If you have never read, analyzed, or allowed Ralph Ellison's book The Invisible Man to challenge your way of thinking...you should. In his 1952 classic "first-person" account, Ellison explores the complicated task of defining ones-self in a world that constantly forces its' values, expectations, stereotypes, oppressive power, and hatred on "him" and how it pressures him (and us) to play inauthentic roles as we go through life.
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| Yazidi Refugees...another invisible man? |
His book evokes deep questions about history/ current events...and maybe even expresses history better (through fiction) than most historians, sociologists, journalists, etc.
In that regard, here is one of my favorite passages:
"History records the patterns of men's lives, they say: Who slept with whom and with what results; who fought and won and who lived to lie about it afterwards. All things, it is said, are duly recorded - all things of importance, that is. But not quite, for actually it is only the known, the seen, the heard and only those events that the recorder regards as important that are put down, those lies his keepers keep their power by."
In a world where deflated footballs and "reality" T.V. take up massive amounts of "media space" while injustice, starvation, genocide, human atrocities, homelessness, racial profiling, police brutality, big brother surveillance, systematic oppression thrive and lives don't matter...it is not surprising that many of us just can't breathe!
An "invisible" challenge to us all...to focus on truth, justice, the humanity of others and...
the truly important things in life.
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