The Women in Invisible Man

The novel Invisible Man addresses many themes ranging from individuality to politics. Therefore, this book addresses the role of women through its characters as well. The main female characters are Emma, Mary Rambo, the narrator’s lover and Sybil. First, Emma is introduced to narrator at the Chthonian. The place of Chthonian often relates to the underworld drawing a connection between the evil underworld and Emma. Hence, Ellison might be emphasizing that Emma symbolizes the corrupt and sinful women. Also, it is assumed that Emma is the mistress of Jack reinforcing her sinful character. Moreover, she goes on to say “but don’t you think he should be a little blacker?” after meeting the narrator (303). She presents herself as a presumptuous individual who treats the narrator as a tool. The narrator also tries to use Emma as a tool but at the last moment he decides that “she was far too sophisticated and skilled in intrigue to compromise her position” (515). Emma has this intense energy which presents women as powerful forces that cannot be messed with. Second, Mary Rambo appears in the narrator’s life in order to allude to the biblical figure, Mary and symbolize a maternal force. Mary Rambo has the name of Mary who most people associate with the virgin Mary. Virgin Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ and often represents innocence, love and family. Therefore, Mary Rambo can be representative of a christ figure to the narrator’s life. Ellison is making a comment that some women are inherently innocent and symbols of good. He also attempts to present Mary as a strong maternal force. For instance, he describes Mary as “a force, a stable, familiar force like something out of my past which kept me from whirling off into some unknown” (258). The narrator keeps associating Mary with his past inferring that he relies on Mary because she is like his mother. Mothers are the ones who are stable forces that make sure their children go into the right path. Consequently, Mary attempts to guide the narrator and be his protector by offering him shelter and food. She also gives important advice to him by stating “I’m in New York, but New York ain’t in me” (255). Thirdly, the woman who becomes the narrator’s lover symbolizes temptation. The narrator first describes her as “a symbolic role of life and feminine fertility” which seems to emphasize her lustful character (409). She then goes to seduce the narrator because she is not satisfied with her marriage to an aloof husband. The narrator is pulled into a world of temptation that he eventually regrets with great passion. Ellison is suggesting that some women can represent tempting forces that often disturb the other gender, males. Lastly, Sybil is introduced to the narrator as an opportunity to get some information about the Brotherhood. Yet, he realizes that Sybil is not an ordinary, lonely, and neglected wife. Sybil is driven by this fantasy of being raped by a black man. Ellison mentions Sybil in his book to illustrate that she is a vulnerable force that was shaped by society. Sybil only has this unusual fantasy because she wants to escape confined society by touching on the issue of racism. The women in Invisible Man may be minor characters but they all help the narrator go through his enlightenment.