"When I discover who I am, I'll be free."
If we could name a book that is a must in our classroom, it would be Invisible Man. It is a biggun' and can be intimidating--both in understanding and teaching, but that is where the love comes in. The experiences that we've had seeing students (ones that don't always feel seen) feel validated through this narrative make it all worth it. Even if we as teachers do not see ourselves in a book we are teaching does not mean our students don't.
Ralph Ellison's Modernist masterpiece tells the coming-of-age story of a young Black man in the late 1930s as he moves from the American South to Harlem and grapples with timeless questions about who he is and how others see him.
So... why should you add Invisible Man to your curriculum?
It's relevant.
The topic of social justice is ripe for classroom discussion and connection with current events.
Students will see their own world and all its complexities reflected as the narrator is manipulated by powerful figures in society, sees his friend shot by police, and witnesses the ensuing riot in Harlem.
The themes of Invisible Man relate to teenagers seeking to define themselves and resist the pressures of society.
As a high school senior and young adult, the narrator first looks for validation in the eyes of his superintendent, university president, and potential employers. However, as his journey continues, he realizes that he is the only one who can determine his identity and purpose in the world. This novel is SO quotable with many gems students can carry with them long after reading!
It's a masterpiece.
Invisible Man is layered with symbolism, irony, and allusion.
No book has offered so many opportunities for close reading in our classroom as this one. Ellison skillfully develops numerous motifs throughout the novel that can be studied to analyze theme. Our students track them with a motif chart. In addition, we are able to tackle Ellison's use of color, irony, allusion, rhetorical techniques, and literary archetypes through close readings.
If you are an AP, IB, or honors-level teacher, this book can help your students develop the skills they need to crush the test. In fact, Invisible Man is the most frequently listed title on the AP Literature open-response essay prompt.
It's an opportunity.
Use Invisible Man to represent an author of color and to help your students of color feel seen.
We know how crucial it is for our students to both see their own experiences reflected in the books they read and also to read perspectives different from their own.
Use Invisible Man to study the Modernist period of literature.
Teaching American Literature? Want a novel that epitomizes the rule-breaking, existential qualities of Modernism? This is the one.
Use Invisible Man to make thematic connections with numerous poets, authors, and artists.
The writing of Langston Hughes, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Nikki Grimes, and Sandra Cisneros makes for perfect companion pieces.
Your students will learn about important civil rights leaders such as Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, and Marcus Garvey. Our students additionally make comparisons to Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
If you're interested in teaching Invisible Man, but don't know where to start, we've got you covered.
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