And the mind that has conceived a plan of living must never lose sight of the chaos against which that pattern was conceived. That goes for societies as well as for individuals.
— Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
And I knew that it was better to live out one’s absurdity than to die for that of others.
— Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
He was around and others like him, but I had looked past him until Clifton’s death (or was it Ras?) had made me aware. What on earth was hiding behind the face of things? If dark glasses and a white hat could blot out my identity so quickly, who actually was who?
— Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
Play the game, but play it your own way – part of the time at least. Play the game, but raise the ante, my boy. Learn how it operates, learn how you operate – I wish I had time to tell you only a fragment.
— Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man
