A Literary Analysis of the Metaphors in Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

The violent battle royal, a significant obstacle the narrator must overcome before being able to present his speech, in the opening chapter of Invisible Man serves as a visual representation for the racial inequality still existing in America. And though the narrator seemingly triumphs the situation, achieving a victory for himself and for African Americans as a whole, the author Ralph Ellison suggests in the end of the chapter that the progress may merely be an illusion.

To begin, the battle royal possesses a metaphorical significance, expressing the African American’s state of inferiority in American society.

Though they had been emancipated from slavery, whites have maintained their power and control as the dominant race. This is clearly portrayed in the fight, as ten black students are “blindfolded with broad bands of white cloth” and “ordered” to fight one another. Notably, the blindfold is white, which symbolizes the white man’s control over the black man. The black fighters respond with little resistance and try their best to satisfy the demands of the white spectators shouting from the sidelines.

For years, blacks have been told they are inferior, and thus, they come to believe themselves that they are inferior. Furthermore, the violence portrays the African Americans as savages, revealing how whites truly view them. The fighters are gathered for the battle royal as mere “entertainment” for the white men. The idea is similar to chickens in a cock fight. The white men could care less about the black students’ well-being; they just want to see a good fight.

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The narrator also includes various animal similes when describing the others fighting. For example, he says, “The boys groped about like blind, cautious crabs,” and also describes their fists were “like the knobbed feelers of hypersensitive snails”. The similes depict a visual of animals fighting, further supporting the dehumanization of the black fighters. The reader, therefore, cannot help but view the fighters themselves as animals. Though this state may only be temporary for the reader, it is a permanent fixation in the eyes of the whites.

In addition, the violent battle royal presents a major obstacle which magnifies the narrator’s apparent victory once he overcomes it. The narrator’s speech was the narrator’s motivation in fighting the battle. Even as he was blinded, “each word was as bright as a flame,” for his determination would help lead him to his end goal. Delivering his speech was extremely important to the narrator because it would not only be a personal achievement, but “a triumph for the whole community”. Winning the ears of white men, particularly the “town’s leading white citizens,” could possibly increase respect towards the African American community. They would then have one less handicap to overcome in their fight for equality. When the narrator is finally given the chance to deliver his speech, the horrific imagery of his damages from the fight presents the narrator almost as a hero. The author valiantly endures the pain, “gulp[ing] down blood, saliva and all and continued”. He would not let anything stop him from his shining moment. The imagery reveals the extent of his injuries, allowing the reader to respect and admire the narrator’s effort and perseverance. Because of the greater challenge presented before, his speech appears even more triumphant.

Unfortunately, at the end of the chapter, Ralph Ellison suggests perhaps the image of victory and progress is merely an illusion. First of all, the narrator receives an “official-looking” scholarship document. The phrasing the author uses suggests the document’s appearance may be deceiving. The document itself may not be a counterfeit, but the message associated with it may be misleading. The narrator appears to have emerged from the situation successfully, enduring the gruesome battle royal, winning the crowd with his speech, and receiving a ticket for the chance to further his education. This is a small step in the right direction for the African

American community. But how much progress is actually being achieved? The white men do not respect the narrator as an individual equal to or worthy as them. The moment the narrator accidently mentions the word “equality” the crowd instantly becomes enraged. Using a passive approach and submitting to the desires of whites can only achieve so much progress. At some point, the narrator is going to realize that the blacks’ position in society has not truly improved. The endless envelope in the narrator’s dream is a metaphor for this illusion of progress. In his dream, the narrator opens an envelope, and inside “found another and another endlessly”. He remains hopeful because the motion of drawing another envelope from within gives a sense of progress. Slowly but surely, he is advancing towards the center, the letter or message, the endpoint. He persists “endlessly” only to find an outcome he was not expecting. Similarly the African Americans seem to be inching towards equality which each minor victory. But the African American’s poor state in American society is the envelope. Regardless of the motion, the feeling of progress, inside is just another envelope, same as the first. Their situation is barely improving despite seeming otherwise.

All in all, Ellison is trying to convince his reader that a problem exists and needs to be handled correctly. The violent scenes serve as a visual aid to help the reader understand the situation of African Americans. Though the narrator survives the battle and successfully delivers his speech, the apparent victory for progress is just an illusion. If African Americans truly want to reach a status of equality, they are going to have to do much more than just accommodating to the whites’ desires.