On The Protagonist’s Imposed Identity as a Modern Running Slave in Invisible ManWord格式.docx
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OnTheProtagonist’sImposedIdentityasaModernRunningSlaveinInvisibleMan@#@Abstract:
@#@InvisibleMancreatedbyRalphEllisonmainlydiscussestheprotagonist’sidentityissueandthispaperfocusesononeofhisimposedidentityasamodernrunningslavetodisclosetheoppressionsufferedbymodernblackpeopleandtheprogresstheymakeinself-identityquest.@#@Keywords:
@#@imopsedidentity;@#@mosernrunningslave;@#@InvisibleManIdentityisacomplextermforitsrichconnotations.Itcanbesimplyviewed@#@as“knowingwhooneis”(Weeks,27).Itcanbefurtherexplainedtobe“ourunderstandingofwhoweareandwhootherpeopleare”(Weeks,35).Asforasingleperson,identitycoversbothbornfeaturesandtheinfluencescausedbythecircumstances.Itisacontinuousprocessofformingandreformingratherthanafixedstateorresult.Duringthisprocess,peoplewillhaveaseriesofidentities.Someof@#@themcanbecountedaspeople’sself-identitieswhichworkasmajorbenchmarksforthemtounderstandanddefinethemselves.However,theothersofthemareimposedonpeople.Theseimposedidentitiesareunabletoembodypeople’sactiveunderstandingofthemselves.InInvisibleMan,theprotagonistalsohasimposedidentities,suchasa“modernrunningslave”.@#@Theimageof“runningslave”originatesfromanAfricanAmericanfolkloricmotif“KeeptheNigger-BoyRunning”.Itmirrorstheoppressiveandunsettledaspectofblackslave’slifebecause“running”worksasapunwhichhastwolayersofmeanings:
@#@“escaping”and“unsettled”.InInvisibleMan,theprotagonistalsolivesasa@#@runningslavewhenheisexpelledfromthecollegetryingtofindajobwithDr.Bledsoe’srecommendationletters.@#@However,therecommendationletterturnsouttobeafalseonewhichonlybearswords“keepthisnigger-boyrunning”.Becausethepresidentaskshimnottoreadtheseletters,theprotagonistpresentsthemtowhitecelebritiesonebyoneinthenortherncity.Asaresult,heisrefusedtogetanyjobsbuthecontinuessendingtherestlettersoutwithhope.Inthisway,theprotagonistfallsintoanegativecircleofrunningfromawhitemantoanother.Finally,becausehecannothaveanyjob,theprotagonistfacesmaterialcrisis.Thus,heisunabletosettlehislifeinthestrangecityandbecomesamodernrunningslave.@#@Fortunately,ThetricksplayedbyDr.Bledsoetomaketheprotagonistasa“runningslave”isexposedbyMr.Emerson’sson.Mr.EmersonisoneofthewhitecelebritiestowhomDr.Bledsoewritesrecommendationletter.AstheprotagonistgoestoMr.Emerson’sofficesendinghisrecommendationletter,Mr.Emerson’ssongetsthisletterandshowsthecontentsofittotheprotagonist.Atthattime,the@#@protagoniststillholdsanillusionandwantsto“returnandhelp”(Ellison,192).Later,afolksongwhistledbyablackmaninfrontofhimonabusbreakshisillusionofthecollegeauthorityandleadshimtorealizehisidentityasarunningslave.Thisfolksonggoeslikethis:
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