The narrator of Invisible Man is on a quest, a quest to find out who he is and what his place is in a deeply divided American society. An episode from the American Masters series asks readers to consider Ralph Ellison's acclaimed novel as a type of hero's journey and compare the novel to Joseph Campbell's monomyth.

Concepts

the hero's journey, racism, auditory discrimination, african american culture, african american history, famous african americans, invisible man, ralph ellison

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Begin with a reading of the provided text, "The Hero's Journey"
• Have groups select one of the books or films listed and track the journey of its hero

Classroom Considerations

• The complete American Masters film Ralph Ellison: An American Journey is available for purchase on the provided link
• One of five PBS resources for Invisible Man

Pros

• Support materials include background reading, discussion questions, and teaching tips

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.9-10.1 RL.9-10.2 RL.9-10.3 RL.9-10.10a RL.11-12.1 RL.11-12.2 RL.11-12.10a RI.11-12.3