Analysis: Black Ingredient Symbolism in Ellison's Invisible Man

This essay provides a detailed analysis of the symbolism employed in Ralph Ellison's novel, "Invisible Man," with a specific focus on the black ingredient within the white optic paint produced at the Liberty Paint factory. The paper explores how this symbol represents the historical and ongoing relationship between Black and white people, the construction of white history by Black individuals, and the themes of invisibility, identity, and racial inequality. It examines the narrator's experiences, the factory's significance, and the broader implications of the symbol within the context of American literature and the African-American experience. The essay draws on critical perspectives, reviews, and the novel's plot to support its arguments, highlighting the importance of this symbol in conveying the novel's central themes and its relevance to contemporary issues.

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Interpretation of the black ingredient within the paint factory’s famous white optic paint in
the novel “Invisible Man”
As stated by Cooper, symbols had formed an integral part of the different literary works
since the traditional times however the extensive usage of the same began with the Symbolist
Movement of the 19th century in France. O'Brien is of the viewpoint that the works of the
different symbolist writers like Stéphane Mallarmé, Arthur Rimbaud and others which took the
help of different symbols for the representation of their mystic thoughts, elevated ideas, states of
mind, emotions and others popularized the usage of symbols by the literary artists from all over
the world. More importantly, in the recent years it is been seen that the different literary artists
are taking the help of various symbols for the purpose of conveying important ideas which rather
rather than serving as artifacts or add-ons are an integral part of the entire narrative that they
intend to convey (Hayes). In this relation, Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” (1952) is an important
one since an analysis of the concerned work reveals the fact that it is redolent with the effective
usage of different symbols which in turn had substantially enhanced the quality of the entire
novel. For instance, the author had taken the help of the symbol of the the black ingredient
within the paint factory’s famous white optic paint in the novel to highlight the idea that the
black-skinned people make up the history of white people. The purpose of this paper is to

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undertake an analysis of the symbolism used in the novel “Invisible Man” in the particular
context of the symbol of the black ingredient within the paint factory’s famous white optic paint
in the concerned novel.
Adiga while proclaiming the novel “Invisible Man” as a “book of a lifetime” said that the
author had “stripped away the hypocrisy of the bigoted people he met, yet he often sounded
sneering, cocky and arrogant”. On the other hand, commenting on the brilliance of the novel and
also hailing it as a parable of modern times, Smith associated with the New York Times said
“Invisible Man wasn't the hero, or both the hero and a warning an example of how racism could
twist its victims? I couldn't make up my mind. I still can't” (Smith). In this relation, it needs to be
said that the novel under discussion here had received various awards like the U.S. National
Book Award for Fiction (1953) and others while being able to substantially change the
perception of the people regarding American Literature or more precisely African-American
Literature (Sharma). As a matter of fact, Harold Bloom in a review compared the novel with
Zora Neale Hurston's “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and considered both of these works “as
the only full scale works of fiction I have read by American blacks in this century that have
survival possibilities at all” (Smith). In addition to these, the popularity as well as the relevancy
of the novel in the present times also becomes apparent from the fact that the ex-US President
Barrack Obama was influenced by this novel to write his memoir which he entitled “Dreams
from My Father” (Wang). The majority of the readers as well as the critics of the novel under
discussion here readily agree on the fact that along with the novelty of the ideas articulated by
Ralph Ellison in the novel, the effective usage of different symbols within the same had greatly
enhanced the pleasure of reading the concerned novel (Sy).

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Reese and Kingston-Reese are of the viewpoint that one of the most important significant
aspects of the novel “Invisible Man” can be attributed to the fact that unlike the earlier African-
American literary works which try to focus on the manner in which the white people had
misrepresented the history of the black people, this novel subtly shows the manner in which the
black people had tried to make up the history of the white people. Adding to this, Weina has
noted that an important issue about which the different African-Americans and also the different
literary works which have focused on them have complained about is the misappropriation of
their history along with their lives. For example, Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” highlights the fact
that the black people have been robbed of their rich historical heritage which in turn had
adversely affected the quality of their present life (Morrison). However, the novel “Invisible
Man” is a sharp break from these traditions or for that matter the ideas highlighted by the
African-American literary artists since it tries to show the manner in which the black people are
presently trying the construe the history of the white people. In this relation, it needs to be said
that an important saying popular in Africa is “Until the lion learns to sing, the hunter will be
glorified” (Cooper). Thus, it can be said that Ellison in a subtle manner had tried to show in the
novel under discussion here that the lion, that is, the African-Americans, have finally learned to
sing and therefore the hunter, that is, the white people would no longer be glorified at the cost of
the lion.
The plot of Ellison’s novel “Invisible Man” revolves around its unnamed narrator who
feels that he is invisible. However, at the very beginning of the novel, the narrator makes it clear
that he is not invisible in the sense of the ghosts or the spirits of the literary works of Edgar Allan
Poe or the Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. On the contrary, he is just like the other individuals

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composed of flesh and blood and the invisibility which he feels is more associated with the
manner in which the people perceive him and thereby a psychological thing rather than being a
physical thing. This aspect of the invisibility experienced by the narrator of the novel becomes
evident from the lines “I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see
me….When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves or figments of their
imagination, indeed, everything and anything except me” (Ellison). This feeling in turn had
created a psychological void inside the narrator because of which it is seen that he not being able
to effectively connect with anyone not even with the members of his own black community.
More importantly, an important fact which the novel under discussion here highlights can be
attributed to the fact that unlike the earlier African-American novels which dwells on the wrongs
that the white people have committed against the African-Americans within the concerned
nation, this particular novel focuses on the manner in which the people of the black community
have stunted the growth of their own community members (Azad). In the particular context of
the novel “Invisible Man” it is seen that the growth of the narrator and also his ability to achieve
great things in his life is being stunted by the black community in which he lives. In this relation,
mention needs to be made of his initiative to help Mr. Norton, the duplicity of Bledsoe, the
paranoid behavior of Lucius Brockway towards the narrator, the behavior of the members of the
group Brotherhood and others (Rutkowski).
The work which the narrator performs at the Liberty Paint factory is important not only
from the perspective of the development of the plot of the novel but also from the perspective of
symbolism used within the novel as well. As a matter of fact, the work which the narrator
performs at the Liberty Paint factory is integral for the effective development of one of the most

