In Ralph Ellison's novel, The Invisible Man, the narrator must embark on a journey of self-discovery. He does not identify with blacks, nor is he part of white culture. Throughout the novel, Ellison uses the bird motif to emphasize the personalities of the groups he is describing. In his humble origins, the narrator's greatest desire is to achieve the power that would earn him the respect of all human races. He attempts to achieve this by adapting white ideals and adopting white customs. With the opportunity to go to New York, the narrator's future is open to many possibilities. “Man's hope can paint a purple picture, can transform a soaring vulture into a noble eagle or a moaning dove” (126). The narrator may manage to be powerful and influential or he may be one of those people who talks too much, but shows no action. He doesn't want to be part of the masses of black people who don't know what they really want. They want to be happy, but they don't know how to achieve this happiness. Ellison often compares birds to black...