Ralph Ellison and the Raft of Hope

“This superb [essay] collection enables readers of Invisible Man to appreciate the subtleties of its cultural and political commentary.” —Journal of American Studies An important collection of original essays that examine how Ellison’s landmark novel, Invisible Man (1952), addresses the social, cultural, political, economic, and racial contradictions of America. Commenting on the significance of Mark Twain’s writings, Ralph Ellison wrote that “a novel could be fashioned as a raft of hope, percep