Battle Royal Ralph Ellison Analysis

Battle Royal Ralph Ellison Analysis
Minorities Against their Oppressors The short story "Battle Royal" is written by Ralph Ellison and takes place in an era that had a great amount of
racial prejudice. The story starts off with the main character, the boy, who tells readers he was struggling with finding a purpose for himself. Later,
he mentions his grandpa; his grandpa was someone he looked up to greatly. His grandpa was unique because he got along well with the whites, in a
peaceful matter. He encouraged the boy to fight for freedom, and to fight for what others were afraid to, without harsh words and violence. Because
the boy was following along with what the whites expected of him, humility, he was asked to give a speech. This later turns into a fighting match and
...show more content...
Their eyes were then set on a woman, "a magnificent blonde– stark naked" (Ellison 287). The boys were startled and somewhat intrigued by the
stripper because they were just children; the oppressors had forced them to watch her. The rink was anything but the image of wealth. The main
character states, "I noticed a certain merchant who followed her hungrily... " (Ellison 288). He considered this normal behavior, but did not
consider the position he was being held to. As the oppressors noticed the boys were trying to escape from this insanity, they put them back in the
rink and blindfolded them. The boy felt "blind terror. He was not unused to the darkness" (Ellison 288). He was no longer in control of what was
going on around him. Here, the blindfolds, one could say, represent his unconsciousness to him being held as lower class and he did not realize this
truly was not freedom until his head hit the marble floor. "Streaks of blue light filled the black world behind my blindfold." (Ellison 289). Later his
blindfold was removed and he could control his movements and his decisions. He wondered if he should play it dumb and humiliate himself or go
against the white man because he realized the oppressors did not actually respect him. The blindfolds before prevented the boys from looking smarter
than
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The point of view in Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal" comes strictly from his trials and tribulations that he has overcome as a young black writer that
began before the nineteen Fifties. Ralph Ellison was a black writer who was born on March 1, 1914 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma only seven years
after it had actually became a state. After completing the lengthy research of this man and his works I found that Ellison once had considered
becoming a classical music composer after getting the idea from a nineteenth century opera composer named Richard Wagner. The reading of "Battle
Royal" from "Literature An Introduction to reading and writing" by Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Zweig Tenth Edition was actually the first chapter of
Ellison's novel...show more content...
He deliberates how he was "looking for his self and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer."(Ellison) It seems
that his point of view from the beginning reflected upon his ancestors and how things were then as opposed to when he began this novel. His
grandparents being slaves during their time made him not ashamed of them, but the fact that he was ashamed of himself for at one time being
ashamed by it. I feel that his grandfather telling him to keep up the good fight symbolizes the title to this particular chapter. I feel Ellison's point of
view represented some melancholy from when he was invited to give a speech in the main ballroom of a well– known hotel. It was to be in front of
the towns leading white citizens. I think that Ellison was a little intimidated from the beginning for the simple fact of whom this speech would be
presented to. Ellison probably was nervous from just looking at the surrounds of the ballroom and the attire of those whom he would be presenting
to. For example "All the town's big shots were there in there tuxedos, wolfing down the buffet foods, drinking beer and whiskey and smoking black
cigars." (Ellison) I feel Ellison was intimidated of the ballroom itself for the fact that he describes how tall the ceilings were. I feel Ellison's point of
view changed twice in a matter of minutes. After they went down the elevator

Essay on Battle Royal, by Ralph Ellison
Battle Royal
If I had to pick one out of the many stories that we have read and say that it moved me the most, I would have to say that the story would have to be
"Battle Royal." The reason that the story did move me so was because of the author's keens use of symbolism. I intend to prove, using
textual evidence, that through the use of symbolism, the author portrays a larger meaning than what is initially implied to the reader who does not
thoroughly analyze the text.
Initially, the story seems to be about one black boy's struggle to get ahead in a prodominetly white society. He tries' to accomplish this goal by
adhering to his grandfathers dieing words. His grand...show more content...
The only way for a black person to excel at that time was to conform to the white society. Any rebels that tried to stand up for their rights were mostly
killed by anti–black groups such as the KKK.
There was one symbol in the story that stood out especially in my mind and that was the stripper. She was a tall blonde haired blue eyed woman with
a tattoo of the American flag on her belie. I think that the stripper symbolized the perfect American white woman, something that a black man could
strive his whole life to attain, but would never receive. This was a symbol of the many things that a white man could have, whereas a black man could
not.
I believe that the blind folded boxing in the story is a representation of the blind hatred of blacks at the time this story took place. By blind hatred
I mean the ignorance of the people of the time who could hate a person for the color of their skin. The boxers in the ring wailed at each other, not
knowing whom they were hitting or why, just that they had to fight. This was true in thewhite American society of the time because they didn't know
the black people, they blindly sent blows of segregation without actually knowing each individual, but stereotyped a whole race as no good and as lesser
beings simply for the color of their skin.
Another important symbol in the story that helps piece together my theory of the meaning of the story was

