Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is a novel rich in themes and motifs concerning the African American experience in early 20th century America. It depicts the descent of a young African-American from the acceptance of racism during his tenure at an unnamed African-American university to his eventual disillusionment with Northern left-wing radicalism, until he realizes finally the true purpose of his life as an "invisible man" who will work to make the world a better place. Ellison's story about an unnamed African-American man and his journey to personal enlightenment, along with themes and motifs, is overlaid with symbols that motivate the narrator in ways that would be impossible without. One of the most poignant symbols in the novel is the "Sambo" doll, a crude stereotype of an African-American man. Based on the evidence in the novel, the "Sambo" doll represents the novel's themes of identity and race more fully than any other symbol. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In chapter twenty, the narrator is walking down the street when he hears Tod Clifton's voice. (Ellison, p. 430) It then immediately cuts to Clifton controlling a "Sambo" doll like a puppet, making it dance and sing a song. The narrator caught Clifton selling a cheap toy version of a common stereotype of the African American (431-432). This act is considered a betrayal of the race by Clifton, as he is taking advantage of a negative stereotype. Immediately afterwards, Clifton is shot and killed by a police officer (436). The narrator soon takes the doll as a souvenir and, in the final chapter, burns it for light while he hides underground (568). In its first appearance, the doll appears to represent the classic stereotype of a black street performer, dancing and singing for the pleasure of white people. The doll is manipulated by strings held by Clifton, symbolizing how stereotypes are controlled by outside forces and do not define one's identity. The stereotype perpetuated by the doll, in combination with her being controlled like a puppet, suggests that the external force driving the stereotype and racism may actually be the person the stereotype degrades. Clifton's acceptance and profiting from this stereotype gives the doll's inherent racism merit, as an African American man is willing to take this issue lightly for personal gain. The narrator, however, comments on this by stating: “Yes, the dolls were obscene and his act was treason. But he was only a salesman, not an inventor, and we needed to make it known that the meaning of his death was greater than the incident or object that created it” (448). Clifton, although he benefited from racism, was not a provocateur in the eyes of the narrator. Rather, for the narrator, it was society that allowed this betrayal to happen, and Clifton was just a victim who had to accept it. This sense of individual profit and victimization is consistent with the narrator's struggles and views on individuality, perhaps the most important theme of the novel. When the narrator burns the doll for light while hiding underground, the narrator shows that while a stereotype can be controlled and manipulated by outside forces, the individual is powerful enough to destroy its hold on his or her identity. This act of defiance represents the enlightenment that can come from freedom from the tyranny of society's rules. The narrator states: "The next doll to take away was Clifton's doll, but it burned so stubbornly that.