Invisible Man (symbols and motifs)

In order for a novel to be well written while striking the emotions of the reader, the ideas have to be clear while everything intertwines together. Ralph Waldo Ellison in his novel, Invisible Man, depicts many reoccurring motifs and symbols to tie together the novel, give a better understanding of the themes, distinguish the role of the black man, and aide in the development of the narrator.
A reoccurring motif that portrays the narrator’s naïve nature as well as leading to the symbol of a blindfold is that of blindness. In the beginning of the story, the college the narrator attended implanted a vision in his mind on his identity along with how he should act and his place in society. This vision blinds the narrator from observing the truth on his identity and reality. The narrator however isn’t the only character that is blind in the story. The narrator states, “For a swift instant, between the gesture and the opaque glitter of his glasses, I saw the blinking of sightless e...