8), Ellison establishes how, like Armstrong, the Invisible Man to cope Invisible Man “struggles with change after change through the magic of his (O’Meally, 84). In New York, Craft words” Ellison saw connections between jazz and other forms of African-American “vernacular music” and that used musical and lyrical patterns of the found in “jazz blues” which contained sounds early rural blues performances: straining, bending, growling (Tracy 103). This rural vernacular connection to the blues gave Ellison good inspiration for the character of Jim Trueblood. Despite impregnating his daughter, Trueblood approaches his and absurd situation with “blue” spirit, courage and eloquence and his a kind of blues speech “achieves cadence” (O’Meally, 86): Craft and how and how I “I thinks thinks, until my brain go’n bust ‘bout I’m guilty ain’t guilty. I at I know is I ends up don’t eat nothin’…and caint sleep night…All singin’ the while them blues I makes up my mind that I blues…and I’m singin’ ain’t nobody but myself and I can do but let whatever is gonna happen, ain’t nothin’ (Ellison, 66). Invisible Man happen” Somehow the blues allow Trueblood to come to terms with his situation and face his family and community with 87) indicating the power of the Craft “renewed strength” (O’Meally, musical craft to create valor and gallantry through structure and rhetoric. People in life also played a potent role in the plot and character developments in Ellison’s Richard Wright, a prominent Black writer and personal friend to Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man. was of his and as a result Ellison began to stories and essays “one major influences” shape “his in response to Wright (Graham 26). With Richard Wright, Ellison shared southern “the and with Langston Hughes, he shared for African-American experience” “an appreciation vernacular (26). As a result, the Invisible Man signifies a confluence of traditions as culture” “a
Invisible Man 8), Ellison establishes how, like Armstrong, the Invisible Man “struggles to cope with change after change through the magic of his words” (O’Meally, Craft 84). In New York, Ellison saw connections between jazz and other forms of African-American “vernacular music” and that “jazz used musical and lyrical patterns of the blues” which contained sounds found in early rural blues performances: straining, bending, growling (Tracy 103). This rural vernacular connection to the blues gave Ellison good inspiration for the character of Jim Trueblood. Despite impregnating his daughter, Trueblood approaches his “blue” and absurd situation with spirit, courage and eloquence and his speech “achieves a kind of blues cadence” (O’Meally, Craft 86): “I thinks and thinks, until my brain go’n bust ‘bout how I’m guilty and how I ain’t guilty. I don’t eat nothin’…and caint sleep at night…All I know is I ends up singin’ the blues…and while I’m singin’ them blues I makes up my mind that I ain’t nobody but myself and ain’t nothin’ I can do but let whatever is gonna happen, happen” (Ellison, Invisible Man 66). Somehow the blues allow Trueblood to come to terms with his situation and face his family and community with “renewed strength” (O’Meally, Craft 87) indicating the power of the musical craft to create valor and gallantry through structure and rhetoric. People in Ellison’s life also played a potent role in the plot and character developments in Invisible Man. Richard Wright, a prominent Black writer and personal friend to Ralph Ellison, was “one of his major influences” and as a result Ellison began to shape “his stories and essays in response to Wright (Graham 26). With Richard Wright, Ellison shared “the southern experience” and with Langston Hughes, he shared “an appreciation for African-American vernacular culture” (26). As a result, the Invisible Man signifies a confluence of traditions as “a