Invisible Man Essay, Research Paper

The constraints described in "The Invisible Man" imply we live in a

country that is divided by race, ethnicity, religion and class (prejudices

towards differences). A person’s life is then heavily shaped around these

perimeters. Some in the minority unfortunately try to deny these barriers to

entry of the American elite by ignoring warnings and repressing past and present

disparities and replacing them with hope. This behavior is brought forth by the

natural defiance of a human to not be made believe that he is inferior, and from

the confusion between the meanings of the laws of desegregation and social

integration. The story of the Invisible Man describes the hardship and reality

this path leads an African American, and in reality to many Minority-Americans.

The first thing our reading points out is how divided Americans are and the

reasons. The most basic fact is that the majority of American citizens are white

of European ancestry. As in any other country, the majority rules. In this

country the majority also enjoys the contributions of their minority (from

slaves to modern sweat shops, to the front lines of war, music, sports, etc). To

keep receiving these benefits laws are set that enable for such activities to

occur. Americans will bend over backwards when some economic or political

interest is made relevant to them (WTO’s real intentions for example). However,

it is taboo for a white person to assimilate into a minority culture making

minorities non-American. Since 1607 whites have been melting together and have

homogenized the American way of life. The laws for the American way of life

place the Northern Europeans on the top with all other whites under them, then

all other minorities and last the black man. This can be seen throughout all of

our business and political establishments. Minorities are still urged to give it

their best, but their best in never respected. Even when blacks or other

minorities make it into political positions of prestige, they must always watch

their backs and be careful not to be discharged for not conforming. If

minorities, especially blacks, do decide to conform, whites ridicule them

further. They are not treated with the same comradery or given access to

memberships of facilities that foster the most successful of Americans. They are

psychologically abused by being made feel that they are doing the right thing

but not good enough. Examples of achievements by other blacks are hung before

them. But when they make it, they realize that there is nothing for them. All

other races also ridicule the conformant. They label him a sell out and a

hypocrite. The African-American is then put into a no-win situation. Unlike

other minorities blacks born in America do not have a culture to fall back on,

be proud of, and call their own. There is a missing link between the African and

the black born in America. White Americans do not have a culture, but they

pretend to have one by flaunting their power, money and possessions. The African

American was denied the practice his own African culture during the time

Africans first arrived in this country. Then there were hundreds of years of

attempts to assimilate into the American culture, which increasingly burned the

bridge to Africa. Today they are told that they do not have a culture unless

poverty is considered one, or that what they do practice is not a socially

acceptable culture (by whites of course). This leaves blacks in America nowhere.

All blacks in America have to call their own is the horrifying memories of their

ancestors within the last three hundred years. All they have to look forward to

is the continual destruction of their race in America. In the end, the black

middle class is made to feel invisible, as if they do not exist. And the poor

black class is looked at as the enemy of our America. Our forefathers tried to

warn blacks, but the passages of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments have

confused many into thinking that whites do want to assimilate ( just not all of

them). Unfortunately there is a misconception about these laws. These laws are

desegregation laws, not social integration laws. But because they did not say,

they were viewed as the ticket to being American. But recent hate crimes tell

the truth. Many whites today do not consider themselves racist. They feel that

they are equal and fair. But they are blind. Their upbringing has systematically

taught them that they have unspoken privileges and that they must always protect

them. Until they are willing to admit that they are racist and that they must do

something, the equal distribution of power to all races and ethnicity’s will not

occur. The United States tells the world it stands for freedom and equality. But

we know that the unspoken truth is that their will always be a barriers to

education, access to capital and economic freedom for blacks and minorities.

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