Invisible Man

Living in invisibility may be viewed as a sad life. How an invisible man goes on is difficult to understand though. He has no name and no true identity. He could live in chaos and be powerless to do anything about it. His whole existence is trivial and ineffective. He has nothing in theory. Before the narrator became invisible he had something. He had what he owned. His possessions reminded him of his past and helped him to eventually identify who he was.

Throughout his attempt at life, the invisible man acquired various items in this novel, one of which was a briefcase. He received it when he complied with the oppression of white men and accepted his social status as an inferior. It was to be a haven, a safe place, for the rest of the book in which he placed his beliefs, ideals, and later on wisdom he received from the many events that took place.

The briefcase carried things that the narrator wanted to hold on to. He placed things in it that he thought would make all the difference when white men looked at him. He had lived with that ideal his entire life, that through hard work and compliance that he could prove himself to be more worthy then the average black man. His achievements that he valued, and that he believed others to value also. He placed these items in the briefcase to shield them against the harsh truth that continued to prove those items to be obsolete.

His graduation from high school gave him a sheet of paper, his hope in the beginning. The diploma would make him different, a bit above the rest. Unlike many he had made it through high school and in passing this first obstacle, he had dreams of passing more and making himself better. He was black but if he showed effort and a desire to be more than expected, he would be set aside from the stereotypes he wanted so much to escape.

Later on in the novel, items were placed in the briefcase, truths the narrator couldn't deny. Brother Clifton's doll was one of those items. The doll had seemed to have a will of its own, dancing in front of the crowd. Unseen though were the strings that held it, that controlled it, and decided what it was to do. Pity can describe what this doll symbolized, as it was a representation of the black community. Brother Clifton and the narrator saw the Harlem community get hopeful at the thought of making a difference with the brotherhood. Sadly the entire time, they were nothing but a pawn in the master plans of the brotherhood.

Not all of the possessions were placed in the briefcase for protection.