This document discusses and compares the works of two 20th century African American authors, James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison, and how their writing reflected racial prejudice in American society. It analyzes Baldwin's novel "Giovanni's Room" and Ellison's "Invisible Man", noting that while both authors drew from their experiences with racism, they took opposing approaches - Baldwin explored identities outside of his race while Ellison directly confronted issues of racism. The document argues that both authors challenged stereotypes and societal constraints, but still faced adversity, reflecting the dehumanizing attitudes of the time towards minority groups.

1. Echoes from the void of America
As writers do we have a responsibility to represent our cultures in our work, and if we belong to a
minority group, is the importance of this responsibility amplified?
In this piece, I will examine two African American authors from the 20th century that provide examples of
two polar opposite styles of writing, and how that reflects a racially prejudiced society both then and now.
James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison are iconic authors, whose African American heritage played an important
part in their progression in the literary field. Looking keenly at the novels 'Invisible man' by Ellison and
'Giovanni's room' by Baldwin, two pieces that stand as contrasts derived from similar positions.
Regardless of personal beliefs, the heritages of Baldwin and Ellison played an important part in their
artistic journey, but with completely contrasting results. Both the individual ideals of the authors and the
public reception to them and their work represent a culture framework of racial prejudice and bias. As
illustrated in 'Invisible man', Ellison's writing reflects the ignorance, violence, stereotyping and
dehumanising actions against African Americans; Ellison has arguably used this novel as a platform to
reach out to prejudiced perspectives and oppressed communities. While the protagonist may be fictional,
his life was anything but.
It is interesting, then, to note that Baldwin's deviation from his pigeon-holed identity represented another
attitude born of profiling and discrimination; while 'Giovanni's room' may be a platform that reaches out
to an entirely different community, the reason for its creation lies in the confines of racism as opposed to
homosexual identity. When we consider this novel for the effect it had on the LGBT community, as well as
its narrative of self-discovery, we can perhaps see a metaphor that Baldwin used to highlight his own
struggles of becoming an author; in place of an imposing hyper-masculinity in a heteronormative society,
he faced adversity in the aforementioned racial profiling. After the success of his first novel it became
apparent that the public saw him for the colour of his skin and the place he hailed from; Perspectives
such as this are not a figment of history, contemporary artists are still acknowledged for the diversity
they bring as opposed to the content they produce, if they are acknowledged at all.
This allows me to segue into the Ralph Ellison's novel 'Invisible man'. The first chapter takes an intriguing
stance on the subject of discrimination; The monologue of the man cast as invisible not only highlights
the blind attitudes of white America aimed at minority groups but has the potential to catch the reader in
their own bias. There has been a widespread framework aimed at those facing adversity: the epilogue of
angry, vocal and proud protests against racism. Upon reading one may find themselves perplexed as to
why the invisible man doesn't fit this image, it is this bias to which I am referring; that, automatically, we
expect those facing the spectrum of discrimination to behave in a certain way. Ellison subtly points out
our tendency to typecast others in the very first chapter. It is important then to note that neither author
aligns themselves in this historical and contemporary framework. One thing can be derived with certainty
from Ralph Ellison's work and from what it says about society as a whole; our attitudes toward other
races, and perhaps, consequentially, their attitude towards themselves, is no less than dehumanising.
Looking now at James Baldwin, a number of metaphors can be derived from the novel 'Giovanni's room'
as a reflection upon the author's life, however, it is not the just the novel that is relevant to this
discussion, but what it stood for. The very fact that Baldwin's rebellion is even noteworthy or
controversial speaks volumes; that in the national framework of mid 20th century America, a black
author writing about something other than his personal experiences is a shocking act, because, within
this general consensus, society saw minority groups as a tool to reinforce various biases, not as
individualistic humans. Baldwin promotes an important aspect of freedom: the ability to create one's own
identity and perspectives by moving away from the status quo. However, the fact that, upon embracing
this freedom, the protagonist of 'Giovanni's room' succumbs to deeper self-destruction illuminates the
dangerous narrative of our ignorant culture. That even in one's attempt to reject societal constraints, one
still falls victim to forms of oppression. Ultimately, in both Ellison's cautionary tale and Baldwin's fight for
freedom, one can derive a troubling narrative in which society dehumanises those living outside of its
pre-ordained standard for being.