Humiliation Of Race In Ralph Ellison's Battle Royal

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Humiliation of Race
In the short story “Battle Royal” the author, Ralph Ellison structures the story to show the attack on racism. There are many instances in the story where racism is portrayed through white folks who have placed a black teen through many situations, only so he can find himself in constant humiliation. The author’s use of structure empowers the white folks to feel superior because of their dominant white race and how they will never want to reach “social equality” with the Negro race.
The attack on racism begins when the boy enters the fight on the Battle Royal. Although his main purpose for attending the Ballroom was because he was cordially invited to deliver his speech, he ended up being humiliated. The white folks ordered for him to get on the ring and, “there was nothing to do but what we were told” (277). The boy …show more content…

They had no sign of painful emotion towards the black boy, but instead they cheered for the fight to continue, “Get going in there!” (277). Throughout the battle the white folks were very racist on how they directed themselves toward the black boy, one said “Oh, no you don't, black bastard!” (277). The humiliation continued even when the fight was over. Once the fight was over it was time for the money to be given to the winners. Since the boy was a winner he was given an “award”. The money was not given to the contest, but instead it was laid out in an electrifying rug. The body of the boy was moving in all directions as he recalls, “My muscles jumped, my nerves jangled, writhed” (280). While the men jumped and twitched all over the electrifying rug, the white folks were filled of laughter and enjoyment. The whites were being entertained by humiliating the blacks. One may think that the humiliation ends at the electrifying rug, but those white men had no sense of caring emotion, they remained with vigor and overruling

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