3。4 Briefcase: A Clue to the Shift of Identity Consciousness 10

3。5 Summary 12

4。 Reflection and Inspiration for Contemporary Youth 13

4。1 Searching for Identity -- Determining One’s Own Value 13

4。2 Looking for From~优E尔L论E文W网wWw.YoUeRw.com 加QQ7520.18766 a Truly Identifiable Self-style in a Multi-cultural Society 13

5。 Conclusion 15

References 16

1。 Introduction

1。1 Background Information

Ralph Ellison is one of the most influential American novelists in the twentieth century as well as a distinguished contemporary African American writer。 Since his most famous novel Invisible Man was published in 1952, it has been regarded as a modern masterpiece in American literature。 论文网

After graduating from middle school, Ellison went to Tuskegee Institute with a scholarship to specialize in music for further study。 Unfortunately, because of a mistake with his scholarship, he had to go to New York city in order to earn money for tuition after his third year in college。 At first, Ellison was intended to make some money and then continued his study。 But later, he stayed in New York instead of going back to school。 At that time, Ralph Ellison began to be engaged in literary creation under the influence of the novelist Richard Wright and the famous poet Langston Hughes。 

What Ellison was interested in and focused on were the values and attitudes of native Americans and whites, as well as blacks。 Most of his early literature works are review articles, such as Shadow and Act and Going to the Territory, which were published successively。 These two symposiums expound Ellison’s views on literature, music and African American political and social life。 In 1952, Invisible Man was published after seven years of elaborate creation。 It belongs to the initiation novel and describes a psychological maturity journey of a black youth to pursue his identity in a confusing society which is full of racial segregation and racial discrimination。 The main character in the novel also gets expelled from school and comes to the northern city New York to earn tuition, which is based on the author’s self-experience。

From carefully conceiving to completing Invisible Man, the whole creation lasted almost seven years。 At that time, the Second World War ended up with the destruction of Nazi。 However, the people of America did not get true freedom, democracy and happiness。 The brutal atrocities of the Nazi concentration camp and the destruction of the atomic bomb on Pearl Harbor had deeply shocked or even frightened the American people, which had a great influence on American culture, art, spirit, morality and so on。 In 1950, the war of aggression against Korea even more stirred up the dissatisfaction and anxiety of the American people。 On the other hand, the racial tensions which were covered by the Second World War were more obviously exposed after the war。 The fascist groups who disappeared during the war time rose from the ashes and revived to commit a crime。 Only in one year, the lynching persecution in America amounted to five hundred and thirty cases。 Trapped in various conflicts both within and outside the country, a part of unusually sensitive intellectuals had a sense of crisis to the western capitalist society, which urged them to rethink and explore again。 In this way, they attempted to understand the situation and the value of people, the meaning of life and other issues。文献综述

Invisible Man came out in such a historical period。 Ellison made the main character a literate black youth。 And the whole story reflected the miserable and tragic circumstances in which American African people were humiliated and harmed。 The passionate words were the most effective weapon to thoroughly reveal the inner world of the character。 Ellison employed the technique of symbolism which incisively and vividly showed the black people’s mental trauma and wounds filled with grief。 Thus, the novel effectively exposed racial conflicts and racial discrimination in American society。