During the first half of the 19th century, serious problems regarding racial discrimination and civil inequality of African Americans plagued the social, political, and economic structure of the United States. This post-Reconstruction era restored formerly white supremacist control of the South. It also led to the implementation of Jim Crow laws and reducing the first-class citizenship status of black people. Although conditions eventually improved, black people were still subject to the prejudices of the time and faced exploitation in the workplace. In Invisible Man, Ellison uses the metaphor of Liberty Paint Factory in chapter ten to illustrate the dynamics of suppression of black identity by American society, the assumption of a racist attitude towards black people and the repression of social improvement and economic for African Americans. and his high-end painting “Optic White” serves as a microcosm of mid-19th century American society and its lowest, most fundamental views regarding the defined roles (treatment) of African Americans in society. This pivotal scene illustrates the view of whites towards blacks. As Kimbro instructs IM on his first assignment at the paint factory, he is asked to "measure ten drops into the paint" (Ellison, 1) and stir the mixture until it sets desired color. However, IM notices that when he “measured the glistening black drops,” they “settled to the surface and became blacker” (Ellison, 1). IM obviously sees that the true color of the paint is not white; the base of the color seems rather to be black, dark black. This illustrates the subjective views of white people towards their darker counterparts. Kimbro, like ...... middle of paper ......the factory. Perhaps Ellison is expressing an unspoken truth about the dynamics of American society and its promise of liberty and equality. 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. Internet. November 26, 2013.4. Reisman, George. “The Ludwig Von Mises Institute.” Classical economics versus exploitation theory. Ludwig Von Mises Institute, nd Web. December 13, 2013.5. “African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 12, 2013. Web. December 10, 2013.6. “Exploitation.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, October 12, 2013. Web. December 13, 2013.7. “Margaret Washington: Obstacles Faced by African Americans.” » PBS. PBS and Web. December 12. 2013.