The Struggle for Identity Throughout world society, racism in others has made them “blind” or ignorant. Racism has been around as long as anyone can remember. In racism in America, the struggle of African Americans seems to stand out more. In The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the narrator struggles to find his identity despite what he accomplishes throughout the book because he is a black man living in a racist American society. At the beginning of The Invisible Man, the narrator is part of this battle royal with other young African Americans. This real happens exclusively to entertain white people. The narrator is then blindfolded and forced to box each other. An electric current runs through the floor and shakes them. Electricity represents the shocking truth of white men's motivations, of trying to conform young African American boys to the racial stereotype of violent, savage blacks. The electric current sends the kids into contortions, which is the first time the string puppet metaphor is shown in the book. Even though the narrator's speech is why he thinks he is at the event, the actual battle becomes the real entertainment for the white people watching. The narrator ends up working at a paint factory called Liberty Paints. This company produces white paint. There is a long process in which white depends heavily on black, both in paint mixing and in the factory workforce. On his first day he is injured in an explosion. He subsequently receives shock therapy. There are some strings attached to him like marionette "strings" that make the narrator dance whenever he is shocked. The do...... middle of the card ......d in. This society is depicted by how white society views it throughout the novel. The stereotypes and expectations of a racist society force black people to behave only in certain ways, never allowing them to act according to their own will. The actions of the Brotherhood, which seeks equality, are manipulated as if they were puppets on strings. It always addresses a black man behind a white company, just like the painting process of Liberty Paints: Black under White. Throughout the novel the narrator faces this struggle for society's identity, and although he strives to achieve it, he realizes that it is impossible. Works Cited Ellison, Ralph. The invisible man. New York: Vintage International, 1995. Print.Meyer, Michael. The Bedford Compact Introduction to Literature. Eight. Boston: Bedford, 2009. 1542. Print.