The Fragmentation of the African Americans' Identity In Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man

The current study addresses the identity crisis of black citizen in American racial society as it is cleverly introduced and emphasized in Ralph Ellison's best-selling novel Invisible Man (1952). Recognizing identity is one of the most popular themes addressed in the postmodern era in which man starts to question every aspect of his/her individuality, culture, and knowledge. The problem of the protagonist's quest in Ellison's novel is illustrated simply in its peculiar pursuit to figure out the real features of his individuality. The normal quest of a postmodern man is to realize his inner qualities and differentiate them from the surrounding background stressing his unique characteristics to be visible the others' perceptions. Consequently, the quest should consist only of two major stages, namely, perception and visibility. In Ralph Ellison's novel, the author' divides the protagonist's quest into three stages, that is perception, visibility, and hibernation in an underground secret place. The unnamed narrator, after realizing and understanding his unique qualities and features, could not prove their existence to the surrounding society whether the white masters or the black social organizations. This failure enforces him into his obligatory underground shelter where he attempts to reinvestigate his entire life. The current study investigates the peculiar quest of the unnamed protagonist with its three stages, namely, perception, visibility, and hibernation. The researcher will emphasize the significance of the third stage, which, according to the author, is the only hope to end the crisis of identity for black people in the American racial society.