During the first half of the 19th century, serious problems regarding racial discrimination and civil inequality among African Americans plagued the social, political, and economic structure of the United States. This era that followed the Reconstruction period restored the once white supremacist control of the South. It also led to the implementation of Jim Crow laws and reduced the first-class citizenship status of blacks. Although conditions eventually improved, blacks were still subjected to the prejudices of the times and faced exploitation in the workplace. In Invisible Man, Ellison uses the metaphor of the Liberty Paint Factory in chapter ten to illustrate the dynamics of American society's suppression of black identity, the assumption of a racist attitude towards blacks, and the repression of social and economic improvement for African Americans. and its premium “Optic White” paint serves as a microcosm of mid-19th century American society and its most basic and fundamental views toward the defined roles (treatment) of African Americans in society. This crucial scene exemplifies the perspective that whites have towards blacks. As IM is instructed by Kimbro during his first assignment at the paint factory, he is told to "measure ten drops into the paint" (Ellison, 1) and mix the mixture until it becomes the desired color. However, IM notes that as he “measured the glittering black drops,” they “settled on the surface and became blacker” (Ellison, 1). Obviously IM sees that the authentic paint color is not white; rather, the base of the color appears to be black, dark black. This illustrates the subjective opinions of white people towards their darker counterparts. Kimbro, like......middle of paper......the factory. Perhaps Ellison speaks an unspoken truth about the dynamics of American society and its promise of freedom, liberty, and equality. Works Cited1. Ellison, Ralph. The invisible man. New York: Random House, 1952. P. 2002. Ellison, Ralph. The invisible man. New York: Random House, 1952. P. 2143. SparkNotes Publishers. “SparkNote on the Invisible Man.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2002. Network. 26 November 2013.4. Reismann, George. "The Ludwig Von Mises Institute." Classical economics against the theory of exploitation. Ludwig Von Mises Institute, nd Web. 13 December 2013.5. “African American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 October 2013. Web. 10 December 2013.6. "Exploitation." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 October 2013. Web. 13 December 2013.7. "Margaret Washington: Obstacles Faced by African Americans." PBS. PBS and Web. December 12. 2013.