Ralph Ellison Battle Royal Rhetorical Analysis

In “Battle Royal”, the first chapter of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the author uses a variation of dialect in the narrator’s tone of voice throughout the chapter to reflect on his naïve past. The narrator has a flashback to a time where he was invited to give his high school graduation speech at a gathering where he would unknowingly become a part of a circus act in a room full of white citizens against other black boys. He knew that if he did not finish the task he would not be able to present his speech. Throughout his battle, he thought over and over again in the ring that he wanted nothing more but to deliver his speech he was highly proud of. He also did not have the access to get into college, but knew he had to continue his trial

in order to deliver his speech. “I wanted to deliver my speech and he came at me as though he meant to beat it out of me.” (1216). After the battle had come to an end, the black boys were to get on their knees and collect money from an electric rug. They were further humiliated in front of the crowd filled of white faces that found entertainment in watching. Considering the fact that this battle royal was a game for the white citizens to find pleasure in watching as if it was a sight to see, Henry Louis Gates’ “Signifying Monkey” should be applied to this short passage of Ellison’s, Invisible Man.
The narrator wasn’t going to be well received due to the crowd and the period in time which his speech was given.

During his speech he was ignored and laughed at after working so hard and battling to be heard, but once he spoke of equality someone from the crowd became upset. “You sure that about ‘equality’ was a mistake?” (1220). Some are born with access and advantages, but some have to go through hurdles to get what they want. “I spoke automatically and with such fervor that did not realize that the men were still talking and laughing until my dry mouth, filling up with blood from the cut, almost strangled me.” (1219). This places a challenge on the white men in the area that an intelligent black boy who they thought nothing of yet still considered him voiceless and moronic. This chapter alone worked off of a single scene of how the narrator was indeed an invisible man in his youth, not knowing which way to turn, but remembering the words his grandfather said from his deathbed carrying on throughout his years. “Son, after I’m gone I want you to keep up the good fight. I never told you, but our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days…” (1211). Neither the culture nor the crowd wanted to accept what was given, doing anything to repress someone from attempting to reach a goal. It is a way to discourage one due to others feeling you aren’t good enough or have the will and drive. The theory applied may help readers see something that we would not see unless we

applied the theory due to the fact that “Battle Royal” doesn’t only apply to African-Americans but it can be applied to others.