Invisible Man 5

Upon reflection I have come to appreciate Ellison’s use of the first person narrative when he wrote Invisible Man. Considering the novel details the journey of a nameless black man who eventually comes to see himself as indiscernible or made to be insignificant by society, Ellison’s telling of the story from inside the narrator’s mind exposes his feelings and way of thinking. In this way, it is easier for the reader to observe how the narrator changes his perception of himself. Of course the challenge is that all of the other characters do not have a mechanism to disclose their inner thoughts. Rather, their actions and words are filtered through the prejudices and interpretations of the narrator himself. I personally would enjoy knowing what some of the other characters truly thought of the narrator, such as the war veteran.