Using the text you selected during Week 1 of our class, the final essay asks you to discuss its cinematic possibilities. This is in MLA format with a works cited page. The assignment is on The...

The Invisible Man as a Movie
The Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison is a story about recognition of personal identity in a world full of people who try to impose their own thoughts on others based on personal assumption. While the story primarily focuses on the struggles of black men in America and racial discrimination, I believe the story relates to every individual as most of us are victims of prejudice and people’s opinions and judgemental attitudes towards us. The plot of the story traverses through the different phases of invisibility or lack of recognition that the author faces before he becomes physically invisible to the world by entering a manhole.
The novel as a whole looks easy to adapt into a movie, since it seems to follow the story of just one man. However, its scenes require complicated cinematography, including, lighting, sound and visual effects in addition to the several areas it covers. While the story is consistent and transfers from one scene to another as the narrator moves from one place to another, the places are highly diverse. The narrator moves from his college, to paint factory, to hospital to brotherhood quarters and so on. If observed closely all aspects of the story including the technical, social, economical and spectatorial aspects are challenging in adapting The Invisible Man into the cinema.
The Invisible man deals with the sensitive aspect of racial discrimination. The narrator finds himself being criticised in spite of trying to adapt in different communities (Morel). He moves through several communities including Liberty Paints plant and the Brotherhood, but doesn’t find any community that he can fit in, simply because every community has a different vision of what blacks should be like. Portraying this aspect of the narrator’s personality is especially challenging in cinema because the narrator in spite of being a good orator, does not have a very distinguished and strong personality. He seems to be someone who is easily swayed and influenced throughout the story. It is only at the end of the story when the narrator is in the underground hole and reflecting on his life that his transformed personality as an individual emerges.
With regards to the economical aspect of the story, a movie can be demanding since the story is featured in both the areas of North and South. Plenty of characters are also involved in the story, many of who play an important but limited role. In addition, the story also has plenty of scenes that will prove costly to film. The riot scenes, chase scenes and other action scenes require a lead actor with a good comprehension of the narrators complex personality and aspirations.
The...