Invisible man

Author: Ralph Ellison, translated by Ren Shaozeng et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-08-01
Features: The protagonist of Invisible Man is a poor African American youth from the Southern United States. He strives to study hard and makes a conscious effort to improve himself. Upon graduating from high school, he is recommended to attend a historically black college for his outstanding public speaking skills. However, he unexpectedly angers a white trustee and the school's principal during a reception, leading to his expulsion and arrival in New York. Initially holding a "recommendation letter," he is full of hope to find a respectable job, but his African American identity leads him to face repeated rejections. His experiences on the streets of New York gradually awaken his black consciousness, and he deeply realizes that, in the eyes of white people, he is "invisible." The efforts he made in the past according to white values are rendered futile. As a result, he joins the Brotherhood and takes to the streets, using his speeches as weapons to mobilize the black community to fight for their rights. The book authentically depicts the living conditions of African Americans in American society and the Black Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. It received widespread attention upon publication and sparked considerable controversy.