Invisible Man Essay: Invisible Man and the Pre-Made Identity

Invisible Man and the Pre-Made Identity Society forms definitions, or stereotypes, of people according to the touch of their skin, their economic status, or where they live. Stereotypes define how beau monde believes these people should act and how they should be treated. These stereotypes are, in effect, a pre-made identity. There are three options an individual must demonstrate when presented with this pre-made identity. The individual can accept this identity as his/her own. This would maximize the individuals acceptance into society, tho at a considerable price. The individual would lose power, become exploitable, subdue and consequently lose his/her own true identity, and then would become one of many faces in the crowd. The true identity would be stifled and strangled low the one imposed by society. Anger, frustration , and confusion would occupy the mind of the individual. The individual could reject this identity outright and could circumvent the accumulation of this anger and confusion, but not without consequences. This person may be branded a heretic and be rejected by society. They would lose their agency and legitimacy in the society and would lose any hopes of bringing about any change. The third option entails living a lie. On the surface the individual would embrace societys identity, but reenforcement their true self hidden within. This option would allow the person to retain their agency in the society and their individuality. However, like the other two options, there exists a downside. The person would constantly have to put on the mask a particular community wants him/her to wear in order to conform to that communitys ideals. It then becomes closely impossible for anyone to get to know the real person, hid... ...come invisible. Works Cited and Consulted Bellow, Saul. Man Underground Review of Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man. Commentary. June 1952. 1st December 2001 Available http//www.english.upeen.edu/afilreis /50s/bellow-on-ell ison.html Ellison, Ralph. Going to the Territory. New York random House, 1986. Fabre, Michel. In Ralph Ellisons Precious Words. Unpublished Manuscript. 1996. 30 November. <http//www.igc.org/dissent/archive/ Ellison/early.html Howe, Irving. Review of Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man Pub. The Nation. 10 May 1952. 30 November 1999. <http//www.english.upenn.edu/afilreis/50s/howe-on-ellison.html. OMeally, Robert. The Craft of Ralph Ellison. Cambridge, Mass. Harvard University Press, 1980. OMeally, Robert, ed. New Essays on Invisible Man. Cambridge New York Cambridge University Press, 1988.