by Hamlet Pericles

Created on: May 01, 2009   Last Updated: May 04, 2009

THE SEARCH for IDENTITY and INDIVIDUALITY (with reference of the Beats/the Silent Generation)

A novel represents a work of fiction - a story that is creatively written from an author's mind and point of view. That does not exclude fiction from the realm of reality, however. Fiction and real life interrelate in every sense; in fact, fiction always has elements of reality. Real-world experiences, people, history, and life in general are influential to a novelist and serve as a catalyst, assisting him or her to formulate ideas and craft a novel. Therefore, real life and works of fiction aren't too far apart; they are connected - directly, indirectly, or metaphorically. Ralph Ellison's INVISIBLE MAN (1952) proves that to be true, for the historical insinuations are evident.

Scholars have taken notice of Invisible Man ever since its release in 1952, and continue to scrutinize the novel for good reasons: it is fascinating; it brings forth many interpretations and debates (negative and positive); it questions one's role in society; it addresses racism, etc. Overall, the text is profoundly powerful in all aspects. As Per Winther writes in "Imagery of Imprisonment in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man," "Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is an immensely rich novel, which explains why, since its publication in 1952, so many readers have been, and still are, moved by Ellison's complex narrative of twenty turbulent years in the life of his young, nameless, black protagonist" (115). The release of Invisible Man has rendered over one hundred scholarships from the likes of Marc Singer, William Walling, Per Winther, James B. Lane, Eric Sundquist, and many more - touching on various issues. However, few scholars (probably none) have found the time to address the invisibility of Ellison's invisible protagonist and the silent generation in the 50s collectively. Thus, I will attempt to tackle many issues of the narrator's invisibility and struggles in conjunction with the Beats' invisibility/"the Silent Generation" in the 1950s, and the artists of that time. This is where fiction and real life (historical allusions) share similarities. The nameless protagonist in Invisible Man and artists in the 50s are in search for two things: true identity and individuality.

From beginning to end, the racism motif presents itself throughout Invisible Man, and the prologue swiftly demonstrates that: "I AM AN invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your

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