Sweetbitter, by Reginald Gibbons, follows the lives of Reuben, a Native-American male, and Martha, an upper-class white female, as they attempt to share a forbidden love life together. One of the major themes of the novel is visibility and invisibility. This theme is portrayed in the ways in which characters of different race and class interact and clash with each other. The setting of the story, Texas in the early 1900s, plays a major role in the implementation of this theme.
Reuben, who is half white and half Native-American, must often make himself invisible when he is confronted or threatened by racism. In many scenarios, Reuben’s only defense is to look at his feet, remain silent, and hope for the best. One day, against his better judgment, Reuben accompanies two of his co-workers down to the river for a swim. Once swimming, Martha and Clara, two white girls, arrive at the river, placing Reuben in a very awkward situation. Gibbons writes: “Reuben, aware now of the transgression that his mere being was, among them, withdrew into himself…” This quote shows that when Reuben senses he is in a situation that could potentially go poorly for him because of the color of his skin, his main defense is not to lash out, but to withdraw within himself and make himself as invisible as possible.…show more content… For much of the time, Reuben is simply ignored, Gibbons writes: “He (Reuben) watched. He might as well have been invisible, not because he wanted to be, … but because they chose not to see him and didn’t care if here was there.” This quote reveals that even when he is not purposefully making himself invisible, to many, he is. This also shows the feelings of isolation that Reuben must endure. Not only is he made fun of, put-down, and abused, but even in times where there is no conflict, Reuben is ignored and assumed useless by