Most commonly in literature, the concept of invisibility is taken to the extreme effect of being physically transparent and unseen by anyone. In popular
media, the hero is also often portrayed as being invisible, going behind the enemy's back to complete his or her mission. In Ralph Ellison's Invisible
Man, this view of invisibility is reversed; rather than being invisible and getting noticed, a man is in plain sight of everyone– however, due to a slew of
stereotypes and prejudices, nobody recognizes what he accomplishes. Beginning his journey as a man who stays out of the way by doing what he is
told, he is quickly forced to leave and go somewhere else to "find" himself. This change puts him into a position into which can be more...show more
content...
H. Auden–
He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be
One against whom there was no official complaint,
And all the reports on his conduct agree
That, in the modern sense of an old–fashioned word, he was a saint...
And our teachers report that he never interfered with their education...
To put it more simply, he was the perfect student. However, the incident with Mr. Norton that occurs in his junior year, involving the passive use of the
narrator's invisibility, quickly turns foul and infuriates Dr. Bledsoe. During the intense argument that followed the narrator's trip to the Golden Day, Dr.
Bledsoe said, "Power doesn't have to show off. Power is confident, self–assuring, self–starting and self–stopping, self–warming and self–justifying.
When you have it you know it" (Ellison 143). Bledsoe's idea of invisibility manifests itself here– what the narrator eventually learns that having power
and being invisible can coincide with each other– a person can be "invisible" and successful as long as they have self–assurance and self–justification.
This discussion with Dr. Bledsoe opens the narrator's eyes to the real world, showing that being right does not necessarily equate to being powerful–
and people without power usually remain invisible.
The Liberty Paints plant, the place of work for the narrator for only a day, is one of the most important metaphors in the novel, serving to complexly

The Black Ball By Ralph Ellison Analysis
"I'm tired of being treated like a second–class citizen," said Rosa Parks, who helped initiate the civil rights movement in the United States. Racism
and ethnic discrimination in the United States has been a major issue, most of the exposure leads back to the colonial era and the slave era. In the
United States, African Americans found hope when The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was to put an end to discrimination once and for all, in any case,
many writers, such as Ralph Ellison and Langston Hughes, began to question if racism truly stopped. Through setting details, character aspirations, and
distinctive style, both Ellison and Hughes focused on the continued racism in the United States.
In both stories, the authors use setting to make the story...show more content...
Hughes illustrates black folk rhythm powerfully to bring slang and originality to every word protested. Ellison, in contrast, removes any sign of
African–American culture and emphasizes less on slang. Ironically, their differing styles lead to a very similar message: racism impacts a person's life
in a negative way. Their common message is shared, as similarities originate from character and setting choices. In both stories, an African American is
stripped of dreams and hope and the leading cause, the color of their

With the aid of rhetorical appeals, in Ralph Ellison's essay, "On Being the Target of Discrimination" he shapes literary portraits of specific moments
during his childhood that represents being the target of discrimination. "Ellison (1914–1994) was born in Oklahoma City At the age of three, Ralph's
father died, leaving his mother to support the both of them during a time of segregation with the limited domestic work that was available at the
time. Ralph studied music at the Tuskegee Institute after which he went to New York in 1936, where, he was encouraged by the novelist Richard
Wright to become associated with the Federal Writers' Project. Ellison taught literature and writing at Bard College, the University of Chicago,
Rutgers University, and New York University. Ralph Ellison became a staple in American fiction but unfortunately, a lot of his works remained
unfinished as a result of his death in 1994 (Bedford's/St. Martin's). Discrimination is put into words as the treatment of a person or a particular group
of people differently, in a way that is worse than the way people are usually treated (dictionary.cambridge.org). At the rare age of six, Ellison started to
understand the type of environment in which he lived. All though it was something that he gradually became accustomed to, he wasn't ignorant
towards the significance of segregation. He received an immediate experience in the matter. Ellison states, "... become the site of your very first lesson
in public

