In The Invisible Man, the trope of invisibility functions as a critique of racist American society, but it also encompasses the novel's subtext of gender erasure. Both white and black women in the novel are underdeveloped and virtually invisible, constructed along a spectrum that replicates the classic duality in stereotypes of women: mother/Madonna or whore/seductress. Prominent white women represent the taboo white female and are portrayed as highly sexualized and obsessed with sexual stereotypes of black men. Black women are also seen as extremely sexual creatures, but those who are not overtly sexual automatically fall into the caring mother figure category. In the novel, both white and black women are blatantly stereotyped and are exploited and used by men seeking to further their interests and desires. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe white women who appear in the novel represent the white woman's taboo for black men, symbolized especially by Mr. Norton's daughter, Hubert's wife, Emma, ​​the sophisticated Chthonian landlady, and the Naked Blonde. The most prominent white women in the novel are highly sexualized and are used by the men in the novel through that sexuality. These women, particularly Naked Blonde and Sybil, are thus relegated to the role of the stereotypical white seductress who is attracted to the equally stereotypical notion of the black man's primitive, animalistic sexual impulse. The naked blonde, with a “little American flag tattooed on her belly,” (Ellison 19) dances for the narrator and the other black boys in front of the Battle Royale and is recognized by them as an obvious taboo. This woman, who seemingly seems to be the American dream for every man, black or white, is actually taboo for all men who watch her dance. For the narrator and the other black boys, the prospect of a naked white woman is horrifying and painfully shameful, knowing that she is completely off-limits to them and that the sole purpose of her sensual dance is to make the boys squirm in anguish. For white men, the Naked Blonde is off-limits because she is a stripper and therefore of significantly lower class than theirs, which makes her unmarriageable. Their only access to her, therefore, is by paying her to arouse them. Thus white men dominate her and control her sexuality through money, their upper class, and through their perceived male superiority. The Naked Blonde is completely aware of her sexuality and "[smiles faintly] at [the] fear" (20) of black boys as she dances for them. Just as she plays into the stereotype of the female seductress, she projects a similar stereotype onto boys as she believes that they will not be able to control their primitive sexuality in the presence of her naked body. She smiles knowingly at their discomfort, knowing that it is evidence of their attraction to her. The Naked Blonde is not only reduced to the role of seductress, but is used as a commodity by white men to satisfy their desires. As a stripper at a function hosted by white males, the Naked Blonde's purpose is to entertain, excite, and follow the orders of white men, just like the function of black guys. She is relegated to subhuman status by the white men, evidenced by the "terror and disgust in her eyes" as they chase her across the floor and throw her "like college boys thrown at a hazing" (20). The narrator himself describes his hair as "yellow like a circus doll's", (19) increasingfurther the image of the Naked Blonde as a puppet of rich white people, controlled by them to satisfy their own desires. Likewise, Sybil, the white wife of a Brotherhood member, portrays a forbidden white woman and also serves as an overly sexual white seductress. Sybil, in Greco-Roman mythology, was a mermaid who lured sailors to their deaths, furthering the image of Sybil as a white seductress. She admits to having rape fantasies involving black men, furthering the stereotype that black men cannot control their sexual urges. She begs the narrator to "threaten to kill her" (518) and shouts, "Come on, hit me, Daddy---you---you big black bruise... Hurry, throw me down! Don't you want me?" (522). The narrator is put off by how she sees him as “Brother Taboo with whom anything is possible” (517) and becomes disinterested in her, just as he is disinterested in the Naked Blonde because he is terrified. from the taboo it represents. Sybil wants to use the narrator to fulfill her interracial rape fantasy, but he only uses her to gain information about the Brotherhood. He admits that she is the kind of woman he "would have avoided like the plague" if "her unhappiness and being one of the big shots' wives" hadn't "made her a perfect choice" (516). The narrator wants to use Emma in a similar way, remembering that she was once attracted to him and thus deciding to use her to gain information about the Brotherhood's plans. He remembers Emma in terms of sexuality, remembering her "bound breasts pressing against" him and "that teasing light in her eyes" (512). Thinking about her boldness and expressing her opinion, he notices the resentment he once felt for her. He likes it when she has sex, but when she starts talking and acting on her thoughts like a man, he resents her. Later, noting