NAME: SAHAR RAHAMAN

INTEGRATIVE SEMINAR 1

ASSIGNMENT: RESPONSE TO RALPH ELLISON’S INVISIBLE MAN.

 

‘Invisible Man,’ is a story that captures our interests and stirs our souls. Its ability to resonate in my heart and capture a raw sense of emotion demonstrates the honesty that the writing presents. Ellison introduces ‘invisibility,’ as a trait that clouds his whole identity- not just ripping the flesh off his bones, but also stealing the spirit of his soul.

So deep is the force of invisibility that it becomes a quality that our protagonist has turned to embody. The line-

‘He lay there, moaning on the asphalt; a man almost killed by a phantom,’ demonstrates the above. We encounter Ellison as he   has accepted to reside into the background, looking at the advantageous aspects of his invisibility, ‘sometimes it is best to not awaken them.’ To him his invisibility represents insignificance.

Regardless of his many statements   and descriptions on the matter, he still feels this constant need to awaken his senses. It is here that I find the images of light and sound coming to full force bringing with it profound meaning.

I believe that the light metaphorically symbolizes Ellison’s desire to illuminate the darkness of his invisibility. His desire to feel the vibrations of sound makes me understand that this is the closest he will ever get to social interaction. I believe it is fascinating to understand how sensual awakening can be such a powerful instrument extending through our own lives, onto pages of writing.

Invisibility in this case goes beyond the realm of having an identity in the eyes of other individuals. I believe that the most intriguing aspect   is not so much how others view him, but how he has turned to view   himself. The penetration of this deep shadow leads to Ellison viewing himself as the phantom.

‘And so I play the invisible music of my isolation.’

 

I would visually demonstrate invisibility as a complex circular structure- similar to a barb of   metal wire. Though the twisted nature of the turns signifies it complexity the circular nature represents its ability to be recognized. Red is a color that represents the bloody scars that it leaves on the soul of the individual and I would use the depth of its hue as a visual focal   point.

 

 

Having recently moved to New York and not having anyone near me that I knew, was an experience that brought with it many shades of emotion. In the loneliness of the hour due to the lack of human connection I did see myself fading into the   background. It was as though the color of life had faded into the multiple shades of grey. On some metaphorical level, the   lack of recognition allowed me to connect with Ellison. I became one of the eight million inhabitants fading into a vast sea of people, losing any form of significance. Considering myself a tiny dot in the tiny ocean was a lonely though.

While my experience brings about a different insight from what Ellison expresses, I managed to in some complex and emotional way, wear that very same cloak of invisibility, disappearing into the shadows.

I believe that invisibility can also be interpreted as a mask that we often wear concealing our turmoil and pain, putting forth a different face for the world to see. We make our secrets invisible blending it into the darkness.