BASC70159 - Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man"

Course Description

This course will consist of a close reading of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man – a text now considered one of the greatest works of modern literature. Each class session will consist of distinct short literary historical, critical, and philosophical analyses of the text. By examining the book through these different lenses, you will examine the book’s overlapping genres, its relationship to the Western canon, and its function as a work of civic and anti-racist literature. Questions raised include: what philosophical ideas are raised in Ellison’s text? In what ways does the text mirror or address issues specific to its publication in 1952? How might we use Invisible Man to address contemporary social or philosophical issues? How does the text resemble or differ from other works in the Basic Program or Core curriculum? To attend to the multidimensional nature of the novel, the classes will integrate a variety of modes of analysis utilized by Black Studies scholars who study fundamental works. Potential methods include testimonial analysis, Socratic critique, and critical fabulation.

Course Outline

Course Syllabus