Invisible Man: Searching for Black Identity in a White World Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison was published at a time when America it was racially divided. The novel presents the theme of the lack of black identity – a theme supported by the fact that the protagonist, the Invisible Man, has no name. The reader knows the names of Doctor Bledsoe, Ras-the-Exhorter, Brother Jack and others, but does not know the name of the main character. Ellison leaves it up to the reader to decide who he is and, on a larger scale, how white America perceives black America. Ellison's use of color is interesting. He uses color to contrast the differences between white and black America. Ellison describes the Tuskegee campus as a "world of whiteness," Dr. Bledsoe's wife as having a "creamy complexion," and the main character's lover's arm as "an ivory arm thrown over her jet-black hair." 'ebony". This contrast is used throughout the book and reminds the reader that race is an important issue in America. In chapter 2 the main character is a college student and feels good about his life. Dr. Bledsoe, the dean of the Tuskegee Institute, assigns him to mentor an old white trustee named Mr. Norton and make sure he gets to his meetings on time. One particular day Mr. Norton asks the boy to take him for a ride. Mr Norton knows little about the surrounding area. This foreshadows trouble for the young man. What the boy fails to understand is that Dr. Bledsoe does not want Mr. Norton or any other white administrator to see the community surrounding the campus. Unaware of this, the boy takes the first road he comes across and immediately sees a poor black farmer named Trueblood. In an era where most blacks live in poverty, Tru… middle of paper… the status quo, challenging the reader to see beyond skin color. Only by understanding the truth about race, gender, and class warfare can we, as a nation, free ourselves from the shackles of prejudice. Works cited and consulted: Bishop, Jack. Ralph Ellison. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988.Bellow, Saul. "Man Underground" review of the film The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. Comment. June 1952. December 1, 2001 Available: http://www.english.upeen.edu/~afilreis /50s/bellow-on-ellison.htmlEllison, Ralph. The invisible man. Vintage International. New York: Random House, Inc., 1947. Fabre, Michel. "In Precious by Ralph Ellison." Unpublished manuscript. 1996. November 30., 1988.