African American Identity’ Absurdity and Erratic Visibility in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man

Rongrong Zhuo; Yuqing Wang

doi:10.6918/IJOSSER.202509_8(9).0011

Authors

Rongrong Zhuo
Yuqing Wang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6918/IJOSSER.202509_8(9).0011

Keywords:

Existentialism, Invisible Man, Black Literature, Identity.

Abstract

This essay explores the identity formation of Black intellectuals in postwar America through an analysis of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1953). Drawing on Jean-Paul Sartre’s existential philosophy, it examines the protagonist’s pursuit of subjectivity within a racist and nihilistic social order. By foregrounding African American urban experience, the novel challenges universalist approaches to racial oppression, emphasizing instead the necessity of self-affirmation and authenticity as foundations for meaningful belonging.

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References

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