Ralph EllisonвЂ™s Essay, Battle Royal
In Ralph Ellison's essay "Battle Royal" he describes a Negro boy, timid and compliant, comes to a white smoker in a Southern town: he is to be
awarded a scholarship. Together with several other Negroes he is rushed to the front of the ballroom, where a sumptuous blonde tantalized and
frightens them by dancing in the nude. Blindfolded, the Negro boys stage a
"battle royal, " a free–for–all in which they pummel each other to the drunken shouts of the whites. "Practical jokes," humiliations, terrors–and then the
boy delivers a prepared speech of gratitude to his white benefactors. Any person with values and morals would be appalled and ashamed by that the
way the white men behaved. ...show more content...
At least that is what they thought. In my opinion the important white men were nothing more than pigs. They enjoyed watching a woman degrade
herself by dancing around these young men and taunting them to the point of arousal. These
men must be pretty damn desperate for entertainment to summit young high school graduates to such humiliation for their amusement. I am not only
appalled by what these men did but the fact that they were white.
After being humiliated and displayed he is now being told to enter he boxing ring for the "battle royal". In this event, the narrator and several of his
classmates must fight blindfolded until only one person remains standing. While the drunken crowd of respected bankers, lawyers, judges, doctors, and
even a pastor finds this to be great entertainment, to the participants it is quite humiliating and degrading. Eventually the narrator and one other man
are left alone in the ring. The narrator offers to let the other man win, but the request is refused. Therefore, the two continue to fight until the narrator
eventually loses. The fact that grown, respected man can watch and be entertained by this barbaric behavior. I believe that these young men were
placed on display for these influential white men. These young men were used to amuse them for one night. It is as if these influential white men were
watching two chickens go at it or two dogs fighting. Those young men may have been black but they

The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Essay
The novel Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison depicts the journey of a young African American man finding his way in the world during the Harlem
Renaissance. The unnamed protagonist encounters many obstacles, such as the varying ideas of others, that skew his view of how things are supposed
to be in the world. As the protagonist attempts to find the truth about his identity, his naivete causes him to become thrown off as he is confronted by
new ideas that he does not fully understand. This process causes him much turmoil as he constantly turns to others to provide the guidance that only he
can give himself. Throughout the novel the protagonist struggles to find his own identity as he wholeheartedly adopts the ideas of others, Ellison utilizes
...show more content...
After arriving in New York, the protagonist encounters a yam seller on the street. The narrator comments that since the yams look good, he know
they are going to taste good as well, the yam seller replies, "you right, but everything that looks good ain't necessarily good"(264). Although the
narrator believes this statement is just about yams, it actually links to all of the ideas the narrator held throughout the novel up to this point. While
the narrator is attending the college, he notices the statue of the Founder lifting the veil off a slave's head could be interpreted as the veil being lifted
or the veil being pushed further down. The statue represents how the ideas of the Founder can be perceived as bad when one is not undermining the
wishes of the whites, and they can be viewed as good by others who accept the white authority. This quote also can refer to the Battle Royal and the
speech that the narrator gives at his graduation. The narrator believes that the Battle Royal is a good thing, because it means that he gets to present his
speech to a white audience that will judge him properly, but in reality the Battle Royal was a terrible abuse of the authority the whites held over the
young black men. The protagonist's naivete creates turmoil and obstacles for him throughout the novel that help shape the narrator and lead to the
revelation he has

Ralph Ellison Biography
"A Classic is a book that doesn't have to be written again." – W. E. B. Du Bois
Ralph Waldo Ellison was born in Oklahoma in 1913. Lewis and Ida Ellison named their second born son after the famed writer Ralph Waldo
Emerson. Lewis, who loved to read, fostered ambitions for his son to become a poet. He would never see these ambitions fulfilled. Ralph Ellison's
father worked as a construction foreman and was killed in 1916 after an ice block dropped and shattered sending shards into Lewis' abdomen.
Attempts to save him in surgery proved unsuccessful. This loss marked the end of a solidly middle class existence for the Ellison family. Ida would
strive to hold things together for her two surviving sons, Ralph and Herbert, but their social status

