Sorry to disappoint you sci-fi fans, but no, the narrator of this novel isn't actually invisible. White people just don't see him, because he's black.
- What does the metaphor of invisibility tell us about the experience of African Americans? Why do you think Ellison uses this metaphor?
- The book is narrated in the first person. What's the significance of using a first-person narrative voice here? Think of the history of African Americans and the way in which they have been silenced and marginalized politically, economically, and socially. How does the narrative voice here comment on those issues?