in the writing of namesake, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Jack Turner explains how Ellison’s ideas for and are largely borrowed from Ellison’s “moral intellectual awakening” (Turner 656) Emerson. Turner continues to explain how the history of race relations is a critical to what he the formation of a specific universe and identity through calls “Democratic Individualism,” while still confrontation with This deconstructing another’s, maintaining “honest reality” (656). undoubtedly holds true in Invisible Man, and is supported by essays. Ellison’s “Double necessitates, for of the tragic nature of the American consciousness” Ellison, “an awareness experience; the dark underside of our history (Collected this he means the civil Essays 434).” By war and race relations. Progress requires Americans, of any race, to deeply acknowledge the tragedies that came before them and not to belittle them. Without the ability to do this, the narrator would be unable to his suffering and develop a comedic sensibility from it. “transcend” In article, Meaning of Narration in Invisible it is made Valerie Smith’s “The Man,” evident that protagonist exchanges single- for This “the ‘double consciousness’” (Smith 198). process of consciousness is underscored when the narrator learns to amending Emerson’s single make humor out of his experiences. As Smith says, once invisible man has reached disillusionment, he gains the ability to from his humiliations, instead of running from “learn He begins to approach his Southern roots and allows his identity to become more them” (201). and more apparent. Simultaneously, the acceptance of the unfairness of things that defines his disillusionment begins to permeate the language and attitude of the novel. This is the embodiment of the blues aesthetic. This being said, however, there is one aspect of understanding of the blues Ellison’s aesthetic, which also applies to his personal philosophies, that has been understated in the large body of criticism which deals with his novel. This is the secret ingredient in writings; Ellison’s
in the writing of Ellison’s namesake, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Jack Turner explains how Ellison’s ideas for “moral and intellectual awakening” (Turner 656) are largely borrowed from Emerson. Turner continues to explain how the history of race relations is a critical to what he calls “Democratic Individualism,” the formation of a specific universe and identity through deconstructing another’s, while still maintaining “honest confrontation with reality” (656). This undoubtedly holds true in Invisible Man, and is supported by Ellison’s essays. “Double consciousness” necessitates, for Ellison, “an awareness of the tragic nature of the American experience; the dark underside of our history (Collected Essays 434).” By this he means the civil war and race relations. Progress requires Americans, of any race, to deeply acknowledge the tragedies that came before them and not to belittle them. Without the ability to do this, the narrator would be unable to “transcend” his suffering and develop a comedic sensibility from it. In Valerie Smith’s article, “The Meaning of Narration in Invisible Man,” it is made evident that “the protagonist exchanges single- for ‘double consciousness’” (Smith 198). This process of amending Emerson’s single consciousness is underscored when the narrator learns to make humor out of his experiences. As Smith says, once invisible man has reached disillusionment, he gains the ability to “learn from his humiliations, instead of running from them” (201). He begins to approach his Southern roots and allows his identity to become more and more apparent. Simultaneously, the acceptance of the unfairness of things that defines his disillusionment begins to permeate the language and attitude of the novel. This is the embodiment of the blues aesthetic. This being said, however, there is one aspect of Ellison’s understanding of the blues aesthetic, which also applies to his personal philosophies, that has been understated in the large body of criticism which deals with his novel. This is the secret ingredient in Ellison’s writings;
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