The main character in The Invisible Man

The main character in The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is not literally invisible as is the main character in the same-titled work by H.G. Wells. Rather, the character is invisible in a metaphorical and symbolic sense. He is invisible both to himself and to others, in a way that has resonance for other characters in modern literature and for modern man himself. The hero of this novel is a black man who is invisible to himself and in two societies. He is invisible in white society because he is black, and in black society because he takes on various expected roles accepted by white society. He is invisible to himself because he has been subsuming his real character in these roles and has not allowed himself to exist as a real person with his own point of view.

One of the primary reasons the man is invisible is because he lives in the city, and the modern city is a place where anonymity approaches the state of invisibility -- here people are able to pass by one another without ever seeing each other. This novel is the story of one black man who was born in the American South and whose exceptional abilities brought him educational opportunities. In the North, his education also brought him social and cultural advantages that are denied to most black men. He does not start out invisible -- he is a part of his society and is as visible as anyone else in his home town and his college. He becomes invisible in the city in the North. His experiences in the North lead to

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olved in a form of the black nationalist movement and is expected there as well to fullfil certain roles. Black nationalism emerged as a response to the desire to escape from the confines of a racist society, and it can be seen as a collection of efforts by blacks to resolve problems of cultural identity and sociopolitical weakness as blacks. Black nationalism has a long history as a political movement, with varying impact at different points in American history. Many "free" and slave blacks became dedicated to the idea of liberation with the American Revolution and the Haitian Revolt, leading many to desire unity in their ranks and control over their own destinies as well as independence from an oppressive and racist society. This coincided with the development of the United States after the Revolution. There is evidence that a sense of black nationalism infused the slave population, but clearly it was in the North among "free" blacks where there was an opportunity for them to frame their thoughts into statements calling for a transformation of values and the creation of institutions to move black people from dependency to liberation. It is in the North where the hero encounters this movement and for a time becomes a leader

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