The Prologue: I Am Invisible The novel begins with a famous prologue. The narrator lives in a basement. He has stolen electricity from the power company. He listens to Louis Armstrong. He smokes marijuana. He says, “I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.” The prologue establishes the theme. The novel will show how the narrator became invisible. The prologue also establishes the style: jazz-like, improvisational, and angry.
The Battle Royal: The First Lesson The first chapter describes a “battle royal.” The narrator is a young boy. He is invited to give a speech to the white leaders of his town. Before he speaks, he is forced to fight other Black boys blindfolded. The white men watch and bet. The boys are electrocuted on a rug. The narrator gives his speech. He says “social responsibility.” He is given a scholarship to a Black college. He has learned his first lesson: white people will hurt him. He must pretend to be grateful.
The College: The Second Lesson The narrator goes to a Black college. It is modeled on Tuskegee. The founder, Dr. Bledsoe, is a powerful man. He is also a hypocrite. He pretends to serve his race. He serves himself. The narrator takes a white trustee, Mr. Norton, on a drive. He shows him the poor Black families outside the college. Norton is fascinated. Bledsoe is furious. He expels the narrator. He gives him letters of recommendation. The letters are fake. They tell employers not to hire him. The narrator has learned his second lesson: Black leaders can be as cruel as white racists.
Harlem: The Third Lesson The narrator moves to Harlem. He works in a paint factory. He is injured in an explosion. He is taken to a hospital. He is given shock treatment. He loses his memory. He wanders the streets. He is taken in by Mary Rambo, a kind woman. He joins the Brotherhood, a political organization modeled on the Communist Party. He becomes a speaker. He is successful. He is also used. The Brotherhood wants to control him. He leaves. He is hunted. He falls into a sewer. He lights a match. He burns his identity cards. He becomes invisible.
Ras the Destroyer: The Black Nationalist Ras is a Black nationalist. He wears a fez. He rides a horse. He wants to fight the white man. He hates the Brotherhood because they work with white people. He hates the narrator. He becomes a caricature. Ellison is not mocking Black nationalism. He is showing its limitations. Ras wants to replace one tyranny with another. The narrator wants freedom. Ras cannot understand.
The Epilogue: The Question The novel ends with an epilogue. The narrator is still in his basement. He is still invisible. He asks: why should I come out? He has no answer. He says, “Who knows but that, on the lower frequencies, I speak for you?” The question is directed at the reader. The reader is white. The reader is Black. The reader is invisible too. We are all invisible. We are all alone.
Conclusion: “Invisible Man” is a novel about race. It is also a novel about identity. The narrator has no name because he has no self. He is defined by others. He resists. He becomes invisible. He is free. The novel is a masterpiece because it refuses easy answers. It is angry. It is funny. It is sad. It is jazz.
