True Identity

Eric Hoffer once said; “The chief burden of the frustrated is the consciousness of a blemished, ineffectual self, and their chief desire is to slough off the unwanted self and begin a new life. They try to realize this desire either by finding a new identity or by blurring and camouflaging their individual distinctness; and both these ends are reached by imitation.” In Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison focuses on the struggle of an individual to find his identity in a world full of hate and racism. The narrator, a black man, calls himself an “invisible man” because of the reluctance of other people to notice him. The violence in society, separation between white and black, and confusion of whether he truly exists, help him discover who he is so that he can make a contribution to society. The cruelty in society forces him to realize he must find his true self.
The violence in the world around the narrator helps him find his independence through helping other people. Walkin...