4. The Incomplete African-Americans 7

4.1 Flattering African-Americans 7

4.2 Radical African-Americans 8

5. Case study——the Invisible Man 10

5.1 The invisible visible man 10

5.2 The visible invisible man 10

6. Conclusion 11

Works Cited: 13

1. Introduction

1.1 Historical Background

With the abolishment of slavery in 1863, African-Americans became free men and numerous of them rushed into cities to pursue better life, thus their horizons were broadened in the cities and with their efforts, some of them even became part of middle class and got better education. “After America entered World War Two in 1941, most young white Americans joined the army and left a great shortage of labor in some highly industrialized northern cities like Chicago” (Lai Fan 2). So, factory owners sought workers in southern cities and provided more black Americans with an opportunity to work in cities. City life again expanded their visions and they played a more significant role in society than ever before. Consequently, better education, wider horizons as well as their rising social importance promoted their self-confidence and self-respect, which resulted in the waking of their self-consciousness and eagerness to gain equality. Unlike slavery time when they were treated as an insignificant tool with no ideology and inpiduality without complaint, they at that time were not content with being ignored and invisible, they wanted to be seen and heard. In order to be equal civilians with thoughts and independence, they had to get rid of the stereotypical slave identity and find their real identity as an equal race, without which they would never gain equality and be seen and heard.

However, after the longtime of slavery period and under the influence of American culture and values, African-Americans were no longer pure Africans as they had lived in Africa but they were neither pure Americans that could be accepted equally by other white Americans, so they were in a loss of the real identity. Thus, those African- Americans with rising self-confidence and self-respect were desperately anxious to find their real identity to be accepted as equal civilians. On their way to seek real identity, they were confronted with various difficulties and the most obvious one was the prejudice from white Americans. What was more; some African-Americans were constrained by the previous slave identity and were either oppressed or slavish. Meanwhile, in order to win recognition during such a time, some of them had to abandon part of their real identity. Nevertheless, once they abandoned it, they lost the identity that could make them equal and visible, though they might obtain wealth and frame that could make themselves noticeable.

1.2 Practical significance

Though African-Americans have been keeping finding real identity and fighting for equality, some of them are still in confusion and the problem of inequality between white Americans and African-Americans still exists today. It is nowadays an obstacle to the development of African-Americans as well as a harmonious America society. In order to fulfill their dream of gaining equal rights, they must find their real identity as an equal race and their reasons of failing to find it must be explored.