Brief Biography
Ralph Waldo Ellison was born on March 1, 1914 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Ellison’s father, Lewis Alfred Ellison, named him after the famous Ralph Waldo Emmerson because he wanted his son to become a poet (Famous Authors). Ralph also had a little brother named Herbert Millsap Ellison. When Ralph was three years old, his father passed away due to a work-related accident (Famous Authors), so his mother, Ida Millsap, worked very hard to raise Ralph and Herbert. Ida encouraged Ralph to read books and magazines, and Ralph had the opportunity to use the public library in town (Famous Authors). As a child Ellison admired jazz music; when he got older he studied the cornet and the trumpet, and he planned on taking a career as a jazz musician (Spark Notes). In 1933, Ellison left Oklahoma and traveled to Tuskegee, Alabama to study music at the Tuskegee Institute. In 1936 Ellison left Tuskegee and moved to New York City, specifically Harlem (Spark Notes). While in New York Ellison met famous African American writers such as Langston Hughes and Richard Wright (Spark Notes). Richard Wright was the man who led Ellison in the direction of writing; Ellison’s writing appeared in various magazines such as the New Masses (Famous Authors).
After several years of writing and publishing articles, Ellison left New York to join the Merchant Marines, and he served in World War II. When the war ended Ellison received a Rosenwald Fellowship, which he used to write Invisible Man (Spark Notes). Invisible Man was an immensely successful novel that mirrored events that took place in Ellison’s life. Tuskegee Institute served as the school the narrator attended in the book, although the name of the school was never given in the book, and the narrator moved to New York after three years of college just like Ellison moved to New York after three years at Tuskegee. The book was also heavily influenced by Ellison’s belief of existentialism, a theory that emphasizes the belief of the person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will. Ellison applied his existentialist views to the black experience of oppression and prejudice in America (Spark Notes).
After the book was published in 1952, Ellison spent his time writing a vast novel (Spark Notes), and published two books of essays, “Shadow Act” and “Going to the Territory” (Spark Notes). Ellison also spent his time teaching at New York University from 1970- 1979 (Famous Authors). In the 1990s Ellison became ill with pancreatic cancer and passed away at the age of 81 on April 16th, 1994 in New York City.
After several years of writing and publishing articles, Ellison left New York to join the Merchant Marines, and he served in World War II. When the war ended Ellison received a Rosenwald Fellowship, which he used to write Invisible Man (Spark Notes). Invisible Man was an immensely successful novel that mirrored events that took place in Ellison’s life. Tuskegee Institute served as the school the narrator attended in the book, although the name of the school was never given in the book, and the narrator moved to New York after three years of college just like Ellison moved to New York after three years at Tuskegee. The book was also heavily influenced by Ellison’s belief of existentialism, a theory that emphasizes the belief of the person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will. Ellison applied his existentialist views to the black experience of oppression and prejudice in America (Spark Notes).
After the book was published in 1952, Ellison spent his time writing a vast novel (Spark Notes), and published two books of essays, “Shadow Act” and “Going to the Territory” (Spark Notes). Ellison also spent his time teaching at New York University from 1970- 1979 (Famous Authors). In the 1990s Ellison became ill with pancreatic cancer and passed away at the age of 81 on April 16th, 1994 in New York City.
Works Cited
"Context." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
"Ralph Ellison Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
"Ralph Ellison." Ralph Ellison. N.p., 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
"Context." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
"Ralph Ellison Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.
"Ralph Ellison." Ralph Ellison. N.p., 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.