Symbolism In Battle Royal, By Ralph Ellison
The short story "Battle Royal" by Ralph Ellison was retrieved from The Invisible Man. The story was written in the 19th century when the time
was not in favor of people of color. The human invisibility in the story doesn't mean a human with a superpower of being invisible, but its meaning
has a deep symbolism. Human invisibility simply refers to a human that is chose to not be seen by other people just because whoever that person
may be, has a different color than the majority. The grandfather's last words were shocking to the family simply because they have a different point
of view. The family is anxious because of the grandfather's last words "our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days" (Ellison). The
family was not expecting

October 15, 2013 Jerna' Davis
@02706690
Order of Things: End of Civil War Through Reconstruction Era The Civil War reigned from 1861 up until 1865, and its ultimate intention was to
predispose whether the political stand of the Union or the Confederacy would be governed. During the time period of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln
was the president in office. He administered a platform leading the destruction of slavery in the North and intended to carry this idea throughout the
Confederate states that had previously seceded from the Union.
In Ralph Ellison's What America Would Be Like Without Blacks the author explains the roles of the black persona and the impact that they had on
America under a political light. African–Americans were the underlying source for declaration of war, demand of law enforcement and creation of
organizations in the United States. The south was not in agreement to the idea of a free black man though, the north wanted to stop the expansion of
slavery beyond it's borders. In the south there was a need for slaves to work on the plantations and on the fields. Seeing as though, slaves were the
ones who kept their owner's homes up and in good shape while the northern states had no use for slaves because the need for labor was more based on
industry rather than agricultural aspects such as farming, and cotton picking. Climatically, this is

Analysis Of The Battle Royal By Ralph Ellison
"The Battle Royal" by Ralph Ellison
Life is full of obstacles, but no matter what it is we must struggle for survival. In the short story "The Battle Royal" by Ralph Ellison, the narrator talks
about the clash between the African–American and white and the segregation issues. It features a young black man who has recently graduated from
high school, and he is invited to give a speech to a group white gathering. While delivering the speech, he goes through humiliation from the whites as a
sign of enjoyment. Therefore, the narrator saw himself and caused the conflicts within himself because he was confused about his identity. Also, he
deals with racism at some points he narrates how...show more content...
The narrator felt that even though they were separate, they would one day achieve equality and live happily.
The narrator has some traits that enable him to survive in the racist society. Among the qualities, invisibility–lack of identity and blindness helped him
to overcome the segregation and idealism that existed. Ellison has been a hero fails to recognize his role and achievements instead he let other people
define him. The only way he can accept his real identity is by accepting who he is and adapting to the society. Again, recognizing your role in the
community helps one discover his identity. Why the narrator feels invisible?
He feels invisible because no one knows his true self, not even him." The narrator at one point believes that living by someone's opinion was easier
than trying to figure out his true self" (Ellison). "I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction and even self–contradictory. I
was naive I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer"(Ellison, 1). The narrator believes
that many people struggle with finding their identity, but since they don't share their struggles, he feels that he is the only one (invisible). Also, later,
he realized his true self, but for everyone around him, he was just an invisible man "That I am nobody but myself. But first I had to discover that I am
an invisible man" (Ellison, 1). Does the narrator feel pressure for his grandfather

In Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, we are presented with an unnamed narrator whose values and potentials are invisible to the world around him.
Throughout the entirety of the novel, we see the unnamed narrator, also known as the Invisible Man, struggle in an attempt to uncover his identity
buried beneath African American oppression and an aggregation of deception. Ellison shows us how lies and deceit may serve as a grave but
invaluable obstacle to one's journey to find their identity. Through the use of imagery, symbols, and motifs of blindness along with invisibility, Ellison
portrays the undeniable obstacle that deception plays in one's ability to establish their identity along with the necessity of it.
Within the opening chapter, the...show more content...
The Battle Royal established the relationship between white power, male power, and (hetero)sexual power, the 'self–grounding presumptions' of
dominant subjectivity, as central to the narrator's embrace of abjection. Furthermore, it equates these structures or power with the visibility of
disempowered bodies. (Jarenski 89)
He was deceived by the white man whose approval he so desperately craved. However, this lie and deceit is one necessary to his journey to find his
identity. It was essential for the Invisible Man to face this hard pressed reality and embrace the abjection. The Battle Royal inexplicably defined the
dominance of the white male throughout this time. Without knowing of the unfortunate white male dominance of the times, he would never be able to
see past the fog of lies that is omnipresent throughout the entire novel. "The [Invisible Man looked] to find identity within the roles assigned to him
by the white audience. His primary concern [was] how they [would] perceive his dual role as a participant and a speaker" (Jarenski 89). He longed for
their approval, unconsciously knowing that with their approval and acceptance his ability to establish his identity would be facile. It was vital for the
Invisible Man to learn this arduous lesson. He needed to be acquainted with the idea that the white man is all powerful and also all ambiguous.
Unfortunately, at the end of the night, the superintendent presented the Invisible Man

