¶ contemplates violent revolt. As one of the group members around him says, ôWhat we need is some gunsà An eye for an eyeö (Ellison 490). We also see that MalcolmÆs rhetoric often encompassed an exhortation to violence. In his ôMessage to the Grass Rootsö speech he is quite explicit about it: ôYou donÆt have a turn-the-other cheek revolution. ThereÆs no such thing as a nonviolent revolutionö (Breitman 9).
It is interesting that both Malcolm X and Ellison both make Biblical references in their exhortation. One might say that at this point in their development both were swayed as much by feeling and emotion as reason and political savvy. This is because peaceful coexistence in a society that offers equality for all its citizens cannot occur through violence. Violence only leads to greater tension and violence. One must recognize that when violence is advocated by Malcolm or the ôInvisible Man,ö it is often in a retribution or self-defense exhortation. Yet as they mature in their thinking and experiences, both men tend toward a more cooperative and universal political ideology as the means of bringing about real social change and unity. EllisonÆs (580) ôInvisible Manö tells the individual that his or her ôlife will be lo
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