Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is a novel rich in themes and motifs regarding the African American experience of early 20th century America. It depicts a young African American's descent from accepting racism during his tenure at an unnamed African American college to his eventual disillusionment with the radicalism of the Northern left, to finally realizing his true life purpose as an "invisible man" who will work to make the world a better place. Ellison's story of an unnamed African American man and his journey to personal enlightenment, along with themes and motifs, is layered with symbols that guide the narrator in ways that would be impossible without. One of the most poignant symbols in the novel is the “Sambo” doll, a crude stereotype of an African-American man. Based on the evidence in the novel, the “Sambo” doll represents the novel's themes regarding identity and race more fully than any other symbol. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In chapter twenty, the narrator is walking down the street when he hears Tod Clifton's voice. (Ellison, p. 430) Then it immediately cuts to Clifton controlling a "Sambo" doll like a marionette, making it dance and sing a song. The narrator caught Clifton selling a cheap toy version of a common stereotype of an African American (431-432). This act is seen as a betrayal of the race by Clifton, as it profits from a negative stereotype. Soon after, Clifton is killed by a police officer (436). The narrator soon takes the doll as a souvenir and in the final chapter burns it to make light when hiding underground (568). In its first appearance, the doll appears to represent the classic stereotype of the black street performer, who dances and sings for the entertainment of white people. The doll is manipulated by strings held by Clifton, symbolizing how stereotypes are controlled by external forces and do not define one's identity. The stereotype perpetuated by the doll, combined with the fact that it is controlled like a marionette, suggests that the external force driving the stereotype and racism may in fact be the person the stereotype is degrading. Clifton's acceptance and profiteering of this stereotype gives the inherent racism feel to the doll's merit, as an African American man is willing to shed light on this issue for personal gain. The narrator, however, comments by stating: “Yes, the dolls were obscene and his act a betrayal. But he was only a salesman, not the inventor, and it was necessary for us to make it known that the meaning of his death was greater than the accident or object that created it” (448). Clifton, although he benefited from racism, was not the provocateur in the narrator's eyes. Rather, for the narrator, it was society that allowed this betrayal to happen, and that Clifton was simply a victim who had to accept it. This sense of individual profit and victimhood is consistent with the narrator's struggles and views with individuality, perhaps the most important theme of the novel. When the narrator burns the doll to make light while hiding underground, the narrator shows that although a stereotype can be controlled and manipulated by external forces, the individual is powerful enough to destroy its grip on one's identity. This act of defiance represents the enlightenment that can come from liberation from the tyranny of society's rules. The narrator states, "The next to go was Clifton's doll, but it burned so stubbornly that I looked for something else.