Arguing Through Fiction

Fiction can be used as a form of public argument that is just as affective as nonfiction. Usually when I’m reading a work of fiction I don’t think about the message the author is trying to tell me or that he’s advancing an argument at all. However one of the main reasons why authors write fiction is to make an argument, whether readers know it or not. Overall the genre has many advantages for someone trying to make an argument. It gives the writer complete control over what to include in her argument and lets her create any story she wants to support it. With nonfiction writers don’t have this kind of freedom. Nonfiction requires the writer to report facts and analyze them objectively. She is faced with the dilemma of choosing what to report and how to report it while trying to give her own opinion on the situation(s). Fiction removes these obstacles and allows the writer to make up any story she wants without fear of misrepresenting any factual events.

Fiction also lets writers advance opinions within contexts that they are familiar with. For example in “Invisible Man”, Ralph Ellison makes arguments about identity, power, and democracy using a character that he would understand well: a young black male living in the American south and New York during the 1920s and 30s. Many writers create characters that are reflections of themselves, which emphasizes the fact that they are speaking directly to their audience.

Fiction also exposes readers to arguments through characters they can identify with. People enjoy reading about characters that they have some things in common with, which is not always the case with nonfiction. In the readers’ minds the characters are more believable when they share traits with actual people. However, one of the drawbacks of fiction is that the characters may not seem “real” enough to the audience and any arguments the author is trying to make get ignored.

I think fiction is an excellent medium for public argument. It has advantages for both writers and readers who can advance and learn about issues that affect their real lives. The writer can create any type of story she wants to deliver her arguments without the restraints that are present in nonfiction writing.

Democracy, Identity, Power and the Invisible Man

The use of a fiction novel to advance an argument is not something that I typically consider a form of argument. However, after our discussions in class, I have realized the profound impacts that a fiction novel can create. This is achieved through the characters and situations that they are faced with. The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison presents many interesting arguments through its characters. Although this novel has many different arguments I would like to comment and give examples of the three main ones we focused on in class which include: democracy, identity and power.

The book gives the impression that democracy as we know it is a charade. Ideally democracy includes such rights as: freedom of speech, the right to vote, and freedom of religion. These among many make up a true democracy that is a governed by the people. The freedom of speech is definitely undermined in this book, due to the restrictions that are put on the Invisible man in his work as an orator. If the Brotherhood represents the state and is promoting speeches toward equality, yet still placing limitations on the type of speech allowed, is a problem. At first the Brotherhood provides a sense that speech really is free, by allowing the Invisible man deliver speeches that worked toward the goals of equality among all races. However, after the Invisible man started to deviate from their standards for the definition of equality the Brotherhood put more restrictions on him. They said that he had to learn to speak more scientifically. As reader however, we are never told exactly what the meaning of speaking scientifically is. This censorship from the Brotherhood represents what the government of the 20’s and 30’did; they preached the ideals of free speech and the future of equality, but only to a certain extent. Therefore the limitations placed on the Invisible man by the brotherhood are an example of how democracy is only true on the surface level. Likewise, just like democracy on the outside the Brotherhood promotes equality, but doesn’t actually mean it or want it. As soon as a minority group tries to equate with the majority they are stopped. The Brotherhood and democratic states want equality to the extent that suits them. Not so much in today’s society as that in the 1920’s through the 1960s. Although in the 20’s African Americans were not considered equal, the government tried to include the minority by allowing them to vote and participate in other civic duties. This right was clearly challenged by the final act of civil disobedience by the Invisible man. If a person can gain these civil rights, yet still be invisible it the eyes of the democratic rulers than by stealing electricity and living beyond the democratic society he has demonstrated that the idea of democracy is not pure.

This idea of democracy directly relates to the idea of identity. The same way that democracy puts up a front, identity is also something that is not real, but instead is placed on a person by the society in which they take part in. Identity is something that is multiple and continuously changing. This is best demonstrated by the Invisible man, but is also shown through other secondary characters in the novel. The most dramatic is the character of Reinhart. He has many different identities that change from one setting to the next. As the Invisible man finds out, Reinhart is a trouble maker, preacher, number runner, lover and much more. The multitude of identities also represents the changing identities that are defined by the people within a society. Another character that shows not only a large number of identities, but also the society’s imposition of those identities is Tod Clifton. When we first meet him, the reader gets the sense that he is a young intelligent activist that is held high in the eyes of the Brotherhood. However, we also see the identity that is placed on him by Ras the exhorter. To Ras, Tod and the rest of the Brotherhood are traitors, which is originally in direct contrast with that of the Brotherhood. However, after Tod leaves the Brotherhood and starts selling the dolls, the identity placed on him by the Brotherhood become more alight with that of Ras. Overally, both Reinhart and Tod Clifton show the argument of this book. The characters are shaped by society and their identities are a reflection of the company that is kept. Although these are smaller characters of the book, the main characters are given identities as well. The Invisible man is given an identity from the very beginning, firstly from his grandfather, then by the principal, then by Bledsoe, and then by Brother Jack and so on. However, it was not until the Invisible man removes himself from the society that gave him his identities that he creates his own version of identity. At this moment he creates for the first time his own sense of power. The identity he creates still is a reflection of the past, holding to the argument that identity is socially constructed.

Power is something that also shapes one’s identity, as the book implies, but power also underlies the foundations of democracy. There has to be someone that ultimately makes decisions and through democracy everyone has the ability to gain power. But also, democracy lays the foundations for wanting more power. The character Bedsoe most directly relates to the idea of power, and the struggle to always gain more. The main argument of the book is that power leads to an identity that is power hungry, manipulative and deviant. Bledsoe always wanted power and he worked very hard to achieve it, and he would do anything not to lose it. The search for power in the novel runs with every character. Every person wanted to be able to have more power than others; from Brother Jack to Lucius from Optic paints. Power thus is a very important aspect to any society and the amount of power and the people in power tend to shape the identities of the subordinate.

Overall, the arguments of this book are very strong and are demonstrated through many different characters and situations that the Invisible man encounters. Power, identity, and democracy have different meanings across societies and cultures. The book shows the interconnectivity of the three and the changing characteristics of each. I feel that identity is the strongest message that is pushed forward by this book. There is a lot of pistis for the idea that identity is socially constructed. The book uses this sense of identity to push the abstract ideas of democracy and power toward the final argument that societies are impure and most judgments are based on ever-changing norms and public ideas, whether they are wrong or not.