Caitlyn's AP Blog

Dear Ralph Ellison, “A classic is a book that has never finished” - Italo Calvino. When reading this quote it reminds me of how your book ( Invisible Man) was far ahead of its time. It addressed issues that although were occurring during the era you wrote the story, would still be very prevalent in today’s society. A textual example of this could be found in the Royal Rumble scene of your book, where all the blacks were blind folded and forced to fight to the death. This scene is relevant in today’s society because although in the story their eyes were closed physically, they were also closed metaphorically by the blind fold put on by whites. Such as with education, religion, drugs, money and etc. These things can be considered blinders because they are used to control and manipulate.  Another textual example seen in the book was in chapter 7, while the narrator was on a bus to New York, and he encounters a veteran who tells him to become invisible to the white man and hide himself.

1) The device that appears in the vet’s advice to the narrator was metaphor because he was not literally talking about fog but he was talking about the narrator’s foggy judgement and perception. 2) What the vet was saying when he told the narrator to be his own father was that he needs to do things on his gown and discover opportunities by himself rather than waiting for someone else to afford them to you. 3) The Allusion used to describe the narrator’s arrival was the story of Jonah. He alluded to being in the belly of the whale and how he has to be directed by the police to the men’s house.

The invisible Man is a book with a wide range of themes and ideologies. Personally I feel the most important themes were racism, stereotypes and  finding your own identity. Most black literature contains the same themes and messages. For example Langston Hughes poem I, Too. All three themes apply to the poem as well as the story because I, Too, was a poem that discussed overcoming obstacles with a single goal in mind. This coincides with the finding your identity them because in order to overcome something you must get a grasp of your own identity and what you want to do. Racism applies to this poem because although not really stated, it can be insinuated that the obstacles were because of racism, and that due to the color of your skin you would not be afforded the same opportunities, there for making it harder to achieve your goal. And lastly the theme stereotypes could be applied to the poem as well as the story because in Hughes poem he hints at stereotypes by using the conception o

In Robert Ellison’s the Invisible Man there are many prominent themes. Three main themes are racism, stereotypes and discovering your identity. The book is based around the Jim Crow era and racism is a extremely serious matter at the time and is a constant theme of the story. An example of this I seen in the battle royal scene. In this scene we see blacks fighting each other blind folded for the entertainment of whites. This scene showed how whites thought of blacks during this time. Another theme in the story was stereotyping. An example of this was with Trueblood and his daughter. This scene expounded on how whites were not really disturbed by the fact that Trueblood got his daughter pregnant. They were thought this was the norm and actually praised it in a way. And lastly the third theme was finding your identity. I feel as if this is the most powerful theme because although the narrator was faced with many adversities and tribulations, he still fought to find his true perception o

Chapter 4 1) The imagery in this chapter belie’s the narrator inner tension can be connected to the white line dividing a highway and he also used college and how it and the white line can be seen as dividing. 2) The narrator hates Trueblood because of what he did to his daughter, he also hates him because he feels as if he is affecting him in a way. 3) The effect of comparing the campus to a plantation is an elaboration of how although the blacks are allowed on campus the still suffer from the pretenses of the whites. 4) Dr. Bledsoe has achieved power by following his white predecessors and making sure he keeps them pleased. 5) The mirror and the aquarium are metaphors because they can both create distorted images, which would make a person lose their sense of self. Chapter 5 1) The rhetorical argument behind the comparison to the moon to a white mans bloodshot eye was that although they both may seem high and mighty, they eventually fall and have to deal with their problems.

1) Allusion is used in the second paragraph when the narrator alludes back to a time where slavery was prominent, he also talks about his own personal experiences. 2) The quote said to the narrator by his grandfather can be received as him saying that you can solve most problems by being the bigger person and eventually you will prevail. 3) The significance of the narrator viewing of himself as Booker T Washington comes from the prominent roll he played in the African American history and he views himself as someone that important. 4) The narrator felt uncomfortable and out of place in the presence of the naked blonde. 5) This chapter shows the limits of assimilation by showing although the narrator is content amongst the whites, there is still a sense of uncertainty. Chapter 2 1) The road symbolizes the different paths people tend to go down throughout their lives. 2) The rhetorical purpose of the founders statue was that it send a positive message but wasn’t taken care of. 3)