On the surface, Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison, tells the story of a young black man discovery his place in American society; however, the story reveals the many aspects of black American life.During a period of American history that is so enthralled in the idea of separation of races that it stifles the voices of the black community. The segregation, discrimination and racism fueled African American writers towards this idea that their representation must portray their feelings. Many black writers chose to depict African American protagonists who are restricted by racism and struggle to develop their own identities in the early twentieth century, resulting in unwanted identities and, occasionally, a lack of identity itself. Ralph Ellison
