Conformity and Individuality “’Play the game, but play it your own way…’” (Ellison 153) In essence, Ellison says that a person follows the ideas of those around him; however, they have their own thoughts and feelings that change as they act. In his book, Invisible Man, Man , Ellison’s narrator narrator has “that outward existence that conforms, [and] the inward life that questions.” He plays the game of those around him, but plays it in a way that he sees fit, changing his opinions and view of the things around him. Throughout the novel, the Invisible Man (the narrator who provides a first person point of view) consistently consistently yields to the whims of more authoritative powers that surround him, but he questions their purpose and his role in society. Eventually, his individual desires supersede those of those around him and he shed his conformity. The reader’s first encounter encounter with Ellison’s Ellison’s Invisible Invisible Man is as a young high high school graduate. He had just received an opportunity to deliver a speech in front of a prominent white audience; basically, he was rewarded for a speech advocating conformity that the dominating race considered preeminent. preeminent. This complaisant attitude that the Invisible Man originally embodies represents an Uncle Tom figure because he openly conforms to the white dominated society in which he lives. The first initial example of this conformity that is reiterated throughout the book is the battle royale. Instead of openly resisting participation, participation, Invisible Man consents to this brutal form of barbarous, bestial combat. He is literally beaten to a pulp, but he endures it for a chance to speak in front of the white audience; a chance to earn the scholarship scholarship he is later presented with even as he presents his speech with a “…dry mouth, filling up with blood…” (Ellison 30). The most interesting aspect of this battle royale is that it sets the idea for the theme of the entire book: outward conformity versus inward rebellion. rebellion. Here, Invisible Man is forced to partake in a brutal combat.
But as he participates in this battle, he questions his motives for giving the speech, and he inwardly questions whether the torture he is enduring is ultimately worth what he will receive. He also questions the righteousness of those edging him to battle. “[The] narrator recognizes this [rebellious standard to avoid conformity], reflects on it in great depth, and chooses to deal with and live in the world anyway .” (Shmoop Literature) Toward the end of this section of the book, the Invisible man actually temporarily accepts his role as the denied hero—he is forced into a submissive situation allowing his questioning personality to surface. A major antagonist to the protagonist (Invisible Man) actually comes from his own grandfather and parallels the stereotypical Father-Son conflict; this conflict just skips a generation. “I want you to overcome ‘em with yeses, undermine ‘em with grins, agree ‘em to death and destruction, let ‘em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open...” (Ellison 16) Although this suppliant, conformity clause given by his grandfather originally parallels his initial attitudes, it later acts as a bothersome reminisce of the legacy of his grandfather—a man who consistently conformed. As Invisible Man progresses through the novel, it is easy to see his switch from a docile attitude to one of more inward individuality that eventually manifests itself outwardly in the conclusion. This switch somewhat haunts the narrator because it acts a sort of family betrayal, something not really desired. “ Invisible Man is deeply affected by his grandfather's last words, and years later he will continue to ponder over their meaning.” (Chmar) The conflict between the narrator’s eventual attitude and his grandfather’s past attitude acts as a major source of tension for the narrator throughout the novel and poses the problem of conformity versus individuality. He is finally diverging from what he is so used to and considers his old grandfather somewhat provincial.
One final conformity situation that Invisible Man is put through is his encounter with the brotherhood. In this political turmoil that he is pulled into due to an initial need for money, Invisible Man learns that he has to conform to the political ideology of the brotherhood and augment the strength of their cause even though he was initially recruited for his stirring personal movements. At first, this change does not seem disturbing and is readily accepted. However, as Invisible Man learns more about those around him, he begins to question the success of these tactics and their usefulness for what he wants. He comes to realize that he is simply being used as a pawn like the others around him. At this point in the novel, Invisible Man starts to link everything together. He begins to understand the treacherous conformity that he has clung to his entire life and how he has sacrificed his thoughts to accept those of others. Eventually it becomes too much; he sloughs the control of the brotherhood, and puts himself on the run. This final break leads to the epilogue and actually back to the prologue of the novel when the idea was first explained. Invisible man finally learns that conformity is not always the answer; a little individuality is somewhat necessary to achieve your goals. He learns that his own desires will never be esteemed in the shadow of someone else. The novel as whole is very similar to V for Vendetta. Invisible Man starts out as the innocent Evey that is introduced. Every situation that he is put in acts as his “V”. They are all driving causes to finally spur on his inward rebellion and break the conformity that he hangs on too. This central idea of inward individuality and outward conformity is eventually broken and the narrator acknowledges that. The novel, through Invisible Man’s conflict, strives to prove that conformity is not always the answer, and that the inward individuality is important as well. “Whence all this passion toward conformity anyway?—diversity is the word.” (Ellison 577)
Works Cited Chmar, Jacqueline. "Chapter 1." FCPS. 23 Apr. 2009 . Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. New York, New York. Random House INC., 1952. "Invisible Man - Shmoop." Shmoop Literature. 23 April 2009 .
