The Exquisite Art Of Symbolism In Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison is one of the most important novelists after World War II. His famous novel Invisible Man has a firm position in the American canon. The protagonist of the novel—the invisible man is baffled by the problem of his identity that haunts the modern man. A prominent feature of the novel is the use of symbolism. The thesis will approach the novel from this angle. The symbols used by Ellison are deliberately chosen in accordance with the development of the plot and the degree of knowledge to which the invisible man has attained. They are interwoven with each other and building a system. Thus, the symbols will be analyzed with the light of the plot development. Psychologically, the invisible man's journey can be divided into three stages. He gradually moves from trying to fulfill his purpose on creature comforts to passionately searching for his identity and to his final perception of status quo. In this way, the symbols will not be isolated from each other. It will help the reader to get a better understanding of the novel.