First published in 1952, Ralph Ellison's (1914-1994) Invisible Man revolutionized the literary and cultural world by examining the near-total lack of awareness of African Americans that pervaded mainstream society. One of the most widely read novels in American literature, Invisible Man has been translated into at least 15 languages and has undergone numerous printings and special editions. It has been called the Moby Dick of the twentieth century—epic in scope, mythic in subject, and classic in structure. Part of its appeal lies in its quintessentially American theme: the quest for identity. What distinguishes Ellison's treatment of this theme is his bold creation of a central character who is black and unnamed, everyman and no one.

Foregrounding black identity while universalizing the central character on his quest for self-realization, the text expands the horizons of the American hero to include racial difference. By naming the invisible condition of...