The Invisible Man Essay example
The Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison speaks of a man who is "invisible" to the world around him because people fail to acknowledge his presence. The author of the piece
draws from his own experience as an ignored man and creates a character that depicts the extreme characteristics of a man whom few stop to
acknowledge. Ellison persuades his audience to sympathize with this violent man through the use of rhetorical appeal. Ethos and pathos are dominant
in Ellison's writing style. His audience is barely aware of the gentle encouragement calling them to focus on the "invisible" individuals around us. Ralph
Ellison's rhetoric in, "Prologue from The Invisible Man," is effective when it argues that an individual with little or...show more content...
While Ellison rises above his obstacles to critical acclaim and success, the Invisible Man resorts to violent acts and isolationism. Ellison dramatizes the
outcast and the actions extreme isolationists are capable of carrying out.
Ralph Ellison raises a significant question regarding one's identity: To what lengths will one go to in order to gain respect from the rest of the world?
Ellison concludes that an invisible man has the potential to become malevolent when his narrator states that:
"You ache with the need to convince yourself that you do exist in the real world, that you're a part of all the sound and anguish, and you strike out
with your fists, you curse and you swear to make them recognize you. And, alas, it's seldom successful." (145–46)
His essay targets any individual who may consider themselves an outcast in one way or another. Ellison's use of ethos is unique in this story because it
has little to do with him, but rather his narrator. The entire story focuses on the "Invisible Man." The narrator claims authority over Ellison's theme of
identity because he himself is an invisible man. Although the story is fictional, the character holds just as much personality as a real individual. The
invisible man resides in his own world because he feels that no one can relate to his situation. Ellison affirms this when his narrator states:

Themes and Styles of Ralph Ellison
English IV
16 November 2005
The Themes and Styles of Ralph Ellison Ralph Ellison has proven himself through his novel The Invisible Man to be the leading black author of the
twentieth century. Although he had written many short stories and essays collected in the book Shadow and Act, The Invisible Man is his only novel.
With this one novel, Ellison earned himself the 1953 National Book Award and acclaim by theAfrican American community for so accurately
portraying the struggles a black American had to face in the 1930s. The writing style of Ellison is not typical of the writing style of other black
authors of his time period like Baldwin or Wright. His Americanized writing style can be better compared to Melville, West and Faulkner. The
...show
more content...
He repeatedly pushes against the walls of his environment. Although he doesn't prevail, this doesn't lessen his quest of the search of identity past
the labels the world would give him. Although he is clearly loyal to the African American community, he cannot be thought of as simply black.
Instead, he carries messages back and forth throughout the novel between white and black worlds. The narrator, a southern Negro, is very much
like us. He can be seen as a "trickster" who lessens the assumptions and stereotypes of both these racial groups. Ellison' pride shown in his Negro
heritage and his claim to having roots in a transracial culture both coexist (Stephens 115; Baker 114:101; Weinberg 42). Ellison includes black
American folklore in The Invisible Man and all of his short stories to bridge the gap between how unique and deep the black experience can be. It
has been called the "cornerstone of Invisible Man." It gives the stories a "dimension beyond realism." Folklore adds power to his fiction, letting his
characters "fly to the moon" if they wished. It gives the fiction a realistic taste of black culture. The folklore is very metaphorical, as it always has a
meaning prevalent to an idea it is trying to convey. In The Invisible Man the narrator frees himself from his isolation and blindness by unlocking the
past which is accomplished through folklore. African American folktale incorporated in his works includes sermons, tales,

Identity In Ralph Ellison's Battle Royal
Ralph Ellison's narrator in "Battle Royal" claims that "I am nobody but myself" and relates from the beginning of the story that "All my life I had
been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was." As an African American man, he is given expectations
about his place in society by his own family and other African American people as well as white members of society. He goes to this ceremony
expecting to be praised for a scholarship he is set to receive to better his life and is instead forced to fight and is humiliated by the upper class white
men. This previous claim that "I am nobody but myself", seems to be using "myself" to refer to a person freed from the restrictions that society gave
them, as well

