The Gillett Perspective: Vision, Blindness, And Race In Ralph Ellison’s "Battle Royal" and "Invisible Man"

The Gillett Perspective: Vision, Blindness, And Race In Ralph Ellison’s "Battle Royal" and "Invisible Man"

The conversation today encompasses three works, the 1952 novel "Invisible Man", along with the work "Battle Royal", which is both the first chapter of "Invisible Man" and a short story often read on its own. Both were written by the winner of the 1953 National Book Award Ralph Ellison, an Oklahoma City native who wrote about the African American experience. We also will look at the poem, "Negro" by Langston Hughes, an important poet during the Harlem Renaissance.