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The Literary Effects of Metaphors and Symbolism: A Case Study on Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
XIONG Zi-yan, WANG Peng-fei
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2025.05.005
Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
Invisible Man is a novel written by Ralph Ellison, talking about how the protagonist struggled in society as an African-American, sought his own identity and sense of belonging, and finally accepted the reality of being “invisible” to live underground. The metaphors and symbols as key writing techniques in Invisible Man were analyzed in the paper with certain typical examples to reveal their research values for explorations of race issues in the book. The paper particularly highlights the tension embedded in the metaphors and the sarcasm conveyed through the symbols.
Invisible Man, metaphorical tension, symbolic sarcasm
Journal of Literature and Art Studies, May 2025, Vol. 15, No. 5, 391-397
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