The quest to become invisible

Chapter one of Ellison's "Invisible Man" is filled with symbolism and metaphor, making a point about the struggle of young black men after high school. Since there were few black colleges that were available to attend, the competition to gain admission was a struggle for the best and brightest students and just as competitive as gaining entrance to UNC. Most students received a full scholarship to pursue a dream they have and make a difference in the world, not only for their community but for the entire community of African-American people throughout the US.
The first chapter is very significant, since it sets the tone for the entire book. It opens with the unnamed narrator remembering his grandfather's death and the important message he was trying to pass along. Here, the grandfather tells him to "overcome 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open." Symbolically, he is saying that no matter what, always maintain the identity you have in your heart, but the outward appearance should be the one that always maintains the status quo of the appearance "they" expect. It's a powerful message that can be equated in some ways to the message Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. always tried to promote of non-violence. To overcome, undermine and agree is also along the lines of the anthem "We Shall Overcome."

Did the fight really take place, or is it Ellison's way to show the struggle of how a select few had to overcome the stigma of not being much more than waiting labor for the workforce after high school. The fight is symbolic and full of stereotypes to make a distinct separation between the older white men, show as successful in their tuxedos waiting for the "fight." In the grand hotel ballroom, black students are "forced" to fight one another for the prize, which is revealed to be the briefcase containing the scholarship. Ironically, the white towel was used to "blindfold" him which can symbolize the stereotypical point of view to see "his" world as a truth hidden behind the "darkness" of a white blindfold. The blindfold also showed the darkness, confusion, and fear he had within himself, since "he had never truly experienced darkness before and it scared him" and the blind rage of being treated this way. The symbolism of the nude white woman was significant, since she represented through his thoughts another struggle where it was love and hate, tenderness versus violence. At the time of the "fight," the struggle was attempting to lead him into a physical and mental fight for what he desired.

The fight was already won before it started, because Ellison wanted to make the point of "The prize was already yours, but you have to know at what cost." The fight against Tatlock was symbolic of part of the "cost," as the narrator is knocked down to the count of ten in what can be symbolically linked to the concept of single warrior combat like the story of David and Goliath. Unlike David, he does not win the physical fight and has to resort to using his intelligence to overcome the struggle he saw himself in.

The "cost" was also shown as the deception of "easy money." Where the men threw the fake coins and some paper money out on the electrified rug, the narrator was shown that not all that glitters was gold. Even after this incident, he was tested once again to give the speech after the fight and scramble for coins, when he accidentally revealed what was in his heart. The message that his grandfather had given him to maintain his individuality by working toward a goal, represented by the phrase "social equality" was not what the men represented there wanted to hear and he was questioned on it as the prize was dangled in front of him. Making the choice of winning or losing, he decided to say the correct phrase which is what the assembly wanted to hear. He won by saying what "they" wanted to hear but lost because it was not what he really wanted to say, much like Douglass having to "tailor" his speeches.

In the end, the dream reflected the way he projected he and his grandfather saw the world, as a circus with clowns and an endless supply of envelopes inside the briefcase. The briefcase held his representation of hopes and dreams, where his grandfather had the last word by showing him he had not learned the lesson yet, so he had to keep running, and fighting, to achieve the narrator's "dream" of a better life.

Michael