The protagonist's name
The protagonist in this novel has a unique and insightful name. Because of the novel's emphasis on identity and self, the names are especially poignant. The names point to the man's artistic genius. Thelonious Monk is a famous jazz pianist and a true genius in the most literal sense. Ralph Ellison wrote Invisible Man, and was clearly a genius himself. Together, the names are this protagonist's name, "Thelonious Monk Ellison." He pulls a prank on his agent writing a lampoonish "black" novel, but accidentally does too well and attains national acclaim for a book that was intended as satire but received in earnest.
"My Pafology"
This lampoon was designed to expose a racist literary agent of their prejudiced expectations. Instead of selling the novels that Ellison had been writing, the agent encouraged him to write something more "black," more "urban." In other words, the agent pigeon-holed him into the "black artist" role. In an act of defiance, he writes a book exposing the racist subtexts that shroud true art by labeling it "black art." He ends up changing its name to "Fuck," suggesting that he despises it as vulgar and profane.
The renaming motif
Not only does Monk rename his opus "Fuck," from "My Pathology," but he also forbids the novel from bearing his own name. He invents a nom de plume, "Stagg R. Leigh," a homophone for Stagger Lee, an important American folk song with similar themes as "Fuck." He even agrees to do interviews wearing his pseudonym as his identity. This motif points to the way culture misidentifies black people as automatically "other." Instead of wanting to hear about human nature, the audience wants to hear about "life in the streets."
The horror of victory
When he writes his intentionally insulting lampoonish satire, Stagg R. Leigh is horrified to succeed. The novel is perfectly suited for a wide audience. He is like a martyr for this, because although he intended the novel as a joke at his agent's expense, he wins awards and the novel becomes a Book Award recipient by the National Book Association. The victory is evidence of his private horror; not only is he elevated to fame for satire, but he is accepted only because the book is accepted as authentic and sincere. He is the only person who recognizes the injustice and prejudice.
"Hypotheses non fingo"
This novel could very easily become a political treatise, except for Monk's final comment in his journal. He ends the book, "Hypotheses non fingo," which is Latin for "I suggest no hypoetheses." In other words, the novelist is attempting roman a clef. That means that the novel is merely intended to accurately depict the culture of the author's time. For a work of "black art" to be regarded highly, it has to fit in certain preconceived boxes. This Latin comment shows that the novelist is not attempting to point fingers, but merely to capture a real dynamic.
