The Idea of the Hypersexual Black Male in the Invisible Man Essay

In the Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the narrator’s view of women is generally pessimistic. His negative view of women is also reflected by women, specifically of Caucasian ethnicity. Their societal depiction of black men considers them to be hypersexual objects and incapable of anything else. Emma, Brother Hubert’s wife, and Sybil, are three women in particular who possess negative character flaws that allow the narrator to deem them unworthy. Emma’s tremendous dominance give the impression of being unapproachable while Brother Hubert’s wife’s infidelity and ability to control confuses him and finally, Sybil’s decadence makes her appear sloppy. All of these flaws are used to reduce the narrator to a sexual tool at the expense of his intellect. The first woman seen is Emma, a Brotherhood employee, who is perceived to be very powerful and demeaning toward the narrator although physically attracted to him. She engages in limited dialog which, I believe is intended to paint her as diminutive; however she is described as â€Å"smartly dressed† with a â€Å"hard, handsome face† (300). Her...