Symbolism In Battle Royale

722 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Symbolism and battle royal

Black people has a whole come in so many different shapes, sizes and mindsets. There are black people that believe that they need to conform to that of white people to excel in life and there are those black people that do not care for white people and are carefree. The main characters in Battle Royal and Big Boy Leaves Home represent this diversity of black people. The narrator in Black Royale represents a different type of blackness than that of Big Boy and his friends in Big Boy Leaves Home. He is a very timid and naive individual who believes that the only way he is going to be successful is to be able to conform to the ways of the white people. Big Boy and his friends are the opposite of the narrator, they also represent another type of blackness, they were …show more content…

He endures so many obstacles during that short period of time. He had to fight during the battle royal, then he had to get electrocuted all because he wanted to perform the speech that he was hoping to get him the scholarship that will allow him to go to college. Although he should not have been a part of the fight, the men did not care, as said in the story by the narrator “ I was told that since I was to be there anyway I might as well take part in the battle royal to be fought by some of my schoolmates as part of the entertainment.” (Ellison 2) After the fight, the young men were told to come and receive their money, upon this, they realized the rug the money was on was electrocuted, causing them to scream in pain. (Ellison 3) This is all leading up to the narrator finally delivering his speech. These obstacles he endured represent how far the narrator would go to get what he thinks is right. He conformed to whatever the white men wanted just so he could receive a scholarship. This also represents the fact that blacks during this time barely had any rights, the white men had the say

Show More
Related

  • Frederick Douglass' "Resurrection"

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the amazing things about the story is the level of description and imagery that Douglass uses to describe the suffering around him. The excerpt spans a mere three days, but most of the text focuses on his abuse and battle with Mr. Covey. Douglass skips over the common parts of his life to further his case against slavery. By doing this, the Northerners rea...

    Read More

  • Teaching Frederick Douglass in American School Systems

    1609 Words  | 4 Pages

    Douglass's Narrative brings an ugly era of American history to life as it weaves through his personal experiences with slavery, brutality, and escape. Most importantly Douglass reveals the real problem in slavery, which is the destructive nature of intolerance and the need for change. Douglass refers many times to the dehumanizing effects sla...

    Read More

  • Ralph Ellison Battle Royal Rhetorical Analysis

    555 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave

    1297 Words  | 3 Pages

    A staunch abolitionist, Douglass would take the country by storm through the power of his words and writings. His narrative was unique in regards to how it was written and the content it holds. Unlike most biographies of freed slaves, Douglass would write his own story and with his own words. His narrative would attempt to understand the effects slavery was having on not just the slaves, but the slaveholders as well. The success of his biography, however, did not rest on the amount of horror in it but from the unmistakable authenticity it provided. His narrative would compel his readers to take action with graphic accounts of the lashes slaves would receive as punishment, “the loude...

    Read More

  • The Narrative of Fredrick Douglass

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the passage of the Narrative of Fredrick Douglass, the author masterfully conveys two complimentary tones of liberation and fear. The tones transition by the use of diction and detail. The passage is written entirely in first person, since we are witnessing the struggles of Fredrick Douglass through his eyes. Through his diction, we are able to feel the triumph that comes with freedom along with the hardships. Similarly, detail brings a picturesque view of his adversities. Since the point of view is first person, the reader is able to be a part of the Douglass’ struggles with his new freedom. With diction, detail, and point of view, the reader is able to get a rare glimpse into the past of Fredrick Douglass.Fredrick Douglass’ diction is powerful as he describes his life as a slave and with his new freedom. Fredrick Douglass calls being enslaved an act of “wretchedness,” yet he was able to remain “firm” and eventually left the “chains” of slavery. Fredrick Douglass expresses that being enslaved is a wretched act and that no man should ever deserve such treatment. Despite being a slave, he kept strong and eventually broke the chain of society. However, Fredrick Douglass experienced great “insecurity” and “loneliness” with his new freedom, and was upon a new “hunting-ground.” His new freedom brought other devastating factors, being a new state without any friends, which caused his loneliness. In this new state, he grew insecure for he was in a new danger zone where at any time his freedom could be rejected. With new freedom come new obstacles, which are described in the diction of Fredrick Douglass.

    Read More

  • Battle Royal, by Ralph Ellison

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    Later the narrator is an educated young man in his teens. He's followed his grandfathers' words and it results in him being obedient to the views of the white men. The narrator is invited to recite a speech at a local town gathering which included politicians and town leaders. The narrator is forced to compete in a battle royal. He had to box blindfolded, get electrified by a rug filled with fake brass coins, and humiliated when it was time for him to give his speech. The problem with the boys understanding of the grandfather's ideology is that he doesn't know where his limit is. It almost seems as if he would go through anything the white men put in his way but even after that, the men tell him to correct himself when he even mentions social equality. The narrator is rewarded for his obedience with a scholarship, but the true value of the scholarship is questioned in a dream where the scholarship paper read, "To Whom It May Concern…Keep This Nigger-Boy Running.

