In The Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison outlines the experiences that shaped his life as an African-American man. Due to racism, discrimination and/or prejudice perpetuated across generations, it feels non-existent. He feels as if he is not accepted as a contributing member of society, so he adopts the term invisible man. Furthermore, his motivation to fight these injustices is fueled by his grandfather's final words. His mindset was formed at an early age, he struggled to fulfill his grandfather's wishes and be true to himself. Ralph Ellison's encounters have had a negative impact on his life, his interactions are the motivation for his behavior, the anger he has shown, and the logic behind his thinking. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Ralph Ellison's work was motivated by negative influences that shaped his thinking. The character was motivated by his grandfather's last words encouraging him to stand up to white men for his rights. His grandfather did not want him or his father to take a passive role in the face of racism. As he tries to fulfill his grandfather's wishes, he is manipulated by white American men who see him and other black men as insignificant, inferior, disposable, and/or inhuman. They are used as entertainment. Ellison is injured to the point that he vomits blood. Ellison is so fixated on giving his speech that he takes this behavior as a prelude. He is unaware that he is being manipulated and humiliated until he reads a note included in what he thought was a "Keep This Nigger-Boy Running" grant. This immediately makes him think of his grandfather and the advice he gave him on his deathbed. Ellison was motivated by his grandfather's words. When Ellison was younger he overheard his grandfather express how he felt like a coward for not standing up to his slave owners. He believed that one way to overpower slave owners was to be passive-aggressive. He ordered Ellison's father to "yes, er, to death", weaken them and accept them of death and destruction. He didn't want his son (Ellison's father) to feel as cowardly and helpless as he did. She told him to “live with your head in the lion's mouth” (Ellison 264). His grandfather wanted them all to be fearless and stand up to their oppressors. Ellison took these words to heart, he wanted to fulfill his grandfather's wishes. He begins to speak publicly, he felt he was making progress because he received praise from white Americans. This could have been intentional, allowing him to speak but not really taking his words seriously. As a result of his advocacy efforts, he didn't know how to feel. He wasn't entirely proud of himself. He had the feeling that his actions did not correspond to his thoughts. He didn't want to be seen as a coward or a traitor like his grandfather. He wanted to make a better impact than his grandfather. His grandfather's last words were becoming a curse instead of an improvement. He had the feeling that his words were being received by the white American public, but he wasn't sure if they could understand his hidden behaviors. He felt like he wasn't demonstrating the actions expected of "sullen and mean" white Americans. Although he tried to prove that humility is the secret to progress, he struggled to embrace it as a philosophy because it conflicted with his grandfather's ideals. White Americans could see through his approach; they could have chosen this as a subtle way to teach him a lesson. Instead of responding to his behavior differently, such as lynching or outright murder;they allowed him to be beaten by people of his own racial background and then left him with a racist final thought. The irony may be that white America showed what his grandfather said, appeasement (they invited him to speak) and then led him to death and destruction (with Battle Royale). Ellison developed deep anger stemming from his experiences. Despite his humble approach before the Battle Royale and vulgar joke about the scholarship, his behaviors became what he described as "sullen and mean." Ellison firmly believed that he was not respected as an African American man, and the origin of his dubious feelings stemmed from the interactions of white American men. During a violent altercation with a white American male, Ellison becomes angry when the man "bumps" him and neither acknowledges that he bumped into him nor apologizes. This incident shows how African American men are viewed by white Americans as invisible, inhumane, and unworthy of apology. Ellison's furious response may be indicative of him finally standing up for himself. He may feel vindicated for how he was treated in the past. This was his moment to say enough, I'm tired of being treated this way and trying to hold them (white males) accountable for their actions. The negative encounters led Ellison to adopt the term invisible man. He believed himself to be invisible due to the “peculiar arrangement of the eyes with which he comes in contact” (Ellison 258). So basically, the way he is viewed by his colleagues is not favorable. He is happy when he reads the newspaper article that a white American man was attacked by an "invisible man". It reinforces that he can take action and not take any responsibility for those actions. As an "invisible man" he decides to live as a man without responsibility. He resides in a residential area occupied by white Americans, treats his living space as a hot hole, and ultimately pays neither for the space nor for electricity. He feels like he's beating the system. This gives him a feeling of power (Wallace). He lives in their area under their noses for free. Without responsibility. He attacked a man he felt disrespected and avoided responsibility. Living as an invisible man allows Ellison to live secretly while taking back his power but, at the same time, can be seen as him internalizing the beliefs that white America has imposed on him. Even though Ellison felt he was not viewed respectfully as an African American man. His approach to gaining respect could be considered cowardly. Instead of outwardly advocating for equal treatment, he felt like he had won in a different way. He felt satisfaction in knowing that he could act secretly (negative and/or positive) and not accept responsibility. Operating under the term invisible man, he could operate under the radar to get results. I can see how feelings about the term (invisible man) have manifested themselves, but the actions demonstrated by Ellison do not reflect the strength of African American people. In those times, African Americans spoke out, protested, and defended their beliefs. They haven't adopted a way to beat their system or beat people at their own game as a solution. In essence, how does his behavior contribute to the betterment of other African American men who felt invisible in the eyes of white America? His behaviors served a purpose for him, but not for all African American men in general. Living without income and responsibilities shows his ingenious thinking, but his lack of outward action shows his passivity. His grandfather said "live with your head in the lion's mouth". Not.