Volume 4, Number 2

Absurdist Approach To Afro-American National Question In Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man

  Authors

Tilak Bahadur Khatri

  Abstract

This article explores the different contradictory facets of society that the nameless black Protagonist of Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man goes through which leads him to fall into Absurdism. The protagonist, who is from black nationality, belongs to the working class in class based society. He is exploited not only by whites but he is exploited by the rich blacks as well. He gets help not only from the blacks but he also gets help from the lower class whites as well. But he is unable to differentiate friends from foes. As he belongs to the black nationality, he wants to liberate himself and the whole black nationality from every kinds of oppression, injustice, and inequality. This leads him to join the Brotherhood (the communist Party) but leaves it soon as he is unaware of its principles. He never joins the Black Nationalist party and he is unable to find out any other forces that will be the remedy for black national oppression. In the end, he becomes hopeless and begins to see chaos everywhere and decides to run away from the society. But living aloof from the society, he still sees the possibilities to serve the society which is an absurdist idea in itself. This queer theory of Absurdism the protagonist develops at the end, leads the struggles of AfroAmericans nowhere, instead, it damages their struggles arousing the frustration and the pessimism to the whole oppressed Afro-Americans.

  Keywords

National Question, Class Struggle, Absurdism, Brotherhood, Black Nationalism, Invisibility, Consciousness, Ignorance, Oppression, Proletariat, Bourgeoisie