Racism And Sexism In 'Battle Royal'

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The story “Battle Royal” is placed in an era when there was many issues in America. The issues of racism and sexism are the few that are show in this story. This story gives a real life account of the discrimination that was happening during this time through the eyes of the narrator. The story shows the true character of the people in the story and their intentions. The narrator is also battling internal and external battles throughout the story. There are uses of symbolism in the story that show the issues of the era. The battles going on throughout the story can be understood through the grandfather’s death bed words, the leading white citizens, the symbolism of the dancer, and the cruelty of the boxing match. In the story “Battle Royal” …show more content…

At the beginning of the battle royal a nude woman is in the ring dancing to slow music while all the men watch in pleasure. But then the music speeds up and she is forced to dance faster while the men try to grab her. The narrator described the event by saying, “It was mad. Chairs went crashing, drinks were spilt, as they ran laughing and howling after her. They caught her just as she reached the door, raised her from the floor, and tossed her as college boys are tossed at a hazing, and above her red, fixed smiling lips I saw terror and disgust in her eyes… they tossed her twice… Some of the more sober ones helped her escape” (Ellison 270). This event showed that men during this time did not see women as people, but instead as objects. The dancing woman can be used as a symbol of America. The event showed how America was divided at the time on many different issues, because some wanted to throw her out while others tried to help her. The dancing women is a symbol of the issues that plagued America during this …show more content…

The narrator was surprised to see some of the most important men in town in a different light. The narrator said, “I was shocked to see some of the most important men of the town quite tipsy. They were all there-bankers, lawyers, judges, doctors, fire chiefs, teachers, merchants. Even one of the more fashionable pastors” (Ellison 269). The narrator did not think the leading men of the town would behave in such a manner. He was shocked when he saw the way the men reacted to the fighters as they tried to collect the gold coins from the electric rug. He described the event by saying, “The rug was electrified…My muscles jumped, my nerves jangled, writhed. But I saw that this was not stopping the other boys. Laughing in fear and embarrassment, some were holding back and scooping up the coins knocked off by the painful contortions of the others. The men roared above us as we struggled” (Ellison 273). This showed that the white men were not who everyone thought they were. To everyone in the town the men were used as the example of a good citizen, but in reality they were evil

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