And A Speck Of Irony...

      In his novel,“Invisible Man”, Ralph Ellison proves to be a magnificent writer. He successfully combines the harsh prejudices of class and race with a mocking ironic tone. The novel begins with the narration in first person of an “invisible man”. “I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook...that haunted Edgar Allan Poe...I am a man os substance, of flesh and bone...”(Ellison, 3) What a great way to begin the novel! The tone that Ellison uses is saturated by irony and sarcasm. He starts us off with a short, yet powerful sentence that adds an air of sarcasm and serves as a metaphor. In tis sentence, the unnamed narrator refers himself as an invisible man. Off course, this is not possible and scientifically incorrect; however, the 'invisibility' the narrator speaks about is one linked to emotions. Ellison does a great job setting this clear by using phrases such as “nor is my invisibility exactly a matter of a biochemical accident to my epidermis.”(3) What he is trying to say is that people are lacking the “inner eyes” which, via their “physical eyes”, they see reality. Even though this thought is nerve racking for the narrator, Ellison smooths this out by adding sarcasm as he criticizes society: “I might even be said to posses a mind.”(3) As the story develops, Ellison provides his readers with more inspiring use of diction and syntax, catching their attention with ease.
       Similarly tho “Invisible Man”, Fyodor Dostoyevsky begins his novel with the following sentence: “I am a sick man... I am a spiteful man. I am an unattractive man...”(5) Does this sound familiar? In fact, it has the same style of Ellison's piece. These strong beginnings are an immediate call for attention. Like Ellison, Dostoyevsky deals with nonexistence, “the author of the diary and the diary itself are, of course, imaginary.”(5) It is funny how he states this as something oblivious for himself but something new for the reader, as if we were really going to believe what we read. But then again, Dostoyevsky seeks to “expose to the view of the public more distinctly than is commonly done” via his characters. Both authors want to tell the story of an individual who feels somehow segregated from society, hence transmitting a message of freedom and equality. What makes these two novels so unique is the exquisite syntax and diction the author's use, which give rise to the sardonic tone that captures the reader.