In which I reflect upon my students’ shock upon Donald Trump’s victory. Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” and Flannery O’Connor’s “All That Rises Must Converge” figure into the discussion.
Tag Archives: Ralph Ellison
Lit Produces Good Voters
Philosopher Martha Nussbaum argues that reading literature, and reading it critically, prepares one to be a good citizen who can vote responsibly.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged citizenship, Liberal Arts, Martha Nussbaum, voting Comments closed
Lit Opens Minds to Suffering of the Other
Philosopher Martha Nussbaum argues that literature is essential for creating good citizens in a diverse society, turning to Sophocles’s “Philoctetes” and Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” to make her point.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Invisible Man, Marcus Aurelius, Martha Nussbaum, Philoctetes, racial justice, racism, Sophocles Comments closed
Clifton, Ellison Help Explain Whitesplaining
White politicians, if they want the Black vote, must be cautious about “whitesplaining.” Lucille Clifton gives us insight into the insensitivity in “note to self.” Brother Jack in “Invisible Man” is racially insensitive in this way and may have lessons for certain Bernie Sanders supporters.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "note to self", Bernie Sanders, Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton, Invisible Man, politics, Race, whitesplaining Comments closed
Ellison’s Elegy for Innocent Police Victims
The Invisible Man’s eloquent funeral elegy for his friend Tod Clifton, shot by a policeman, could be delivered over any of the unarmed black men who have been shot by police and vigilantes in recent years. It is relevant again as the city of Cleveland seeks to blame 12-year-old Tamir Rice for his death.
Boehner’s Monkey and Ellison’s Sambo
Speaker John Boehner may keep a wind-up monkey to express how he feels jerked around by the rightwing Freedom Caucus, which prompted him to resign. There is a similar puppet in Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man,” also signifying emasculation and humiliation.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Freedom Congress, GOP, House of Representatives, Invisible Man, John Boehner, Kevin McCarthy, leadership, Paul Ryan Comments closed
Bernie, Black Lives Matter, & Invisible Man
Bernie Sanders’s early missteps with Black Lives Matter, which bewildered him and his followers, is explained in Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man.”
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged angry middle, Bernie Sanders, Black Lives Matter, Donald Trump, Invisible Man, Race, race issues Comments closed
Making the Invisible Visible
Tuajuanda Jordan, our college’s newest president, turned to Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” to articulate her vision for the future.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Invisible Man, St. Mary's College of Maryland, Tuajuanda Jordan Comments closed
