Gender And Its Effects On Society - 1558 Words

Children are told from a young age that they can be anything. They can be an astronaut, a pilot, the president or even find the cure to cancer. Yet, all of this is rubbish! What children are sadly forced to learn as they grow up is that some things in life are predetermined, even who and what people are. The truth is no one has any control of their identity because society chooses who and what people are, Society separates the rich from the poor, the messiahs from the outcasts and strong from the frail. Regardless of background, society subjects the individual to partake in stereotypes, assimilate its culture, and isolate the few who attempt to resist. History, as told through literature, exemplifies the struggles of individuals†¦show more content†¦sharing a cultural identity based on origin.. Even though America outlawed slavery, African-Americans still lacked basic rights for many years. Even now African-Americans have equal legal rights yet still find themselves fa ced with the same issues that have plagued their ancestors. Even now African-Americans have equal legal rights although they still find themselves faced with some of the same issues of their ancestors.When society has cast an identity on an individual it is increasingly difficult to change your identity. Ellison identifies with the struggle of individual identity versus society in his novel â€Å"The Invisible Man†. Ellison writes â€Å" I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids - and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.†. The protagonist of Ellison’s novel is unable to see himself due to society viewing him as unperceivable. The protagonist s viewpoint elucidates how little control someone has over their own identity. This is a black man of free will and free thought yet he is truly unable to view himself as a visible person due to society’s opinion of his race. Society told him he is invisible, thus he is invisible. The African-American struggle was not just about their human rights but rather their identity.