Invisible Man Analysis

Independence is a founding concept of American life, to the point where July 4th is known as Independence Day. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “Independent” as “not subject to control by others” or “not affiliated with a larger controlling unit”. (Independent) This definition is scrutinized by writers such as Ralph Ellison in Invisible Man and Julia Alvarez in ¡Yo! These novels represent independence as a myth. Characters become physically independent as they move out of oppression, but psychologically are more dependent on other people. The independence of the narrators in these novels is entirely reliant on close networks of authority figures, family members, and language. The narrator in Invisible Man attains independence through
The town leaders in Invisible Man are similar to the government workers in ¡Yo!, as both of them have the ability to give or take away tools that might help the narrators become more independent. The town leaders give the protagonist a scholarship to go to an African-American college and start an independent career. The United States Department of Immigration gives Laura’s family members green cards so they can legally live and work in the United States. The SIM in ¡Yo! force Laura and her family to be discreet about their distrust of the government (1574), and the black men in the battle royal only speak about their concerns regarding white townspeople in whispers. (1212) Ellison’s protagonist uses creative language in his narrative, such as describing the relative social status of African-Americans after the Emancipation as “separate like the fingers of the hand” (1211), and the townspeople ignoring him as “deaf with cotton in dirty ears” (1219). When he uses intellectual language in his graduation speech, the white audience demands he repeat himself until he makes a mistake. (1219-1220) Conversely, Laura often uses idioms incorrectly. She describes her husband studying very hard for his medical license as “studying like cats and dogs” (1574) when “like
are not the independent adults they first appear to be. They have many similar relationships to family members, language, and authority, though they experience these relationships in different ways. An African-American student born in America and a Latina mother born in the Dominican Republic are bound to have some different experiences. The protagonist seeks independence through knowledge and is held back by the people that surround him. Laura seeks independence through a change in society, but is held back by the knowledge her children could betray her. These two works written forty-five years apart show that no matter the time period, language, or location, independence may be more dependent than