Black Vision
Uploaded by thosser on Oct 11, 2001
Ralph Ellison was born in Okalahoma, March 1, 1914 he was the grandson of black slaves in the south. His life was full of accomplishment he attended Tuskegee University from 1933-1936. In 1936 he moved to New York where he met the novelist Richard Wright, and later became associated with the Federal Writer’s project. Ellison achieved international fame with his release of “Invisible Man” in 1952 in the following year the novel won the national book award. Ralph Ellison passed away in 1994, but he left behind him a legacy of African American culture that many had not seen before. In many of Ellison’s works he writes about the Black image in America, or the “black vision”. Ralph Ellison’s black vision humiliates the black race, makes them feel inferior, segregates them, but still Ellison has hope for America, and he believes that the black race should deal with the “black vision” independently. This is best proven by the short story “Flying Home”, a critical essay written on Ellison, and a powerful statement given by Ralph Ellison. The poignant short story “Flying Home” is the story of an injured black pilot who lies on the ground in physical pain, as he deals with the pain of gaining acceptance in a white society. Todd expresses his feelings on riding the old black man’s ox into town in this excerpt: “Yes, and humiliation was when you could never be simply yourself, when you were always part of this black ignorant man” 1 Ellison expresses here through the pilot that white America will never be accepting of blacks. Blacks are viewed as being on a lower platform, while the whites hold some type of superiority over them. Todd does not want to be associated with the old man because the old man represents to Tom all that is wrong with Black America. He is not well educated, poor, and speaks poorly; Tom sees this as the reason why blacks are not truly accepted into society. Therefore he refuses to be associated with him in anyway sacrificing the medical aid he truly needs. Another reason Todd does not wish to ride into town is he does not wish to be recognized for his flaw. Todd feels that when he makes a mistake a white person will not hold it against just him, but rather his entire race. Therefore Todd and the rest of black America...