Quote by: Ralph Ellison

What and how much had I lost by trying to do only what was expected of me instead of what I myself had wished to do? What a waste, what a senseless waste! But what of those things which you actually didn't like, not because you were not supposed to like them, not because to dislike them was considered a mark of refinement and education - but because you actually found them distasteful? The very idea annoyed me. How could you know? It involved a problem of choice. I would have to weigh many things carefully before deciding and there would be some things that would cause quite a bit of trouble, simply because I had never formed a personal attitude toward so much. I had accepted the accepted attitudes and it had made life seem simple ...


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Author Bio


  • NameRalph Ellison
  • DescriptionAmerican novelist, literary critic, scholar and writer
  • BornMarch 1, 1914
  • DiedApril 16, 1994
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionWriter; Essayist; Novelist; Autobiographer
  • WorksInvisible Man
  • AwardsNational Medal Of Arts; Presidential Medal Of Freedom; National Book Award