This week, we’re on to reading Ralph Ellison’s great novel about the black experience in America after World War II, Invisible Man. John will teach you about Ellison’s nameless narrator, and his attempts to find his way in a social order that dehumanizes him and renders him invisible at every turn. Ellison’s novel follows its hero from his childhood in the south to his many attempts to make sense of the world in New York City, and it takes him through, explosions, activism, and riots.
Crash Course is on Patreon! You can support us directly by signing up at http://www.patreon.com/crashcourse
Thanks to the following Patrons for their generous monthly contributions that help keep Crash Course free for everyone forever:
Mark, Bader Alghamdi, Eiryn Hegland, Kara Fitzgerald, Amanda Houle, Anna Windle, Kyle Anderson, Shekh Kori Rahman, Melissa Briski, Andre Krishkevich, Rachel Bright, Rizwan Kassim, Mayumi Maeda, Kathy & Tim Phillip, Jessica Wode, Brian Thomas Gossett, Caleb Weeks, Jirat, Tim Curwick, Eric Kitchen, Daniel Baulig, Moritz Schmidt, Ian Dundore, Chris Peters, SR Foxley, Jason A Saslow, Robert Kunz, Steve Marshall, Jeffrey Thompson
—
Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet?
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/YouTubeCrashCourse
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/TheCrashCourse
Tumblr – http://thecrashcourse.tumblr.com
Support Crash Course on Patreon: http://patreon.com/crashcourse
CC Kids: http://www.youtube.com/crashcoursekids
Amazon Auto Links: No products found.
Les Misérables next
The main reason about black’s being shot more than others is because they will not surrender! and white’s do get shot! I am tired of the people who say, “blacks are targeted” when most robber’s are black and few are white. That is why our prisons are full of black’s, so I must add here, that I am part black through my father’s side. So please don’t say I dont understand.
The in visible man was betterv
seufz…i wish he would read some of Heinrich Bölls books…Johns point of view would really fit to describe the situations of the persons after the “Nullpunkt” (after WWII)…
I read the book before I went to NYU, and I would’ve never taken a Social and Cultural Analysis class that helped me understand more of the world that I’m living in than anything else ever did weren’t it not for the book. Try to understand the words first before you jump the bandwagon of dismissing it. The subject matter might be uncomfortable for a lot of people, but so is the world that you live in but you don’t really see or understand.
Came for THE Invisible Man. Disappointed
Awww. This video disappointed me twice.
I was hoping this was about the novel by H. G. Wells, but this is still an interesting video nonetheless.
Thanks so much this help me understand the story I will remember you guys at the top I promise
Razz doesn’t believe in destruction of whites, he believes in race, Harlem is a sacred territory, “How the hell you call these white men brother?” “This is my territory, the black mahn’s territory.” He is the other side of the Brotherhood. He believes in the identity as a racial identity and purity. We are brothers of the same color, he uses brother here in a different sense, you are betraying your own race if you hang out with whites.
Good crash course, powerful book analyzing social differences.
They get less and less subtle about hiding their political views with every video.
So ends do not justify the means?
I am enjoying this great novel….. and it’s most excellent writing… thank you for the youtube “Crash Course” review… also well done.
I used to be invisible, being homeless and untitled, one is invisible to the world.
Or maybe society is blind even in the day light.
TBH The Invisible Man is a pretty fun read. But Invisible Man is definitely superior, and should be understood as an important novel.
Native son please? I would love to better understand that book better
I had to read this in my AP lit course in senior year of High School. It was an…interesting experience. A great book, no doubt, but not one that I’d read for fun.
I legit couldn’t get past the wall of “no craps given”. Until I watched this. John breathed life into this book, gave me a reason to read it, and it was so helpful.
The Invisible Man was a better movie adaptation
Culture is a spook
“Sixty-five years after the invisible man systemic racism remains a very real problem” Hank, I love your content, but keep your own political view out of it. Systemic racism isn’t a thing anymore. Racism is an act by the individual. Black and white people are shot at about the same rate by the police. More black people are arrested with violent crimes. It’s a poverty problem, just looking at the superficial numbers and asserting it is because race is a little shallow.
Actually more white people are killed by cops thanblack people. Black people commit half of the nations crime and I have a 90 percent chance of being killed by a black person than by a white person (if that percentage is wrong then I apologize, but I, as a black American am more likely to be killed by another black American). All of this are FBI statistic data that was recorded in, I believe 2015, during the Obama presidency I must point out. And police brutality happens to everyone, one case specifically proving this point would be the unlawful shooting of Daniel Shaver, a case which has been under reported. In other cases its justified like the shooting of Corrine brown who was driven to complete insanity via Black Lives Matter dogma.
This book is very good.
Like, I don’t have any deep comments or anything to add, Ralph Ellison was a master of illustration with words.
As an artist in training, if I can improve enough to convey HALF as much emotion and meaning as Ellison did with his writing, I’ll consider myself a success.
I just wanted to let you know that I am working on my PhD and studying for comprehensive exams. As I work through all this reading, these videos are helping me to identify and understand larger themes in the novels better. Great quality and wonderful insight. Thank you!
Well that was a plot twist
You commented deftly on a sophisticated, controversial masterpiece of American literature. Kudos, good sir!
Aw, I thought it was going to be about an invisible superhero in victorian times…
Hey John your rocking that beard!
Like if you agree
The book also had a father who impregnated his daughter. Why did you leave that out of the review?
Ive read this book as a teen and again as an adult.Never got this much out of it. Thanks.
I’m only here because this was my summer reading and my project isn’t done and school starts tomorrow.
Debate Ben Shapiro.
Know the self, understand the self, value thy self
John or Crash Course usually chooses less discussed books in the curriculum to talk about because popular books have been discussed else where. I don’t understand why so many people have a problem with these videos. It is as if the act of making the video is offensive to someone.
This is the only CrashCourse video without transcription. Please upload the subtitle~
I just bought the book and this just showed up in my recommended feed and same for other books I’ve bought. It’s starting to feel like my phone is watching me.
Very good video. Thanks
How about the late Chesterton Himes.
Thank you for your presentation. I just finished reading the book and there were some things I didn’t get, especially in the ending. Let’s say you answered some of my questions. Thanks again!
I only clicked on this video because I thought it was about THE Invisible Man. Authors should really think about their titles
To say that blacks are being killed by police, while not saying that blacks commit a disproportionate share of crime in our country, is to merely subscribe to the same trite politically-correct comments that keep us divided. Cops don’t start each tour of duty wondering how many blacks they can kill that day. However, there are radical groups of blacks like “Black Thugs Matter” that call for the murder of cops and white people in general. Where are the references to those racists?
This was excellent. Thank you John Green. Regards from England
Factually, police are less likely to shoot a black man than a white man, everything else being equal, but more likely to use physical force.
I really enjoy crash course but feel that we are getting slightly bombarded by racism. I’m white and have black friends not once, ever have we spoke about the colour of our skin. Instead we talk about football and other fun stuff.
I came here expecting HG wells the invisible man clearly clickbait jk
I’d like to watch a video on Native Son.