I apologize; I went to post a prompt for Catcher in the Rye and realized I neglected to post one for "Battle Royal." Here are a couple options:
1. Discuss a central theme of the short story; how does the symbolism of the plot develop the theme?
2. Discuss the narrator's internal state; how does figurative language reveal and enhance this?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAfrican Americans were set free from slavery only to bear the burden of inequality. They faced segregation and racism, because of their skin color. African Americans did not have the full rights of every white American citizen. Ralph Ellison's Battle Royal uses symbolism to create a central theme of inequality to convey the injustice that African Americans faced because of racism.
ReplyDeleteThe battle royal symbolized the battle of racism that all African Americans faced. Throughout the story the narrator faced the racism of white Americans. They blindfolded him and placed him in a battle ring to fight other African Americans while the crowd of white Americans jeered. While he was in the ring the narrator said, "Blindfolded, I could no longer control my motions. I had no dignity. I stumbled about like a baby or a drunken man." The white Americans took away their "dignity." They did not treat the African Americans like humans; they treated them like animals. They put the blindfolds on them so that they could have some control. If they can not see then they are vulnerable, and there can be some control. The African Americans in this story were treated inhumanely, because of racism and inequality. White Americans believed themselves to be better than African Americans.
After the battle the narrator gave a speech. During the speech the crowd of white Americans were disrespectful. They laughed at his speech. It was only when he spoke of equality that they grew quiet. The narrator realized the danger of what he said so he retracted his statement. They told him that he needed to "know [his] place at all times." They did not believe that there was any reason to have equality between races; African American's "place" was at the bottom of the social order. The narrators cry for social equality was symbolic of the cry for social equality that all African Americans wanted.
Even the end of the story is symbolic and adds to the theme of inequality. The white Americans gave the narrator a scholarship to an all black college. The narrator was so overjoyed that he did not let the racism he had faced in battle royal bother him. Later that night he had a dream of his grandfather, who told him to open his suit case. The narrator found an envelope inside another envelope and another and another. When he finally reached the end he found an engraved stamp that said, "To Whom It May Concern, Keep This Nigger-Boy Running." Then the narrator woke up with his grandfather's "laughter ringing in [his] ears." The narrator's reward symbolized the illusion of progress that white Americans were giving African Americans to keep them happy, or keep them "running." The narrator was given a scholarship to a black college. I think the author wanted to show that there was still inequality. African Americans could go to school, but they were still not equal enough with white Americans to be able to go to the same school.
The battle, speech, and reward all symbolized the racism that all African Americans were facing. They created a central theme of the injustice of racism and segregation.
In the introduction of Battle Royal the narrator talks about his grandfather’s dying words.”I want you to overcome ‘em with yeses, undermine ‘em with grins, agree ‘em to death and destruction, let ‘em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open” The grandfather’s quote was meant to encourage his family to fight racism by being obedient on the surface, but fight the fight against social injustice within themselves. The grandfather was described as “meek,” and he wants his family to go on to be confident with themselves and that is how they can fight against racism. The narrator struggles with his place among white people throughout the story and the narrator suggests this by using figurative language. When the narrator is forced into the boxing ring he is blindfolded by a large white blindfold, symbolizing how white people have blinded him from freedom, and his sense of self purpose. After the match, the narrator is forced onto a mat where he can fight others for coins, which turn out to be fake. This symbolizes though black people may fight for freedom, the things the white people give in return are fake, and not real signs of progress, such as the “separate but equal” movement. After the narrator gives a speech, he is given a leather briefcase containing a scholarship to the local black college. Later that night in a dream, another envelope is placed next to the scholarship in the briefcase that says “Keep This Nigger-Boy Running.” This implies that the scholarship was only a small diversion to keep the narrator and black people as a whole happy, despite the many horrible things they continued to do, such as send them all in a ring to beat each other up. The figurative language within the story enhanced the narrator's conflicting internal state which relates to the grandfather's last words on fighting for equality.
ReplyDeleteThe story "Battle Royal" was written during a time when blacks and whites were segregated. In this case, the powerful white men made the lower class black men fight to a "prize" which ended up being a fake prize anyways. Everything that was said to be given to the person who won was all a joke. The white men tease the black men and trick them into thinking they are receiving something good, however, it is just another trick to keep the black men going on a little string of hope.
ReplyDeleteThe central themes in this story seem to be between power and race. These two themes tie together very well and represent the whole story. The power of the white men in this story is unreal. They treat the black men like animals, and the black men know that power is what the white men feed off of. The narrator's grandfather tells the narrator this in the beginning of the story when he says, "'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, a spy in the enemy's country ever since I give up my gun back in the Reconstruction. Live with your head in the lion's mouth. I want you to overcome 'em with yeses,undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open.'" He knows that the white men feed off of the black men fighting and suffering and that is what he wants the narrator to do. He wants him to lead them on by struggling even if he isn't. This is the narrator's way of fighting for equality. It is obvious that the white men have the power in this, but only if the black men are fueling them by fighting and stringing along only by a thread of hope that the white men are giving them.
In Battle Royal by Ralph Ellison, racial inequality is the central theme that the author uses numerous examples of symbolism to convey. One of the first examples of the theme of racism is the white blindfold that is placed over the narrator’s eyes. The blindfold is written to be white to represent white supremacy, and a blindfold because the narrator is blinded by it throughout the story. Next, a naked woman is put on the stage. She has red, white, and blue colors on her which symbolize the United States. While the woman looks good, she is untouchable, just as freedom is for the narrator. After boxing with other men of color, the narrator and the other men are forced onto an electric mat to grab money, however, the coins are fake and of no value. This represents the false “progression” that was happening during the time period of the story. While “separate but equal” seemed to be a step away from racism, it was still an extremely bad situation and was a distraction from true progress. Upon receiving the scholarship which has a representation similar to that of the mat, the narrator thinks “A rope of bloody saliva forming a shape like an undiscovered continent drolled upon the leather and I quickly wiped it away.” The word choice of “rope” symbolizes that the saliva was like a noose, but was quickly wiped way because the narrator did not want to think of it as a distraction from true progression, but as something truly good. Ellison illustrated multiple examples of symbolism throughout the story which conveyed the theme of racial inequality and made it the classic it is today.
ReplyDelete