense of mixed reactions and misconceptions about the topic of race. Through the voice of the narrator, the author strives to use the two dominant features which are vignettes and characterization that is employed to highlight a certain depiction of race and its effects to both the blacks and whites. The three main vignettes used include invisibility, pretense, and blindness. The characters such as Brother Jack, Ras and Rinehart equally serve the purpose of further highlighting the filthy nature and misconception that the question of race brings about to the blacks and whites. Through the combination of both the vignettes and characterization, the author manages to blend the narrator’s thoughts with his feelings even though confusion still reigns. The narrator further affirms that even though he decided to become invisible by living underground, he is still not sure if he made the right decision because nothing much seemed to have changed despite his actions. Ellison’s creation is, therefore, a deliberate and persistent approach towards tackling the topic of race, pretense, betrayal, and confusion all bundled into one package of invisibility.

Works cited

Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. New York: Vintage Books, 1981.

Hill, Michael D, and Lena M. Hill. Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man: A Reference Guide. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2008.