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important symbols of the entire novel itself, that is, the manner in which the black people make
up the history or for that matter misrepresent the history of the white people. Furthermore, it is
seen that the Liberty Paint factory is famous within the novel for the manufacture of the high
quality of pure white paint which in turn can be considered as a symbolical representation of the
history of the white people (Weina). More importantly, just the Liberty Paint factory, the white
people over the years had ensured the fact that their history is of the best quality and that too
without any significant blemishes similar to the superior quality white paint manufactured by the
Liberty Paint factory (Smith). However, the important issue arises since the majority of the
workers within the Liberty Paint factory and African-Americans who are entrusted with the
completion of all the work of the concerned factor, starting from the procurement of the raw
materials, the manufacture of the white paint, its packing, delivery to the market and others
(O'Brien). Thus, it can be said that the author of the novel under discussion here through the
subtle usage of this particular symbol is trying to indicate the fact that the history of the white
people regarding which they boast so much just like the white paint manufactured by the Liberty
Paint factory is being actually constructed by the black people.
The white paint manufactured by the Liberty Paint factory rather than being a mere
symbol is also an example of metaphor within the novel through which the author had tried to
show that despite the emancipation, the status quo between the black and the white people had
not improved in any significant manner (Wang). For instance, the black people have been
repudiated, treated as slaves and received inhumane treatment at the hands of the white people
yet for the completion of all their important work, the white people have relied substantially on
the black people (Hayes). Similarly, in the particular context of the novel under discussion here

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also it is seen that despite the hate, repudiation, inhumane treatment and others which the black
individuals like the narrator of the novel had to face they are still involved in the manufacture of
the white paint or busy in making up the history of the white people (Sharma). As a matter of
fact, the narrator himself had been the victim of the deception of Briscoe who offered him face
recommendation letters at the time of expelling him from the college and this in turn forced him
to join the Liberty Paint factory to sustain himself. On the other hand, within the factory, he had
to tolerate the paranoid behavior of Lucius Brockway and is finally being institutionalized within
a mental institution despite being perfectly fine both mentally and physically. Despite all these,
while being at the factory he tries his best to complete his job roles effectively just like the
African-American slaves who perform their job roles diligently irrespective of the oppressive as
well as the inhumane treatment which they faced at the hands of their masters (Azad). In the light
of these aspects, it can be said that the symbol of the white paint manufactured by the Liberty
Paint factory while highlighting the relationship between the black workers and the white
masters also subtly highlights the manner in which the black people are presently making up the
history of the white people just like the black workers within the factor manufacture white paint.
To sum up, Ellison’s famous novel “Invisible Man” is redolent with the effective usage
of different symbols which in turn had substantially enhanced the quality as well as the pleasure
of reading the concerned novel. In this relation, it needs to be said that two of the most important
symbols which had been used within the novel under discussion here are the symbol of
invisibility and the symbol of the white paint manufactured by the Liberty Paint factory. The
invisibility felt by the narrator is indicative of the manner in which the people around him merely
take into account his surroundings and his past for forming an identity of the narrator rather than

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taking into consideration his personality or character. On the other hand, the white paint
manufactured by the black workers of the Liberty Paint factory is a symbolical representation of
the manner in which the black people are presently making up the history of the white people.
These aspects of symbolism become apparent from the above analysis of the same in the
particular context of Ellison’s novel “Invisible Man”.

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References
Adiga, Aravind. "Book Of A Lifetime: Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison". The Independent, 2020,
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/book-of-a-lifetime-
invisible-man-ralph-ellison-801474.html
Azad, Samina. "Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man and Postcolonialism." International Journal of
Social Sciences & Education 3 (2017): 413-421.
Cooper, Simon. "Affirming the Modernist Principle: Invisible Man, Blues Signifiers and the
Return of the Bottom Dogs." Modernism and the Practice of Proletarian Literature.
Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2020. 243-296.
Ellison, Ralph. Invisible man. Penguin UK, 2016.
Hayes, Liza. "The invisibility of race: A pragmatic approximation to the concept." Sociology and
Anthropology 5.4 (2017): 353-361.
Morrison, Toni. "Beloved. 1987." New York: Plume 252 (1988).
O'Brien, Sean. "Blacking Out: Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man and the Historicity of
Antiblackness." Cultural Critique 105 (2019): 80-105.
Reese, Sam, and Alexandra Kingston-Reese. "Teju Cole and Ralph Ellison’s aesthetics of
invisibility." Mosaic: an interdisciplinary critical journal 50.4 (2017): 103-119.
Rutkowski, Sara. "Ralph Ellison: Capturing the Idiom." Literary Legacies of the Federal
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Sharma, Jyoti. "The Theme of Racial Exploitation in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man." An
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Smith, Clint. "Ralph Ellison’S “Invisible Man” As A Parable Of Our Time". The New Yorker,
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Wang, Gaixia. "On the Construction of Self Identity in Invisible Man." 2016 2nd International
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Weina, Ouyang. "Searching for Identity in Dilemma—Symbolism in Native Son and Invisible
Man." 2017 7th International Conference on Social Network, Communication and
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