本文是一篇英语论文，论文以福柯的凝视理论为基础，对书中主人公的身份问题展开研究，以书中凝视的辩证法为重点，展现主人公在凝视暴力的权力压制下身份异化的过程，且进一步分析主人公对凝视的抵抗，直至自我超越凝视，这也将为现实生活中种族、两性、阶级等关系提供一定启示。
Chapter One The Protagonist’s Subjection to Gaze: Identity Crisis
1.1 Dominated Body
The gaze actually indicates a hierarchical relationship between seeing and being seen (Chen, 2009), which means that the subject of gaze is more or less superior to the object of gaze. In Invisible Man, the dialectics of seeizng and being seen occurs mostly between the whites and the protagonist. And Foucault (2003) says, “the gaze that sees is a gaze that dominates.” (39) Hence, when the power gaze stares down or is fixed on the flesh body, to be seen means being dominated or subjected. This is when the black body is “stereotyped, criminalized, and rendered invisible by the white gaze” (Yancy, 2016: xxx), which manipulates the flesh of the protagonist to make him submissive and produce discipline, and triggers an identity crisis.
1.1.1 Dominated Boxer under White Gaze
In opening scene, the protagonist delivered a graduation speech about the secret of social progress being humility which is in strict line with his grandfather’s word of advice before passing away. Not surprisingly, the speech pleased the whites greatly, so the protagonist was invited to attend a private party held by local white big shots — including bankers, lawyers, doctors, teachers and even a clergyman — and give the oration again. Upon arrival, our protagonist was told that he would also fight a battle royal with his alumni, several black teenagers of his similar age, as a part of entertainment before the speech. He accepted the arrangement.
1.2 Exploited Social Identity
Under the power gaze, the protagonist must be visible, but he still becomes an invisible man, as the gaze is “not simply limited to the ocular sphere but functions as a synecdoche that implicates white embodiment, more generally” (Yancy, 2016: 244). When the physical body of the protagonist was in the absolute position of being gazed at, he still became an invisible man, “simply because people refuse to see [him]” in mind and what they see is “only [his] surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination — indeed, everything and anything except [him]”. (Ellison, 1995: 3) His invisibility is caused by something wrong with their inner eyes “with which they look through their physical eyes upon reality” (3). Their failure to see the real him through the inner eyes, or the ignoring and blinding of him, leads to the invisibility of his social identity.
1.2.1 Exploited Student in Black Education
Recognized by white people for speeches given in battle royal, the protagonist went to the state college for blacks with a scholarship. There was a bronze statue of the college Founder at the campus, who was holding out his hands to lift a veil of “a kneeling slave” (36). But what puzzled our protagonist was “whether the veil is really being lifted, or lowered more firmly in place,” and whether it is “a revelation or a more efficient blinding”. (ibid) The bronze face seems looking upon the world, but actually his eyes are “empty” (ibid). It follows that black education may be a big lie and some schemers may continue to engage in a kind of education of ideological enslavement for the purpose of blinding students. They cannot see and therefore cannot understand the true presence of black students.
Chapter Two The Protagonist’s Internalization of Gaze: Identity Alienation
2.1 Identification with Power
The protagonist alienates his gaze on the self by identifying with the power and internalizing the power gaze. He accepts the definition of himself by power and tries to succeed and find an identity within the framework set by white power as if it were natural and logical. His identification with power went through two stages.
2.1.1 Identification with Educational Leadership in Schools
The protagonist was convinced that his existence depends on gaining the support, recognition and approv
