Giving names is a unique attribute of humans. Eager parents-to-be ponder the dilemma of “what name will best suit our unborn baby” even before knowing the sex of the fetus. Often, these first names are chosen based on the qualities that parents want to give to their child: Lily for a pure and beautiful girl, Justin for a fair and kind boy. In Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and Bamboozled directed by Spike Lee, The Invisible Man, members of the Brotherhood, the Mau Maus, Manray, Womack and Delacroix all have their names changed in one way or another, but not by their parents. Changing the names of these characters also profoundly changes their identity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayAttaching a common word or title to a name (such as Professor Dumbledore or Professor Stephen Hawking) serves to unite an assortment of people. In Invisible Man, members of the Brotherhood, a deceptive organization that claims to uplift the poor in society, are called "Brothers". This title not only creates the illusion of equality within the Brotherhood, but also binds members to the Brotherhood mentality and attempts to suppress individual thinking. After the Invisible Man holds an impromptu funeral for Tod Clifton, a former Brotherhood member, he is questioned by Brother Jack and Brother Tobitt. Brother Jack is sardonic when he repeatedly ridicules the way the Invisible Man acted "on his personal responsibility" (464). After all, by the time Clifton was selling Sambo dolls on the streets, he was no longer aligned with the Brotherhood's ideology and was therefore no longer useful to the Brotherhood. The Invisible Man took it upon himself to hold a funeral and deliver a eulogy expressing the injustice Clifton faced. Brother Jack continues to emphasize the controlling nature of the Brotherhood by telling the Invisible Man that "the committee makes your decisions...What happened to your discipline?" » (472). In this case, discipline is not respect for one's own morality; it is submission to the principles of the Fraternity. By forcing its members to call each other “Brother,” this organization rids people of individual thought, and therefore of identity. Although groups are sometimes viewed as single entities and not as composed of individuals, unifying a group under a common name given to individuals can help strengthen their identity. In Bamboozled, the rowdy members of Mau Maus, an insurgent rap group, all include "Blak" in their names: Big Blak Afrika, Double Blak, Mo Blak, Smooth Blak, and One-Sixteenth Blak. Smooth Blak, the only female member, suggests while drinking Da Bomb Malt Liquor that they "from now on, and so on, should spell black: BLAK, not BLACK." The use of stage names including "Blak" unifies the Mau Maus and also emphasizes their "blackness": One-Sixteenth Blak, who is technically fifteen-sixteenths white, pleads at the end of the film: "Why don't you as- you didn't kill? I'm black! Removing the "c" from the word "black" is an act of rebellion, which Smooth Blak alludes to when she mentions that the Mau Maus "never conformed to any of the white man's rules or regulations." . Both the Mau Maus and the Brotherhood attempt to function as unified groups and disrupt society, and both believe that society will benefit from their actions. Although the natures of the two groups are very similar, the attitudes are very different. While the terms "Blak" and "Brother" both serve to unite a group of people, the word "Blak” itself promotes rebellion and gives the Mau Maus a clear and exaggerated identity, while the title “Brother” quells mutiny and rids members of the Brotherhood. identity. The assumption of a new name allows the user to be someone they are not, much like IM and PierreDelacroix believe their names will bring them closer to success by masking their true personalities. Delacroix is ​​the only black writer on the CNS television network, and his desire to appear as sophisticated as a white man is first seen in his ridiculously French-sounding name. His first name is Peerless Dothan, which Delacroix must have found too uneducated to share with the world. Delacroix is ​​also excessively correct and speaks too correct English, throwing out phrases like "you're having a great day." He believes that success can only be achieved by correcting his black background with white. Delacroix considers Junebug, his father who works as a comedian, to be a "broken man" simply because of the way he embraces black culture and does not "say what [Hollywood] wants him to say." While Junebug refuses to conform to what white men want him to do, Delacroix refuses to "end up where [Junebug] was" and does his best to assimilate into white society. IM's desire to shed his origins and blend into a whiter, more civilized society is evident even before he begins working for the Brotherhood. During a trip to New York, the Invisible Man imagines his meeting with important white men during which he would "speak softly, in [his] most polite tones, smile pleasantly, and be very polite" (157) to try to please them. After the Invisible Man's initiation banquet in the Chthonian, he explicitly states: "I had a new name and new problems. I'd better leave the old people behind” (316). This statement is the signal of his transition to a new world and his acceptance into white society. The name “Pierre Delacroix” and the name Invisible Man given by the Brotherhood both convey their conformity to the white mentality. Both work in predominantly white organizations and both attempt to integrate into white society. For them, this integration is the sign of success, even if it is carried out under a pseudo-identity. Like the slaves renamed by their masters, the Invisible Man, Manray, and Womack are all given different names by the people who try to control them. . As soon as the Invisible Man began his work for the Brotherhood, the first thing to do was to give him a new name. The Brotherhood asserts its ownership over IM by requiring him to adopt a new name and identity, which is evident when Brother Jack tells the Invisible Man, "You don't have to answer to anyone else, understand?" (309). In this way, the Invisible Man participates in the Brotherhood's plan; the new name and new identity allow the Invisible Man to become the perfect spokesperson for the Brotherhood. Manray and Womack, street performers who made a living, are no longer Manray and Womack in "Mantan: The New Millennium Minstrel Show" - they are Mantan and Sleep-n'-eat (which are not coincidentally the stage names of two famous blackface artists from the 90s). Delacroix needs Mantan and Sleep-n'-eat, not Manray and Womack, to achieve his goal of broadcasting the most offensive show possible. Manray willingly accepts the role that Pierre Delacroix constructs for him. However, Womack's "you're kidding" attitude is evident when Delacroix introduces him to Dunwitty as Sleep-n'-eat: his smile disappears, his eyebrows raise, and his brow furrows with worried lines. The reason for these name changes is that the..