Throughout The Invisible Man, the anonymous narrator experiences a cycle of progression and regression as a Black man struggling to be seen in a white society. Initially, this invisible character tells the readers that he is writing from a hole underground, and at the end of his story, he finds himself trapped in a manhole.Despite his age and experience in the world, the narrator still struggles to overcome invisibility. As a child, the narrator appears naive during his speech at the battle royal; he struggles with being able to firmly say "social equality" in the face of authority. Perhaps this is a clear moment of invisibility in comparison to his deliberate speeches to the brotherhood several years after.
As the narrator ages, he believes that he is outgrowing his invisibility. Ironically, his maturity in age does not help him escape the inevitability of his predisposition. Even while he is in the brotherhood, he becomes invisible to what he is fighting for; the brotherhood sends him away for he is assigned to women's issues. Emerson explores the idea of invisibility not only to oneself, but to others. One could argue that the narrator is now visible to oneself, but still struggles with making himself seen to others. The narrator, aware of his current state (as revealed in the prologue and epilogue) has gained a strong sense of self through experiences triumphs and defeat. Unfortunately, he is still unable to present himself to others in a way that makes him visible. He is even writing this entire story from beneath a hole! In this case, chronological age does not factor into changing how others perceive him. He has personally grown through experience, but the world remains indifferent.
