In the 1940‘s racial segregation gripped southern American life. The notion of separating blacks from whites created immense tension. Separate water fountains, bathrooms, restaurants, etc. were variables that helped keep races apart. “Jim Crow” laws in the south were intended to prevent blacks from voting. These laws, combined with the segregated educational system, instilled the sense that blacks were “separate” but not equal (174). Many people of color weren‘t able to survive through this time period because of the actions of whites. One individual who overcame the relentless struggles was Ralph Ellison. Ellison, a famous author, depicted racial segregation in the 1940’s through a fictional short story entitled “Battle Royal.” Battle Royal symbolized the actions of what “other” people became accustomed to. Blacks were thought to be socially inferior and live in the shadows of whites. The idea which Ellison uses to paint “Battle Royal” consists of that when one sex or race treats another as an object or animal, both become dehumanized (174). Ellison’s use of hidden meanings conveys his theme more effectively.
Literary critic, Norman German, creates an interesting spin on “Battle Royal.” Published in the CLA (College Language Association) journal in 1988, German emphasizes Ellison’s use of animal imagery which graphically stresses his theme (German). The narrator (the main character) struggles with his grandfather’s dying words, “Live with your head in the lion’s mouth.” (The animal symbolism in the quote through his dying grandfather lived his life in the hands of “whites.”) The narrator, although he strongly disagrees, has his grandfather’s words embedded in his mind. The constants in the “battle royal” are portrayed as foreign creatures as they are herded “like cattle” into the servant’s elevator. German believes, that because the rich white men treat the black men as animals and the naked white woman as a sexual object, it ironically reduces the white men to animals:
One man watches the woman dance and holds his arms up like an intoxicated panda, winding his belly in a slow and obscene grind. The creature was completely hypnotized…The men then sink their beefy fingers into her flesh…Some of the others tried to stop them and she began to move around the floor in graceful circles, as they gave chase, slipping and sliding ove...
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...ey really are. One of the ways that has been used to simplify the answer has been to seize up on the presence of black Americans and use them as a marker, a symbol of limits, a metaphor for the “outsider.” Many whites could look at the social position of blacks and feel that color formed and easy and reliable gauge for determining to what extent one was or was not American. Perhaps that is why one of the first epithets that many European immigrants learned when they got off the boat was the term “n*gger”--it made them feel instantly American. But this is tricky magic. Despite his racial difference and social status, something indisputably American about Negroes not only raised doubts about the white man’s value system but aroused the troubling suspicion that whatever else the true American is, he is also somehow black.
Works Cited
West, Cornel. Race Matters. New York: Random House, Inc, 1994
O’Meally, Robert G. The Craft of Ralph Ellison. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1980
German, Norman. “Imagery in the “Battle Royal”. CLA Journal Vol. XXXI(2001): 394-399. 11 June 1988
Dyson, Michael E. “Ellison’s landmark turns 50.” Chicago Sun-Times on the Web 19 Feb. 2002. Nov. 2003
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Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal” is an eye opening story. Ellison introduces us to a black nameless citizen. All the nameless citizen wants is to be acknowledged and to please the white men, which is strange given the white common men are forcing him to brutally fight his black peers. Ellison’s story is focusing on the ignorance of African Americans due to the constant deception of the white supremacist. (Ellison)
T.H. White’s novel, “The Sword in the Stone,” took place in the Middle Ages, when feudalism was the dominant political structure and knighthood held a high prestige. Thus, White wrote the novel stemming from the theme of warfare. However, he combined the themes of Medieval warfare with the contemporary warfare of the early-to-mid 20th century, the time period in which the novel was written. As a result, the historical allegories can be drawn between episodes in the book and warfare in the 20th century, especially World War 2. The episodes of the pike and the ants reflect totalitarian, fascist, and communist views, respectively in that order, whereas the geese serves as a society absent of violence, therefore demonstrating White’s pacifist values
The symbols and language used in “Battle Royal” allow readers to understand the concept of being black in America; fighting for equality. Symbols such as the white blindfold, stripper, and battle itself all give a suggestion about how the unnamed protagonist felt, but more importantly, Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal” depicts the difficult struggles facing the black man in what’s supposed to be a post-slavery era.
you to keep up the good fight. I never told you, but our life is
Ralph Ellison's Battle Royal "Battle Royal", a short story by Ralph Ellison, written in 1952. It is a story about a young black man, who has recently graduated from high school. He lives in the south and is invited to give a speech at a gathering of the town's leading white citizens. Where he was told to take part in a battle royal, with nine other black men. After the fight and the speech, he was awarded with a calfskin brief case and a scholarship to the state college for Negros.
shocks to grab it. I think this sort of surprised the audience, beings that the...
If I had to pick one out of the many stories that we have read and say that it moved me the most, I would have to say that the story would have to be “Battle Royal”. The reason that the story did move me so was because of the author’s keen use of symbolism, the author portrays a larger meaning than what is initially implied to the reader who does not thoroughly analyze the text.
The first major symbol in this story is the battle royal itself. The battle royal symbolizes the struggle for equality in the black community. The fight shows how the black Americans try to overcome the brutal treatment and the fear that comes from the violence of segregation and slavery. When the narrator is in the elevator with the other fighters, he thinks that he has the option in participating in the battle, but in reality he has no choice. This event introduced another theme of a reward that cannot be attained. This battle is also a representation of how the white men feel dominant and feel pleasure in keeping the black men fearful of them. In addition to the white men’s sense of dominance over the black men, this event is also pointed towards black society when the narrat...
Authors use figurative language to express nuanced ideas, those that beggar literal description. Such language provides the author an opportunity to play with his reader’s imagination and sense. A piece of literature that uses figurative language is more intriguing and engaging than a writing that aims only to explain. Ralph Ellison’s use of figurative language in “The Battle Royal” paints a powerful and unique story of oppression and the struggle for self-discovery. His juxtaposition of literal and figural language gave the story a dream like quality, all while creating a profound and vivid image.
Everyday, racism is perceived as one of the most negative aspects of society. When people think of racism, they obviously see hatred, evil , and ignorance. It has been a part of world culture since recorded history and , no doubt , before that. When one thinks of racism in the United States, invariably , though not only , the struggle of the African-American is singled out. That is the main issue Ellison so powerfully addresses in his short story "Battle Royal". In it the author allows us to see the world through the eyes of a young black boy who is struggling to succeed in a predominantly white society. The thing that is absolutely essential to our understanding of the story
In the beginning of the novel, it becomes known that the narrator is a black boy living in the south. He is discriminated against by everybody around him. He is seen as nothing. The narrator is chosen to take part in the Battle Royal, which is a fight between ten black boys used to entertain the white men of the town. The narrator describes this experience by saying “But now I felt a sudden fit of blind terror. I was unused to darkness. It was as though I had suddenly found myself in a dark room filled with poisonous cottonmouths. I could hear the bleary voices yelling insistently for the battle royal to begin” (21). This quote explains that the narrator is being put in a position that he does not want to be in. He is being treated like he is less than all of the men gathered to watch the fight. Once the fight begins, the narrator also explains “Blindfolded, I could no longer control my motions. I had no dignity. I stumbled about like a baby or a drunken man” (22). This quote states that the narrator feels humiliated. He is being treated like he is nothing. The fight is discouraging and humiliating for the narrator to ha...