Introduction
Literature is an indispensable tool for the expression of the opinions harbored by humans on different people in society. Gender inequality is one such crucial component that is exhibited by literature and indicates the way human beings live their lives. The depiction of women as insignificant characters in some pieces of literature is obvious in the literature composed during the male-dominated ages. The female characters were treated with stereotypes and these obvious errors are displayed overwhelmingly by writers. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is an appropriate example of a book that portrays gender inequality through its various facets. The story is difficult to read during the current era when there is a push for gender equality.
The book portrays open discrimination towards women by the author through their mistreatment and unfair attitude. Despite the book being a depiction of social conditions during its writing, the plight of women during such a period cannot be ignored. Inequality and stigma are prevalent throughout the book and prove that the writer intentionally created literature that openly discriminates against women. Objectification of women, the lack of female names, gender-specific stereotypes, and marginalization of women indicate the gender insensitivity of the creators of this literature.
Gender Inequality
Objectification of women is widespread in the entire book where the author chooses to emphasize female sexuality instead of focus on the various facets that characterize women. At the beginning of the book, the author has a dream where he imagines a black woman being sold to another man. This emphasizes the fact that the writer views women as property that can be readily exchanged for financial gain. In another instance of demonstrating the supremacy of sexuality for women, the author elicits their influence during times of war. The writer denotes that the women who are sexually appealing and attractive are the most powerful and can achieve anything by seducing men. This makes one wonder whether the power held by women is entirely based on their sexuality instead of other facets that make men superior. This take propagates the popular stereotype that women cannot achieve any feat in life without kissing and sexually arousing men. Moreover, the writer himself almost joins the brotherhood under the charms of a woman, displaying the sexual appeal harbored by women. The novel indicates that without sexuality and appeal, women have no other avenue of convincing men.
Additionally, the attitude depicted by men that women are mere objects of sexual desire is a stereotype that focuses on sexuality at the expense of equality. The novel reveals that men are generally strong enough to pay for their sexual needs in women. They can compensate for their trouble of revealing their bodies to men for gratification using financial means. Men can look and feel the bodies of women in several ways before finally deciding they have had enough, paying and leaving them. This is a demeaning aspect of femininity and is in contrast with the modern ethos fought by feminism to enhance gender equality. In addition, men are seen to disregard attractive women for marriage as it is considered taboo (Ellison and Callahan, 2016). This is because such women are not viewed as home builders, which is all a woman was according to the author. This notion is propagated throughout the novel as the writer openly shares the dangers of marrying a sexually attractive woman.
Men are considered powerless in the face of female nudity as they squirm in anguish in the presence of a naked body. Women who are ready to take off their clothes are misrepresented as a weak and inconsequential group reliant on the mercies of men willing to pay to see them without clothes. It is almost guaranteed that without the mercies of the men interested in naked women, women would otherwise encounter financial collapse and ruin (Ellison and Callahan, 2016). This emphasizes the notions of total male dominance and superiority, ensuring the alienation of women.
While the author continues to minimize racial inequality throughout the novel, he gradually propagates gender inequality. This occurs through the deliberate elimination of the women in the story. The author denies the women’s identities and this shows his perception of this gender as a chief component of the main character’s story. When you deny a character a name you make them easily forgettable and generally dispensable (Ellison and Callahan, 2016). In such a state it is also difficult to consider the contribution of such a character to the story. The emission of female names downplays the roles of these characters in the development of the story and the eventual fate of the main characters. The insignificance of female characters in this regard indicates the author’s personal view of women in general.
The lack of identity is the feature of gender discriminative men in the world and is perfectly displayed in this way by the author. The denial of women’s contribution to the success of men hailed as great cannot be accepted. This propagates gender inequality and amounts to discrimination against women by men who feel the urge to control the world (Ellison and Callahan, 2016). The first step in ensuring the divide between men and women is addressed is ensuring the contributions of women are recognized. Recognition first involves mentioning them by names and conferring their identities so that a person can be attached alongside actions.
The dehumanization of female characters is obvious in the book despite the contributions made by women to the grand story of the main character. Within the novel, women are wise enough to remind the main characters about the risks and dangers they face. The women also remind the male characters about the consequences of their various actions, and their limitless freedoms (Ellison and Callahan, 2016). The author ignores this facet and instead chooses to focus on the sexuality of women. The crucial aspects in the book such as the wisdom of the women displayed above are downplayed in a manner suggestive of their insignificance.
The sexuality of women is given sufficient pomp and indicated to be the point of focus by the reader. It is difficult to sufficiently follow the actions undertaken by women through their wits and intellect within the book. The author makes deliberate efforts to mention such brilliant actions as mere passing whiffs instead of the master strokes that they were (Ellison and Callahan, 2016). This is dehumanizing for the female characters and propagates the place of gender inequality within the mind of the writer and the reader. It is ridiculous that the very things men get praise and recognition for are ignored in women in their entirety as though they do not exist.
Double invisibility is clear in the book as the writer makes deliberate efforts to display black women and white women in a different light. The main character considers black women and white women in different profiles throughout the story. The writer thinks that white women are sexually attractive and desirable for use by men willing to satisfy their sexual cravings. Black women on the other hand are regarded as nurturers by the writer. When the author meets Mary Rombo, there is a vivid description of how either race of women is viewed in the story (Ellison and Callahan, 2016). The writer sees Mary as a huge woman with a massive motherly disposition when he meets her. She helped the narrator during a difficult situation and enabled him to discover his charm and purpose.
In contrast, the author displays Sybil as a sexually desirable woman in the novel. When he meets her, she requests him to spend the night with her and fulfill her sexual desires (Ellison and Callahan, 2016). This displays the character of the white woman as a seductress and whore only capable of offering sexuality, without any possibility of a familial setup. The contrasting depictions of white and black women enable the author to propagate the tenets of racial discrimination and inequality. In both cases, women are not availed with the choice to make overwhelming persona identities without the involvement of men.
Marginalization of women is widespread within the novel and highlights racial discrimination further. Women are sidelined and their contributions are consequently downplayed by the author to fit specific agendas. Margination is clear in the case of Mary who is the only woman to come to the aid of the writer. She nurses him to health and enriches him with wisdom, life experiences, and knowledge in addition to the care offered (Ellison and Callahan, 2016). The author notes that Mary has provided the same care for several men before the main character of the novel, before setting them on their way. Such matters that display the obvious wisdom and thoughtfulness of Mary are ignored and her motherly instincts glorified instead. She is praised for enabling the author to get on his feet by taking care of him, downplaying the power that is inherent in women, including black women. The actions of the writer during marginalization ensured that women played no major role in the story and their actions were limited to minimal support of their male counterparts.
Conclusion
In summation, the evaluation of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is essential in painting a picture of the inequality experienced across the gender divide. The book displays discrimination of women by their male counterparts which has been a constant feature of human civilizations since time immemorial. The inability of the author to ensure the place of women is sufficiently guaranteed makes the story questionable and marginally inapplicable in an era of equality. The author discriminates against women by painting them as objects of sexual desire instead of human beings worthy of respect and admiration. The author also propagates the objectification of women within the story as they are sold as commodities to meet certain needs the men may have. Women were also stereotyped by the men by being assigned specific roles that downplayed their power. The author denies identities to the female characters within the story, ensuring their eventual elimination from the mind of the reader. The sexual worth of women is glorified above the things that make men outstanding within society. Men are praised for their intellect, wisdom, and strength while women are praised based on motherliness and sexuality.
Work Cited
Ellison, Ralph, and John F Callahan. Invisible Man. London, Penguin Books, 2016.