Invisible Man

Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man is the story of an educated black man who has been oppressed
and controlled by white men throughout his life. Throughout the novel, the narrator is on a search
for his true identity. During the novel, the narrator values several important things which shape his
identity as well as his identity. The theme, values can help shape a persons identity, can be
explained through the elements of setting, characterization, and plot.
The setting is the first element that brings out the theme. The story takes place in Harlem,
New York and New York City. It is in those cities that the narrator experiences life as a whole. He
attended an all black college in which he was expelled from a little while later. After being kicked
out he rents a room at a Men’s House in Harlem. He also stayed with a woman named Mary after
he was kicked out of the Men’s House. It is here that he rests ...