The Immersion Library

But literature teaches us that mankind has always defined itself against the negatives thrown it by both society and the universe. It is human will, human hope and human effort which make the difference. Let’s not forget that the great tragedies not only treat of negative matters, of violence, brutalities, defeats, but treat than within a context of man’s will to act, to challenge reality and to snatch triumph from the teeth of destruction.

Ellison’s power is to remain focused, in every essay, on his perspective – his ethos, his Hawking-esque Grand Unified Theory. From an insatiable hunger to learn and think, he understands his history, his individuality, his responsibilities as a writer and artist, the complexities of his identity as a member of a minority group with a particularly bitter collective experience and as Americans. But also as an individual American himself. What does that mean?

I have no arguments or complimentary ideas to offer after reading through these essays. They simply must be read. They provide a lens through which to observe critically and think responsibly about the meaning of the American experience and condition and how these things intertwine at a very complex level which we oftentimes wish to ignore to avoid the effort.

He distills the simple essence of Americanism by sifting through the complexities of its nature; its resistance to admit error along with its embrace of hope, its scramble for individual certainty while dismantling a collective identity.

Some may read these essays to find the solution to America’s “melting pot” problems. Surprisingly, they won’t find the sociological solutions here, but may find a blueprint for continuing the work. Through the complex experience of a Oklahoma “Negro” trumpeter turned writer rubbing elbows with Richard Wright and Lanston Hughes, readers might see the value in a critical assessment of their experience with an educated understanding of the American construct. By enacting this model, we find comaraderie and perhaps a better way forward.

I really wish I had more to say. But I’m not Ralph Ellison. And it’s more important that he speak for himself.