The invisible man

CΟNCLUSIΟN
It must be stated early that Ellison had a vision of himself that was distinguishable from many in the black American literary community. Ellison believed that the identity of the black American community was inherently part of the history and identity of the United States as a whole, rather than a separate entity (Chester & Howard, 1955). This perspective led to a difference between him and many other Black authors of his time. In the extreme, some at the time were calling for a total separation of Black culture from mainstream American culture. In contrast, Ellison envisioned the United States as possessing a history of black American culture that was inseparably intertwined with its own, and he was motivated to put forth this idea boldly¹³.
Ellison began his academic life as a young intellectual, and his diligence studying music led him to receive a scholarship to attend a well-regarded college in the South, none other than Tuskegee Institute, founded by Booker T. Washington. Ellison’s passion for the Arts is encouraged here, and he gains some measure of fame for his ability with the trumpet. Biographer Jack Bishop (1988) notes that from an early age, Ellison participated in the Arts and envisioned himself becoming a Renaissance man, a man who was wise to the ways of the world, well read, and a connoisseur of all of the arts.
Additionally, it is at Tuskegee that he is introduced to the power of literature. Steven C. Tracy (2004), professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst , writes that Ellison is strongly inspired by T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land; Ellison states that his exposure to this iconic poem began his, “transformation (or shall we say, metamorphosis) from a would-be composer into some sort of novelist”. This poem serves as a primer to Ellison’s literary career, which would not be fully realized until he makes his move from the South to New York City. This move was prompted by his need to obtain the requisite funds to complete his education.
For a period of time after arriving in NYC, Ellison struggles to earn a living, and soon discovers that he will not be able to both save for his tuition, and meet his financial obligations. While in NYC, Ellison is introduced to Richard Wright, and soon begins working as a writer. During this time Ellison is exposed to two very important things that will play an instrumental role in his ability to write Invisible Man the way that he does;
1) he begins to write for the local Communist organization in Harlem, and
2) he performs research into the daily lives of Harlem residents as a paid ethnographer for a federal program put into place by President F. D. Roosevelt. These two assignments will resurface as strong influencing factors in Invisible Man, as they are both part of Ellison’s personal history.