Ralph Ellison’s 1952 novel 'Invisible Man' is a landmark of American literature. The story follows an unnamed Black protagonist who feels 'invisible' not because of a physical condition, but because society refuses to see him as an individual. Ellison used the novel to explore the complex social and intellectual issues facing African Americans in the early 20th century, ranging from Black nationalism to the reformist policies of Booker T. Washington. The book is famous for its surreal opening, where the narrator lives in a basement illuminated by 1,369 lightbulbs, stealing electricity from the grid. Ellison was a trained jazz musician, and his prose often reflects the improvisational structure and polyphonic 'noise' of jazz. The novel won the National Book Award and remains a definitive study of identity and alienation.