History Literature / InvisibleMan

* SeeminglyWholesomeFiftiesGirl: Sybil is a funny case in that she would qualify as TheIngenue if it weren't for her rape fantasies. (As the victim, mind you, not the rapist--she's utterly smothered by her life, and wants something wild.)

* BitchInSheepsClothing: Dr. Bledsoe. Outwardly, he's a humble administrator promoting Black American advancement. In reality, he is a self-serving jerk whose humbleness masks a sycophantic urge.

The first and only completed novel by the American critic and reviewer Ralph Ellison, ''Invisible Man'' was published in 1952 and has remained very popular ever since, especially among English teachers and students of African American literature.

[[SimilarlyNamedWorks Not to be confused with]] '''''[[Literature/TheInvisibleMan The]]''' [[Literature/TheInvisibleMan Invisible Man]]'', a ScienceFiction novel by Creator/HGWells, much to the disappointment of many a high school student.

The first and only completed novel by the American critic and reviewer Ralph Ellison, ''Invisible Man'' was published in 1952 and has remained extremely popular ever since, especially among English teachers and students of African American literature.

The plot revolves around a young black man who is determined to rise to a position of influence, but is ignorant of the amount of lying and scheming that will take. As he bounces from one situation to another in search of power, he both hears the words and witnesses the actions of various people and groups who're manipulating the racial divide.

[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/invisible_man_1952_book_cover.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:280:''"Who knows but that, on the lower frequencies, I speak for you?"'']]

The first and only completed novel by the critic and reviewer Ralph Ellison, published in 1952 and remaining extremely popular ever since, especially among English teachers and students of African American literature.

Considered one of the most important novels not only of the modern period but also of all time, it has been heralded for its portrayal of the horrific atrocities of racism and the rampant repression of African-American culture in post-Reconstruction South and New York City. It has also been noted for [[RuleOfSymbolism its extensive use of symbolism]].

* ScaryBlackMan: Supercargo is a gigantic black attendant assigned to keep the mental patients under control. He does it with help from his sheer size, his starched white uniform, and a straitjacket he carries with him. Subverted when he shows up at the Golden Day drunk and in nothing but his underwear.

* BarBrawl: The battle royal, where the black protagonist must fight for the amusement of prominent white members of society, is a definite qualifier.

* BlackfaceStyleCaricature: the narrator's first (black) landlady when he moves to New York City has a Golliwog-style statue of a caricatured black person, with huge red lips and a wide open mouth, which she uses to store coins. The statue isn't commented on directly but likely symbolizes her assimilationist nature and internalized racism.

[[SimilarlyNamedWorks Not to be confused with]] '''''[[Literature/TheInvisibleMan The]]''' [[Literature/TheInvisibleMan Invisible Man]]'', a ScienceFiction novel by Creator/HGWells, much to the disappointment of numerous high school students.

* IAmWhatIAm: The protagonist has come to accept that he is "invisible": not literally so, but that mainstream society ignores him for being a minority, and that the nasty, bizarre events that plagued his life have shaped him.

* NotIfTheyEnjoyedItRationalization: The main character comes across a man who raped his daughter by accident (he was sleepwalking/dreaming). When he comes out of the dream and realizes what's happening his daughter refuses to let him stop.

* PowderKegCrowd: One of the main character's few skills is to manipulate these. Ras can do so too.

* UnwittingPawn: The narrator. He is used by the brotherhood to drum up business with more blacks without actually accomplishing anything. Dr. Bledsoe uses him to make the school look good.

* StrawHypocrite: If it's possible to have a secular one, the Brotherhood is this in spades. Even the lower-ranking officials don't realize just how much the organization focuses on gaining power, and how little its highest-ranking members really care about helping the poor and downtrodden.

* BrokenAesop: Intentionally; Ellison thought there was something deeply wrong in society, but had no idea what to do to fix it. He interrogates

Considered one of the most important novels not only of the modern period but also of all time, it has been heralded for its portrayal of the horrific atrocities of racism and the rampant repression of African-American culture in post-Reconstruction South and New York City. It's also been noted for [[RuleOfSymbolism its extensive use of symbolism]].

Considered one of the most important novels not only of the modern period but also of all time, it has been heralded for its portrayal of the horrific atrocities of racism and the rampant repression of African-American culture in post-Reconstruction South and New York City. It's also been noted for [[RuleOfSymbolism its excessive use of symbolism]].