![]() ![]() Any discussion of the most important works in African American literature is sure to include Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man, first published. He continued work on his unfinished second novel until the time of his death in 1994. Ellison created a well-developed main character to address the theme of finding one’s individual identity in a world of conformity and social expectations. Afterward, Ellison lectured both in Europe and at several major American universities. It won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1953, and has continued to be an enduring classic, affecting generation after generation of readers and thinkers. The novel became an instant classic, catapulting Ellison to national and international fame. Sixty-seven years ago, on April 14, 1952, Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man was published to instant critical acclaim. After the war, Ellison began work on Invisible Man, ultimately finishing the novel in 1952. During World War II, Ellison served in the Merchant Marine. In New York, Ellison began to write and publish articles and reviews, becoming involved with both the Federal Writer’s Project during the Great Depression as well as the Communist Party. ![]() Seeking money to pay his tuition, Ellison traveled to New York, where he met and befriended other artists and writers. Ellison attended the Tuskegee Institute for college, originally intending to become a composer. ![]() As a young man, Ellison was fascinated by jazz, and soon learned to play the trumpet. Ellison was raised by his mother in Oklahoma City. Ralph Ellison’s father was a small business owner who died when Ellison was three. ![]()
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