Combating Racism & Stereotypes - "Invisible Man"

One of the most important times we see the narrator speak out against racism is in chapter 16, where he gives a motivational and rather radical speech. This speech rouses the crowd while angering the Brotherhood for its unscientific and emotional delivery. The narrator, with his newfound passion, goes on to give more speeches and attend more rallies, advocating for African-American rights. This style of combating stereotypes opposes that of his grandfather, Bledsoe, and even Ras the Exhorter, who all aim to empower themselves, although achieving these goals through different methods. 

In the first few chapters of the book, the narrator's grandfather gives the narrator advice to submit to white society, acting docile and serving them as they expect him to. In chapter 1, the grandfather specifically states that he wants the narrator "overcome 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, [and] let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open" (Ellison 16). In these words, the grandfather illustrates how the narrator should undermine white people by assuming a role in their society, giving them no reason to suspect him of working against them. The grandfather describes a slow, methodical way of eroding the foundations of white society where you are sticking your head in the lion's mouth (as the grandfather would describe it) while still remaining invisible. In fact, the grandfather's method of fighting back against oppression was so effective that his own family is unaware of his true agenda, just as the white people were unaware of the fact that he was undermining them the entire time.

The narrator later compares the grandfather's last words to a curse that will haunt him throughout the novel, foreshadowing the fight he must continue in place of his grandfather. The grandfather, even in his last words, says to the narrator: "Son, after I'm gone I want you to keep up the good fight" (Ellison 16). The grandfather also infers that this fight against oppression will consume the narrator's life, just as this fight spanned across his entire life. This idea of the grandfather's last words being a curse reflects on how this fight is not an option, but rather an obligation for the narrator to fulfill throughout his lifetime. These last words are guidelines, a set of rules to live by for the remaining part of the war. 

Bledsoe, on the other hand, employs a similar strategy but for different reasons. Bledsoe aims to empower himself by giving in to white people and telling them what they want to hear. By putting on this mask of servitude for the white community, he thinks he can control them and manipulate them however he wishes. He states, "The only ones I even pretend to please are big white folk, and even those I control more than they control me" (Ellison). Clearly, he is using this illusion to selfishly further  himself while dragging others through the dirt. This selfish aspect of his method of sidestepping social inequalities is illustrated in chapter 6 when he says that he'd rather have every black person "in the country hanging on tree limbs by morning if it means staying where [he is]" (Ellison). By "hanging on tree limbs," he is saying that to stay where he is in the social food chain, he would hang all the black people in the country. This quote vividly depicts his horrific selfishness and the effect pure ambition has had on his mindset.

While the grandfather and Bledsoe's methods of combating and sidestepping stereotypes (and in general, racism) revolve around the idea of staying invisible and playing the waiting game, , the narrator's initial step to fight oppression goes in a complete opposite direction. While he makes quick progress with his rousing speeches and fervent rallies, he in turn, gains a lot of attention, counteracting the set of guidelines that his grandfather gave him at the beginning of the novel. Rather than being a shadow of society, he is brought into the light to achieve his goals. In chapter 18, he even gets a letter from a "friend" that tells him to keep working for the people but remember that "if you get to big they will cut you down" (Ellison 383). This hints at the fact that if the narrator makes too much progression too quickly in a "white man's world," he will quickly be dealt with as this type of society doesn't embrace this fast paced change. 

The narrator must change his ideals and his view of society if he is to continue to fight against oppression and for his people. Rather than being brought into the spotlight for everyone to see, it is  more beneficial to work from the shadows, chipping away at the foundational elements of this stereotypical white society.