"you want 'em buttered?"

Ellison's Invisible Man depicts the radical change within a young man as a direct result of his experiences. In the first half of the novel our narrator is a young student with the utmost reverence for public figures and especially prominent white men. His enchantment with southern society is evident in his thoughts, speech, and actions; however moving to Harlem signified a momentous change within this character. The most pivotal point in his development was catalyzed by the simple craving of a baked yam, and by indulging in such a southern comfort the narrator was able to cast aside the unconscious shame he had been harboring for years. It was step towards recognizing and accepting his new identity and realizing that he must embrace his own thoughts and act for himself, rather than for the approval of others. After devouring three yams the narrator exclaims, "what and how much had I lost by trying to do only what was expected of me instead of what I myself had wished to do?" (266).

The small victory within himself sparked a sense of empowerment, and spiraled into the provocation of a riot after he witnessed an elderly couple being evicted. The transition to this new identity is complete when he is given a new name, new clothes, and a new address by the mysterious Brotherhood. Who are these men and will the narrator continue to morph into a new and unrecognizable man? What events lead to the situation described in the prologue? The journey has been interesting and thought provoking thus far and I am interested to see how our Invisible Man develops.