Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is one of the literary masterpieces of the twentieth century.  The most impressive aspect of Ellison's book is the abundance of details and its rich, vivid descriptions, symbolism, and historical allusions.  One could create an entire web site based on only a few pages of text. 
  
This is what I plan to do using one powerful scene from Invisible Man.  This hypertext project will be based on the text starting with the question, "What's that word you say, boy?" (page 30) and ends with the last line of the first chapter.  The Invisible Man has just been interrupted during his speech by the yells of his audience. 

The scene that I have chosen includes the account of the first speech the Invisible Man is called on to give in the book.  This is an important section of the novel, for he is not listened to by most, interrupted by many, and instructed to know his place at all times.  This one selection of text ignites a theme that will flow throughout the novel and gives the reader a chance to study the prejudiced mindset of most of the people that the Invisible Man comes into contact with.  The faceless men throughout the novel have a plan set for the Invisible Man; they hope to use him for their gain and to keep the black race down.  

The last few paragraphs of the chapter are embedded with symbolism and foreshadowing.  It is in these lines of text that the Invisible Man's grandfather appears to him in a dream and instructs him to open an envelope, which contains another envelope.  After opening countless envelopes, the Invisible Man is commanded to read the message written on one, which states "To Whom It May Concern, Keep This Nigger-Boy Running."  This passage calls attention to a theme that began when the Invisible Man received his scholarship and that will be reiterated several times throughout the book.  This theme is one of official documents running the life of the Invisible Man without him being conscious of it.  

The men keeping the Invisible Man running use words like "destiny" and award him important documents to give him a sense of inflated importance.  His grandfather warned him against the life he begins to lead in this selection of text.  I hope to prove that the faceless white men throughout the book have a certain plan set for the Invisible Man; one that his grandfather's curse informed him of and that he would not become fully enlightened to until the end of the book when he is alone in the coal cellar.  The Invisible Man finally stops "running" in this coal cellar and resurrects his life.  He begins again with a new task in mind: to follow his grandfather's insightful advice.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The song you are listening to is "Black and Blue" by Louis Armstrong. 
  

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Rationale | Text Selection