    Read More

  • The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: The Formation of Identity

    2136 Words  | 5 Pages

    The reader is first introduced to the idea of Douglass’s formation of identity outside the constraints of slavery before he or she even begins reading the narrative. By viewing the title page and reading the words “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, written by himself” the reader sees the advancement Douglass made from a dependent slave to an independent author (Stone 134). As a slave, he was forbidden a voice with which he might speak out against slavery. Furthermore, the traditional roles of slavery would have had him uneducated—unable to read and incapable of writing. However, by examining the full meaning of the title page, the reader is introduced to Douglass’s refusal to adhere to the slave role of uneducated and voiceless. Thus, even before reading the work, the reader knows that Douglass will show “how a slave was made a man” through “speaking out—the symbolic act of self-definition” (Stone 135).

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Air In Battle Royal, By Ralph Ellison

    1232 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Fredrick Douglass Argumentative Essay

    295 Words  | 1 Pages

    Fredrick Douglass describes his life on the plantation as being very difficult and troubling. He discusses situations in which slaves were treated unjustly. For instance, slaves would be punished if they were to say anything except positive remarks about their masters, even if they were obviously mistreating their slaves. Douglass had to learn when it was best for him to just stay silent (Douglass 27). This creates an enraged emotion in the reader because slaves should not have been denied the right to speak their mind just because it does not coincide with how their masters wanted them to feel. Douglass lets the reader understand that his starting life was not easy for him, and by describing it in the initial chapters of the book instead of

    Read More

  • Trials And Tribulation In Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    Within his journey he was able to learn a tremendous amount of information about himself as well as the society he lived in. Although in order for this to happen he had to exile from his former hometown. After graduating high school the narrator went off to college and had the honor of driving one of the schools founders. While driving Mr. Norton, one of the school founders, the narrator went on a tangent about different things that has happened on campus. He soon mentioned Trueblood and his actions with his daughter to Mr. Norton, Afterwards the narrator led Mr. Norton to the bar/asylum. This is when the real troubles begin. Mr. Bledsoe, the college’s president, found out about the narrators doings and expelled him. When he expelled the narrator, Mr. Bledsoe sent him to New York with seven letters to get a job. By the narrator being exiled he now has a chance to experience life on his own and use the knowledge from his experience to enrich his life and others. The narrator’s trial and tribulations will speak for the feelings and thoughts of many African Americans in the 1940s

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Battle Royal

    615 Words  | 2 Pages

    The events used by Ralph Ellison in his story Battle Royal are symbols that contribute to the theme of inequality that is portrayed throughout the entire story. Three symbols or events in this story are the battle, the blindfolding of the fighters, and the naked woman with an American Flag tattooed upon her.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Ralph Ellison's Battle Royal

    784 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the early 1900's, the black community was forced to do the unthinkable to survive. The short story "Battle Royal" by Ralph Ellison shows many of these humiliating situations that the black community were forced to go through during this time period. "Battle Royal" was actually the first chapter of the novel, The Invisible Man. The Invisible Man was written by Ralph Ellison and published in 1952. There are many uses of symbolism in "Battle Royal". Symbolism is an important part of this story due to its historical nature. This essay will elaborate on three uses of symbolism within "Battle Royal":the invisible man, the stripper, and the electric rug.

    Read More

  • Key Arguments in "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass"

    1143 Words  | 3 Pages

    In sum, all of these key arguments exist in “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” because of the institution of slavery and its resulting lack of freedom that was used to defend it. This text’s arguments could all be gathered together under the common element of inequality and how it affected the practical, social, and even spiritual lives of the slaves.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Narrative of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Narrative of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass, an African American male describes his day as a slave and what he has become from the experience. Douglass writes this story to make readers understand that slavery is brutalizing and dehumanizing, that a slave is able to become a man, and that he still has intellectual ability even though he is a slave. In the story, these messages are shown frequently through the diction of Frederick Douglass.

    Read More

  • Power of Persuasion in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    In using descriptions of slave life, ironic situations, and general frankness, Douglass is appealing to the emotions of his audience. Douglass is letting people know of the terrors of slavery by touching their emotions. He gets them motivated by being interesting and then builds upon this by describing his life in simple terms that all humans can relate to.

    Read More

More about Symbolism In Battle Royale

Open Document