Theme in Invisible Man
One reoccurring theme throughout the novel is struggle the narrator faces in order to get his voice out clearly for the world to hear regardless of what color of skin he has. He is unable to overcome the prejudiced minds of those who already have a preconceived idea of African Americans, “In those pre-invisible days I visualized myself as a potential Booker T. Washington” (Ellison, 18) a symbol of strength, he compares himself to a reformer who fought for black lives in the 1800s. However much he attempts to get his voice out, he notices that “the other fellows didn’t care too much for me either, and there were nine of them” (Ellison, 18) emphasizing the idea that he struggles to become “visible” to the white man’s eye. Not only does the narrator struggle with his skin color, but he also struggles internally in knowing exactly what he is fighting for. When he enters the Brotherhood, the narrator believes he has found a place to find his voice. He soon comes to see that he is simply a member of a group where the idea is to “throw some ideology…at them and they’ll leave you alone- provided, of course, that you have the right backing and produce the required results” (Ellison, 359). The narrator faces not only physical struggle, but also his internal struggle in reflecting if the Brotherhood is truly a group that allows him to express himself, or an organization to get their message out through the mouth of an African American.