Battle Royale by Ralph Ellion

Introduction

Ralph Ellison is re-known for the critical work in the world of writing. He has various text under his credit and critically known for highlighting the issues. Similarly, in the chapter of Battle Royale he covered extensively on the black people life. However, in Battle Royal, Ralph Ellison tells a story filled with symbolism of how a young man earns his opportunity to fulfill his grandfather's wishes after literally fighting to overcome his inner conflicts. The narrator is a young African American who is growing up in a time of discrimination. His grandfather has a hate toward the white man referring to them as the enemy (Bellow, 1952, 608-610). The boy does not understand where this anger towards them comes from as he has always been praised by the white men. After all, he is led by the nose and sees no problem with the way things are being done. That is until he is thrown into a situation where his loyalty will be tested, and his limits will be pushed. The narrator will be faced with several battles in which he will have to keep his grandfather's advice in mind in order to succeed (Baumbach, 1963, 48-65).

Discussion

However, while reading the story Battle Royal, I did not know whether to feel proud or furious for what this young black man had to go through. The essence of the story really makes the reader think twice for analyzing the story. At the beginning, we know that slaver had been over, but the question for me it being it really over? This young man had lived his life hiding. He mentions at the beginning that it took him a long time to realize that he is nobody but himself. The text made me feel furious because on the day ...