Ralph Ellison

"I was pulled this way and that for longer than I can remember. And my problem was that I always tried to go in everyone's way but my own. I have also been called one thing and then another while no one really wished to hear what I called myself. So after years of trying to adopt the opinions of others I finally rebelled. I am an invisible man."

5 likes

Source: Ralph Ellison (2010). “Invisible Man”, p.586, Vintage

About the author

Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison

Novelist, Essayist

Ralph Ellison was an American novelist and essayist, best known for his groundbreaking work 'Invisible Man,' which explores themes of identity and race.

All quotes by Ralph Ellison →

Same author

More quotes by Ralph Ellison

See all →
Ralph Ellison Novelist, Essayist

"If you can show me how I can cling to that which is real to me, while teaching me a way into the larger society, then and only then will I drop my defenses and hostility, and I will sing your praises and help you to make the desert bear fruit."

Read quote