JOURNAL ARTICLE

Cultivating Moral Attention in Ellison's Invisible Man and Murdoch's Moral Theory.

  • Published In: Philosophy & Literature, 2024, v. 48, n. 1. P. 185 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Smith, Amy C. 3 of 3

Abstract

Is Invisible Man a sexist novel? Some critics have said so. I argue that reading Invisible Man solely with a focus on gender representation misses an ethically significant dynamic between Ralph Ellison's narrator and white women. Reading Invisible Man alongside Iris Murdoch's moral philosophy reveals a shared emphasis on cultivating attention to the realities of individuals by resisting fantasy. In viewing white women, the invisible man undergoes a Murdochian moral pilgrimage from fantasy to reality with courage, humility, and generosity. By situating this triumph within the American white supremacist patriarchy, Ellison corrects some of Murdoch's disengagement from politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Philosophy & Literature. 2024/04, Vol. 48, Issue 1, p185
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:0190-0013
  • DOI:10.1353/phl.2024.a930337
  • Accession Number:178140218
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