Many critics believe that the character of Dr. Bledsoe in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man was modeled after Booker T. Washington. After watching a clip from the film Ralph Ellison: An American Journey about the Washington Bledsoe parallels, readers, examine Washington's speech "Atlanta Compromise" and decide for themselves if Bledsoe is a send-up of Washington.

Concepts

ralph ellison, invisible man, racism, discrimination, african american history, famous african americans, the hero's journey, booker t. washington

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

english language arts

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Have groups research the speech and Washington's leadership at the Tuskegee Institute and then create a Vend diagram comparing Bledsoe and Washington

Classroom Considerations

• Requires individual copies of Booker T. Washington's speech "Atlanta Compromise"
• A free PBS account is required to access materials
• The complete DVD Ralph Ellison: An American Journey is available for purchase here
• The resource comes with a warning about the sensitive nature of the material; therefore, preview the video to determine if appropriate for your classroom

Pros

• The resource includes discussion questions and teacher tips

Cons

• No link is provided to the "Atlanta Compromise" speech

Common Core

RL.9-10.1 RL.9-10.7 RL.11-12.1 RL.11-12.7