A3Background&Theme:Summary:Characteranalysis:Speaker:R.W.Ellison1.SurvivalBackground生存背景Duetothegeographicalfactors,growingupinarelativelyrelaxedenvironmentofracialdiscrimination,hedidn'tputthewhiteracialdiscriminationagainstblackpeopleasthemaincontradictionofthesociety,soallofhiswritingactivitieswerenottoopposingandcriticizingthewhitepeople.Ontheotherhand,toacertainextent,itisadefaultandinheritanceofthetraditionalculture,whichwasdominatedbywhiteAmericans.Butduetotheneedofsocialexistence,hecriedouttotheethniccompatriots.2.BackgroundabroadanddomesticAfterworldwartwo,thepoliticalsituationofAmericanandabroadintensifiedtheracialconflicts.Meanwhile,thechangeoftheeconomicfoundationwasalsostimulatedthedesiresofblackpeopletobreakthroughthetraditionalwhiteculture.Theme1.thebasictheme:AnobjectivereflectionoftheblacksinAmericansocietyintheearlyyearsofthe20thClivingconditions,revealingthattheracialdiscriminationisdeeplyingrainedinAmericansociety,andthesubjectnaturefromblacktowhite2.theimportanttheme:ExposesthealienationoftheblacksintheUnitedStates,whentheyweretryingtheirbesttofindtheselfvalues.ThisworkinheritedthethemesoftraditionalBlackFictions--racialdiscriminationandtheprocessofsearchingselfvalue,meanwhilegivingtheBlackfictionsnewmeanings.SummaryThemainprotagonistofthisnovelwasapoorblackteenagerwhowasborninthesouthofAmerica,withnoname.Hewaslongingforthefameandwealth,sohetriedhisbesttostudyandhedreamedthatonedayhewouldgetintotheupperclass.Becauseofhisexcellentperformance,hewasrecommendedtoanegrocollegeaftergraduatingfromhighschool.Oneday,heinfuriatedoneofthedirectoroftheschoolwhenhereceivedhim,andhewaskickedoutofthecollege.Withanunbrokendream,HearrivedinNewYork,carryingtheletterofintroductionandhopingtofindagoodjob,butonlytofindhewasrefusedallthetime.Finally,heknewthatthecontentoftheletterwasnottohelphimwhichwrittenbytheprinciple.What’sworse,asheworkedhewasinvolvedinthecombatbetweenlaborunions(工会)andanti-laborunions(反工会).Thenhewasseverelyhurtinanexplosiveaccidentandwasregardedasamedicalexperimentbythedoctor.Then,histalentofspeechwasfoundbyanorganizationcalledBrotherhood(兄弟会)inaneventofablacktenantdeportation(驱逐).Hewasinvitedtobetheiroratorandhebegantodevotetoworkfortheblackintheorganization,fullyhopingthathecouldrealizehisidealsandambitions.However,aseriesofeventsmadehimseethenatureofBrotherhoodclearly.TheBrotherhoodonlyaspiredtoreachtheirpoliticalaimsandtotightlycontroltheactionsandthoughtsofitsmembersbytheircreeds.Infact,nomatterthetalentofindividualsorthedestinyoftheblackweretoolsofBrotherhoodMeanwhile,“doombringer”(毁灭者)Lars,ablacknationalismfanatic,believedthathewasabetrayeroftheblack.Therefore,Larstriedtokillhimandduringthechase,hefelldownintoanabandonedcoalpit(煤窑)andlivedinitfromthenon.Hethoughtoverhisexperienceandfinallyrealizedhewasaninvisiblemanwhichpeoplecouldnotsee.Toprovehisexistence,helighted1,369bulbs.Once,heconstantlytriedtofindself-identity.However,hecouldnotfinditinthesocialrealityandevenutterlylosthimself.CharacterAnalysisThenarratorThenamelessprotagonistofthenovel.Thenarratoristhe“invisiblemanofthetitle.Ablackmanin1930sAmerica,thenarratorconsidershimselfasinvisiblebecausepeopleneverseehistrueselfbeneaththerolesthatstereotypeandracialprejudicecompelhimtoplay.intelligent,deeplyintrospective,andhighlygiftedwithlanguage,butverynaïvewhenhewasatcollege.hestrugglestoachievehisdreamsbutfinallyhefoundthesocietywastoodarkhefelthewasaninvisibleman.intheend,hewasstilltryingtofindhimself,butthesocietymadehimgiveupatlast.TodCliftonAblackmemberoftheBrotherhoodandaresidentofHarlem.TodCliftonispassionate,handsome,articulateandintelligent.HeeventuallypartswayswiththeBrotherhood,thoughitremainsunclearwhetherafalling-outhastakenplace,orwhetherhehassimplybecomedisillusionedwiththegroup.RasAstout,flamboyant,charismatic,angrymanwithaflairforpublicagitation.Rasrepresentstheblacknationalistmovement,whichadvocatestheviolentoverthrowofwhitesupremacy.EllisonseemstousehimtocommentontheblacknationalistleaderMarcusGarvey,whobelievedthatblackswouldneverachievefreedominwhitesociety.