by Kate Glasch

Created on: May 14, 2009   Last Updated: May 18, 2009

Booker T. Washington and his message about social equality pay a large role in Invisible's story. Washington was a proponent of an educational and economic philosophy largely based on accommodating the apparent white supremacy of post-Reconstruction South. He identified with a politics of acquiescence to segregation (34 Sundquist). However the message of Washington and the last few words of Invisible's grandfather telling his son to overcome 'em with yeses and undermine 'em with grins causes much confusion for Invisible (16 Ellison). Throughout the passages we have read in Invisible Man, Invisible must decide who's message is better to live by; the last words of Invisible's own grandfather which Invisible struggles to comprehend, or white accommodation, the idea of Booker T. Washington.

In the first chapter, Invisible immediately recalls the last words his grandfather spoke before he passed away. "Son, after I'm gone I want you to keep up the good fight. I never told you, but our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days, a spy in the enemy's country ever since I give up my gun back in the Reconstruction. Live with your head in the lion's mouth" (16 Ellison). His grandfather tells his son that he has been a traitor among his own race, too meek, and never producing progress between blacks and whites, and then continues to tell his son to "overcome 'em with yeses. Invisible states, It had a tremendous effect upon me, however. I could never be sure of what he meant. It became a constant puzzle which lay unanswered in the back of my mind. And whenever things went well for me I remembered my grandfather and felt guilty and uncomfortable" (16 Ellison). At the time of his grandfather's death, Invisible is confused about the meaning of his grandfather's words.

His confusion stemmed from his knowledge of how blacks should act towards whites. Akin to his grandfather, Invisible was accustomed to the message of Booker T. Washington, that blacks should not protest against the white's treatment of them, and instead cast down their buckets and befriend and accommodate their white neighbors. In fact, before fighting in the battle royal Invisible claims, In those pre-invisible days I visualized myself as a potential Booker T. Washington (18 Ellison). On his graduation day and also at the battle royal, Invisible quotes Washington's speech at the Atlanta Exposition showing that humility was the secret, indeed, the very essence of progress (17 Ellison). When

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