Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man (1952) is the great American novel about race, perhaps even the great American novel. It considers and affirms the principle—that "mysterious binding force"—that holds us together as a people and that is tied to our own history. In doing so it raises all the important political questions about equality, freedom, rights and justice; the legacy of slavery and white supremacy, our "human and absurd diversity." The novel's deliberate attempt, in Ellison's words, "to return to the mood of personal moral responsibility for democracy" makes perfectly clear the connection between literature and politics. The seminar will also consider a few of Ellison's essays bearing directly on Invisible Man.
Instructor: Peter W. Schramm is Chair of the Master of American History and Government program and Professor of Political Science at Ashland University.