M's View of "The Invisible Man" Part Two of Two

Much of the protagonist's good fortune is later reversed, through events beyond his control. He is expelled from the university, his recommendations prove futile, and his duties in the Brotherhood are suppressed. He subsequently acquires deep-rooted insecurity and paranoia; qualities which lead him to a life as an amorphous, invisible man. They are, moreover, qualities which continue to plague Black Americans. Evidence of this exists in the unbroken racial tensions that exist today in our country.

As in The Invisible Man, explanations exist for these lingering stigmas. They have been derived, in part, from set-backs dating back to Reconstruction. Jim Crow laws, instituted during this period, denied Blacks access to all but the most menial job opportunities. The political power of Blacks was also undermined, through the advent of poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses. All were designed to limit the Black electorate. Lynching and other social atrocities became more eminent, brought on by undying bigotry and realized by menaces like the KKK. Today, the widening socio-economic rift between the races also contributes to ethnic insecurity and paranoia.

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