The phases of invisibility in the invisible manTo be invisible is to not be able to be seen by anyone without artificial help. The invisible man is more impossible to locate than the proverbial needle in a haystack. In Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the main character, I., progresses through different phases of symbolic invisibility. The story begins with I. recounting the various stages and incidents that led him to realize his invisibility. I.'s grandfather was a gentle and humble man, and that's why he surprised I. when he told him to "live with his head in the lion's mouth, to conquer them with yes, to accept their death and destruction. This affirmation is the omnipresent current that guides I. towards his eventual self-discovery. This haunts him beyond his discovery and persists even after his acceptance of his situation, where the reader realizes that even I. don't completely understand his grandfather's words. The battle royale serves to open his eyes, albeit slightly, only to close them again, as I. still delivers his acceptance speech to the crowd of prominent white men in town. These are the same men who were shouting "let me tackle that big nigger" just moments ago. Yet he continues to assume that these men respect him for his intelligence and take him seriously. Upon reflection, he realizes that this is when he really began to run for the white man. He was playing their games, trying to collect the electrified money, without looking at the naked white woman, these men really set him running and taught him the game he was supposed to play. The next big shock came after I. met Mr. Norton, a prominent white man and a huge contributor to the university he attended. He takes Mr. Norton to the old slave... middle of paper ... continues to explore his new knowledge. There is hope for those who are invisible, and there are so many of them, that you can embrace your transparency. Works Cited Bellow, Saul. “Man Underground” Review of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. Comment. June 1952. December 1 1999.