Invisible Man

Invisible Man is about race and how racial injustice hampers individual effort, no matter how diligent. There are a myriad of examples and overarching patterns that support the idea that the protagonist is held back by the racial stereotypes and oppression of 20th-century America. For example, White narratives about other races are shown to be well integrated into pop culture: At one point, the protagonist goes and sees a movie that perpetuates various stereotypes and myths about the American West, the “cowboys and Indians” (170) frontier movie. White people, even when relatively well-meaning, have preconceived ideas about what Black people “should” be. An example of this is when Brotherhood member Emma asks, “don’t you think he should be a little blacker?” (303), and a party guest demands that he sing just because he’s Black (312). (Stereotypically, Black people were seen as “natural” entertainers who existed for the enjoyment of White people rather than in their own right.)

Not only have White people internalized certain myths and stereotypes about Black people in Invisible Man, Black people are also shown to have internalized them as well, “self-correcting” away from appearances or behaviors that White people did not approve of.