the invisible man

The Liberty Paint Factory in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man provides the setting for a very significant chain of events in the novel. In addition, it provides many symbols, which will influence a reader's interpretation. Some of those symbols are associated with the structure itself, with Mr. Kimbro, and with Mr. Lucius Brockway. The first of many instances in these scenes that concern the invisible man and the symbolic role of white and black in the …

…a microcosm of America. There are blacks and whites. However, on the surface both appear to be white and right. In effect, it is really the blacks that work behind the scenes to make things flow. They are taken advantage of, and controlled by ideas put into their heads. The paint factory itself, Mr. Kimbro, and Mr. Lucius Brockway all help portray this image to its fullest, while contributing to the rest of the novel.