Context

Well, that's a bold statement. But then again, Invisible Man is a bold book, so it makes sense that its opening lines would make a splash.

Our narrator and protagonist would like to introduce himself. Key facts? He's invisible. He's living in a hole in Harlem. And he's going to tell us the story of his life, during which he became (metaphorically?) invisible. This isn't H.G. Wells, but the fact that he thinks of himself as invisible is key to the story. In fact, later on in the prologue, our narrator discusses running into a man who couldn't see him—and that's when we get a sense of just how literally he is taking the whole thing. 

Oh, and notice how we keep saying "narrator"? That's because we never get his name. Invisible, indeed.

Check out our Learning Guide for loads more.

Where you've heard it

You'll hear this from everyone from an angsty teenager who feels the world doesn't understand his inner darkness to someone making a grand speech about civil rights. As it turns out, invisibility is a pretty handy metaphor.

It's also kind of a "call me Ishmael" of sorts, don't you think?

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

We're going halfsies on this one because it majorly depends on the context.