Danger of Marginalization and Exploitation

    In the prologue of The Invisible Man, the invisibility of the narrator is a metaphor for racial discrimination. Because of his black ethnicity, he is "invisible' to other people in the world. The blindness of the others reveals the social neglect towards the minorities. The incident with the blond man is quite ironic. The fact that the blond man insulted him because he cannot see him makes me wonder if that reflects the hidden racism in nowadays society. People can be racist without realizing they are. They can subconsciously marginalize the minorities, look down on them and reject them without identifying themselves as racist. How pervasive this hidden racism is in our world?

    This reminds me of The Hollow Man, in which the men are denied of their freedom and rights as human beings. There’s nothing meaningful going on with them.They can’t kiss someone if they want to. Instead they say prayers to stones as a way to express their desire. The fact that they do not dare to look at others or to be looked at is so pathetic and sad. They are somehow degraded by their environment, no dignity, no personality. The “shadow” has paralyzed all of them, making them unable to act, create, or respond. 
    Both The Invisible Man and The Hollow Man warn us the danger of marginalization and exploitation, especially in the form of racism. The “invisibility" and “hollowness” are used as metaphors to criticize the indifference and cruelty that are prevalent in human society. By using satire, the authors reveal the dark side of our world.