that she is so sexually turned on that she "might surrender willingly (to satisfy herself)," he decides not to court her anymore because "she was too sophisticated and skilled at intrigue to...reveal anything of importance to him" (515 ). The narrator only uses Emma to get what he wants from her, and once she has outlived her usefulness he abandons her. She is also used by the Brotherhood, who marginalize her by having her pour them drinks, Emma using her as their messenger. having her deliver a message to the narrator and using her sexuality to lure the narrator into joining the Brotherhood. Brother Jack warns Emma that the Brotherhood wants to recruit the narrator and that she should also "arouse his interest," after which she asks him to dance (303). Emma is therefore another example of a white woman used by men to advance their interests. The black women in The Invisible Man are equally stereotyped, mostly forming the classic female duality of mother/Madonna or whore/seductress. For example, Edna, Hester, and Charlene, the whores of Golden Day, fall on the whore/seductress side of the spectrum. Edna admits to fantasizing about white men and jokingly proposes to Mr. Norton, "I will. I love them. Now this one, old as he is, could put his shoes under my bed every night" (88). It can also be said that the prostitutes of Golden Day also portray maternal aspects, helping the narrator care for the ailing Mr. Norton. The "exotic girl" with "a pleasant, somewhat hoarse voice" who mistakes the narrator for Rinehart is also a seductress, as it is clear from her speech that she and Rinehart are sleeping together: "No, Daddy, don't look back; the my old man might be cold to follow me. Come beside me while I tell you where to meet me. I swear I thought you would never come (494). like one“team of drum majorettes…who skipped and twirled simply like girls in the enthusiastic interest of the Brotherhood” (380). Similar to how the white women in the novel are primarily used by men, most of the black characters are also exploited. This is especially evident in the stereotypical black whores/seductresses. Golden Day whores are obviously used by men for their sexuality; Rinehart not only uses the "exotic girl" for sex, but as she mistakenly tries to embezzle narrator Rinehart's money, it becomes clear that he too is using her as a cohort in his plans; Harlem girls are procured simply to use their sexuality to drum up interest in the Brotherhood. Clearly, the stereotype of women as merely sexual creatures crosses color lines, encompassing both the white and black women of the novel, who are then exploited by the men around them.2EO On the other side of the spectrum is the maternal/Madonna of black women found in black women. novel. Female characters who fit this stereotype are portrayed as caring, thoughtful, and helpful. While this is not necessarily as offensive a characterization as whore/seductress is, the act of stereotyping women into this Madonna/whore duality serves to deny the diversity of black women in America. An example of this mother/Madonna stereotype is Sister Provo, the elderly woman evicted from her home. The narrator describes her as "a motherly-looking old woman" (267) and states that her tears move him "as when a child, seeing his parents' tears, is moved both by fear and sympathy to cry" (270 ). It can be said that Sister Provo and her husband are being used by the white power structure responsible for their eviction to maintain their power and dominance over the black community. They are exerting their power over the poor minority culture and are using the couple to show the scope and strength of the authority they ascribe. By taking their possessions, the white power structure is reinforcing the idea that it is in control of black life in America; he can give and take as he sees fit. This scene is mirrored by the one with Lottie, Dupré's pregnant wife, who begs him not to burn down the building and who represents a maternal figure, as does the unnamed mother with her children who also live in the building. In this scene, the angry mob is taking out their anger at the white power structure on their community, burning their homes. These women become victims of this misdirected anger as a mob of drunken and chaotic men destroys their homes. Rinehart's deceived church sisters and Jim Trueblood's wife and daughter also fit the mother/Madonna stereotype. While both Trueblood women are pregnant and are therefore maternal figures, daughter Mattie Lou also functions as a seductress, evidenced when Jim Trueblood refers to her as a whore: "...maybe sometimes a man can look at a little pigtailed girl and see him as a whore" (59). The sisters of Rinehart's church are used by Rinehart in one of his many schemes involving his changing identities, and the Trueblood women are banished to the periphery as their voices are never heard outside of a man's story. Neither white nor male, these women are treated as invisible and their side of the story is never told. Kate's violent reaction to finding her husband on top of their daughter is the only time the female perspective is brought into Jim Trueblood's telling of events, and Jim thinks primarily in terms of survival rather than, 1995.