The Importance Of Air In Battle Royal, By Ralph Ellison

Although the world is filled with air, it is perceived to be invisible. Only when one is thinking about air does it become considered visible. As the protagonist develops throughout the novel, Battle Royal, created by Ralph Ellison, he quickly witnesses how microscopic his achievements are to the “Big Shots” in his dominantly white community. To discover that he was just as human as the white men, he had to learn that he could only become visible to them when they wanted him to be. He will never get that constant gratitude of being an individual, instead, like air, he will only seem important when thought of. On his grandfathers deathbed, his father was told to tell him to never be a traitor to not only his culture but more importantly himself.

Through the interactions between him and the unruly crowd, he learned that he is nobody to them. When meeting his fellow fighters, he was astonished by the lack of respect he received from them, commenting, “In those pre-invisible days I visualized myself as a potential Booker T. Washington. But the other fellows didn’t care too much for me either, and there were nine of them” (390), showing how minuscule he was and felt. Although he was known for his speech, the other boys did not care, even remarking that he had taken their friends work. In a harsh way, he learns that recognition doesn’t follow every action made by a person like him, even if large in magnitude. Likewise, his notion of humbleness in his graduation speech, even though it hindered his cultures values, was recognized by the white community. In that instance, he learned that he could receive the acknowledgement that the other whites automatically receive if he spoke of similar values. When at the Battle Royal, he was surprised by the treatment he received while preparing for the event, and although he “felt superior to them in [his] way… [he] didn’t like the manner in which [they] were all crowded together into the servants elevator” (390), remarking as if he had never experienced such conduct in his society. In

At his graduation he demonstrated that he would rather be recognized for supporting the ideals of the white men, rather than sharing his own personal beliefs. Throughout the progression of the Battle Royal, exposed to the same white people he seeks recognition from, he is shown how little his upbringings meant to them. While in the ring, he hears, “I got my money on the big boy”, making him question, “Should I try to win against the voices out there? Would not this go against my speech, and was not this a moment for humility, for nonresistance?” (394), confusing him on whether he should fight for his dignity or the values of the white folks. By having this contradiction, the character grows, understanding how he is in a system that will always treat him differently from the majority. Following that, he is faced with a similar problem and considered fighting against the pressure of the white crowd, particularly one man. In contrast to his previous dilemma, he doesn’t question being a traitor to the “Big Shots”, instead he remarks upon “an enormous idea that [he] found [himself] actually carrying it out” (396), demonstrating a change in ideals. Additionally, after the Battle Royal, the protagonist was tasked when he misspoke during his speech, accidentally saying, “‘Social…’ ‘What?’ they yelled. ‘…equality—’… ‘You sure that