Racial discrimination represents a problem that damages the foundations of any civilized society: it pits people against each other and has no basis other than ignorance and the thirst for power. Ralph Ellison's “Invisible Man” addresses this issue through the eyes of a young black man, in early 20th century America, an invisible entity with no voice in a divided society, where political decisions are made by whites in candies. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The main character is conveniently given no name, being the epitome of all black people in America. After the Civil War and the 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution, African Americans were officially freed from slavery and during the Reconstruction period that followed they gained greater influence in political and social circles. However, the following years brought drastic changes due to the entry into force of some laws that deprived many of their rights. The Invisible Man, like all blacks in America, felt the result of these laws: although they were supposed to be equal to whites, they could not use the same facilities or attend the same educational institutions, they were prevented from gaining political influence or social and were constantly ignored by the upper class. Overall, they were seen as unimportant and less than human by their white counterparts. This situation is presented in Ralph Ellison's book through the metaphor of invisibility, which refers to the irrelevance of African Americans in a white-dominated society. The fact that the Invisible Man is not named is representative of his lack of recognition as an individual in society. Having a name would mean having an identity, a distinct and unique personality, but its being stripped of something so common emphasizes the protagonist's state of translucence in a world for which it does not matter. Invisibility is not a physical problem, but rather it is how others see it. Therefore, it is closely related to blindness, which “is the state of those who reject them as individual beings [and] these conditions are complementary.” (Lopez Miralles 3) Blindness is not a disease of the body, but a disease of the mind, a problem of the “inner eyes” (Ellison 3). Ignorance and prejudice are, in the end, only matters of convenience for those in the higher strata of society, who are too afraid to lose or even share power, as the narrator noted: “I am invisible, you understand, simply because people refuse to do it." see me." (Ellison 3) Consequently, reinforcing racial stereotypes would only strengthen the basis of their power, at the cost of a divided society. This discrimination is harmful to both races, as it does nothing other than put them against each other. Refusing to recognize the equality between the two can only lead to resentment on the part of the discriminated party, which often degenerates into violence between the Invisible Man and the white man, after they clash accidentally, illustrates the lack of balance between what is expected of blacks and what they were given in return. The laws would have made it impossible for a black to defend himself before a white, or have an equal opportunity before a trial – and even in a situation where the African American was not at fault, “the invisible victim is responsible for everyone's fate.” (Ellison 12) Living in this reality, where he had to be punished regardless of his actions, the Invisible Man refused to feel responsible for whathe did, as he noted with irony: “Poor fool, poor blind fool, I thought with sincere compassion, attacked by an invisible man!” (Ellison 4) His violence was simply the result of social determinism – because he was not treated like a human being, it was not felt that it was necessary for him to respect any authority figure, regardless of his power. This violence against whites has led, however, to a more hateful response from whites, in an ongoing war between the races, whereby “both the Invisible Man and American society share the blame for their mutual invisibility and blindness ”. (Morel 6)The conflict between the two men, at night, is symbolic of the inevitable confrontation between the races. The Invisible Man is a ghost, while the white man is a sleepwalker, so the two cannot coexist in peace until they are part of the same world, the same reality. There is an imbalance between the impalpable ghost and the physical, but not fully conscious, sleepwalker. The ghost is smarter than the sleepwalker, but the latter has an identity visible to all and, therefore, has more power to assert. The clash between races is also seen in the war of the Invisible Man with the Monopolated Light and Power. , from which he stole energy to make his hole “warm and full of light”. (Ellison 5) It really seems “strange that an invisible man should need light, desire light, love light” (Ellison 6) but it usually happens that one desires what he lacks. The Monopolated Light & Power represents the supremacy of the white race in social and political issues, while the narrator's theft is symbolic for his rebellion against his condition and a silent affirmation that he deserves equality. Since he cannot gain direct power, or access the light without stealing, he is “hibernated,” waiting for an opportunity to fight discrimination and achieve equal standing. The place that should have been dark, the “hole in the ground”” (Ellison 5) is filled with light, so “Ellison’s use of these symbols not only places the light below, rather than “above”; places the light within, although it is important to note that the power of the Invisible Man's light comes from without. (O'Meally 154) The light from within indicates the narrator's realization of his own importance and worth, although in reality highlighting his qualities as a member of society would be impossible without the acceptance of the white race at candies. The discrepancy between the two sides are emphasized in the representative battle royal scene, in which the narrator is tricked into joining a bloody and dehumanizing fight with other blacks, for the entertainment of the "leading white citizens" (Ellison 14 ). Not only do they have to fight each other, but their eyes are also tied with white cloth, making them blind to white onlookers, as well as their own race and identity. Black youth cannot see each other or their white oppressors, so the two races become “invisible to each other as individuals.” (Lopez Miralles 60) The color of the fabric symbolizes the power wielded by influential whites – even if African Americans wanted to take off the fabric, they were forced to put it back on, being deliberately kept in the dark, so that they could not escape the shadow of ignorance . The narrator is also invisible to himself: under the control of the whites, he could not even command his own movements, and he felt that he "had no dignity" and "stumbled like a child or a drunken man. (Ellison 18) He had no power to reject those who had stolen his freedom, and this is mainly due to his oppressors' strategy of keeping the black race disorganized and humiliated by intentionally pitting African Americans against each other,.: 1988