Summary of 'Battle Royal' by Ralph Ellison
Triumphing Over Challenges
The story "Battle Royal", by Ralph Ellison is about a young black man who has to overcome racial inequalities. The story opens with his grandfather
dying words and leaving the family with words that stick with the main character for life. The main character, whose name in not mentioned, is very
intelligent and because of this the prominent white businessmen ask him to give a speech at a hotel. Upon his arrival, the white men put him through
many humiliating acts for their enjoyment. There is a boxing match and also an electric carpet, but the boy preservers through them all. At the end he
is finally given a chance to deliver his speech. Although the men are being inattentive, the superintendent rewards the boy...show more content...
The young man keeps his grandson on his toes, mainly the battle royal.
2
The young man does not know what is in store for him. He goes to the hotel ready to show his dexterity, but is humiliated by having to participate in a
battle royal, which is a boxing match between multiple participants. Young men in the fight are blindfolded, "I had no dignity. I stumbled about like a
baby or a drunken man" (244). The boy shows great inner strength when he chooses to stay in the fight for amusement of the white businessmen, which
demonstrates his fulfillment to his grandfathers words. If in fact he does get thrown out he many not have a chance to give his speech.
The second humiliating experience was after the battle royal match. Money is lying on an electrified carpet, "I lunged for a yellow coin lying on the
blue design of the carpet, touching it and sending a surprised shriek to join those rising around me. I tried frantically to remove my hand but could not
let go. A hot, violent force tore through my body, shaking me like a wet rat. The rug was electrified' "(246). This quote demonstrates the amount of
humiliation that the young man is put through, because of his grandfathers dying words he counties to the end when he gives his speech.
The young man finally delivers his speech and shows great integrity while doing it. While giving his speech the men are being very disrespectful by
not listening. It almost seems as if he isn't even

Ralph Ellison Thesis
The narrator is considered a smart, promising young black boy and is rewarded when he presents the graduation address for his school. Even
though he and some other boys were abused as entertainment for the drunken white townsmen, the narrator still presents his speech and is awarded
a briefcase with a college scholarship inside. The tension between how he sees himself and how others see him is apparent when he delivers his
speech. After being taunted to repeat big words, he accidentally says "social equality" instead of "social responsibility". The room went Hoffman 2
quiet and a man made sure the narrator knew his mistake, "'We mean to do right by you, but you've got to know your place at all times" (Ellison 31).
The narrator's

Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal" Essay example
Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal" is a story about blindness and realization.
It's about conformity and uprising. "Battle Royal" is about wanting to please the very people who look at you as an inferior race. In this story, the
narrator is moved from idealism to realism. He is awakened to a new world in which he finally sees the prejudice that exists and that is directed toward
him.
The story begins with the narrator reminiscing about the day his grandfather died. His grandfather delivered a speech that would haunt his young
grandson for years to come. The old man said "Son, after I'm gone I want you to keep up the good fight. I never told you, but I have been a traitor all
my born days, a spy in the enemy's country ever since I gave up...show more content...
His motives are not for his safety, which shows that he ignorantly still believes that the white men care about him.
The scramble for money on the electric rug is a turning point in the story. He finally turns his focus away from his upcoming speech, and he is only
worried about getting the gold pieces off of the rug. He loses control of his bodily functions due to the electric shocks, which turn the boys into animals.
They start clawing each other and biting each other to get to the money, while the men watch howling with laughter and amusement. This is another
example of the black boys and their physical humiliation being used as a source of entertainment. The protagonist starts trying to think of ways to get
one of the white men onto the rug, which shows that he is not in awe of them as much as he was before. This shows that he is beginning to think of
revenge towards his white adversaries. These actions also hint that he may be subconsciously aware of a meaning to his grandfather's words.
When the time finally comes for him to deliver his speech, he is flustered and extremely nervous. He can hardly talk because of the injuries that he has
suffered. He is not really conscious of all that is going on around him. The men's antics do not stop though. They tease him and make him repeat
himself.

Battle Royal Ralph Ellison Analysis

Battle Royal Ralph Ellison Analysis

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Battle Royal Ralph Ellison Analysis