Themes And Symbolism In Battle Royal, By Ralph Ellison

Playing a Role to Be Successful Attaining freedom does not mean one has achieved equality. The civil war ended enslavement; however, African Americans still experienced discrimination. Ralph Ellison discusses this topic in his narrative “Battle Royal” which depicts the life of a youthful African American post-civil war. Ralph Ellison’s “invisible man” was a youthful African-American who had to manage persecution to endure in his current time. Ralph Ellison utilizes images, themes, and symbols in “Battle Royal” with a specific end goal to enhance the depiction of the life of a youthful African-American male who makes an effort to achieve scholarly progress while being mistreated by his white partners. Symbolism is utilized in numerous parts of this short story; however, the most affecting point where symbolism is utilized is in the ballroom where the battle royal happens. …show more content…
The storyteller has at last completed the battle royal and is finally ready to present his discourse to all the white male group. Ellison clarifies how he is getting explicit irreverence from the group who is talking, laughing, and overlooking him as he discusses his speech. Ellison later depicts the struggle of reciting his discourse as he states “I gulped it down (212),” expresses a line about equality between African Americans and the Whites which soon gets the consideration of all the white men in the room. They soon criticize the storyteller’s choice of words, who is then compelled to change it with a specific end goal to keep the group upbeat. This depicts an antagonistic scene where the young African American male must choose the option to attempt to express what is on his mind without putting his life at risk. Ellison plays on both visual and organic imagery as a picture is painted of a disrespected, bloodied, and fatigued African American male who is tired of playing the role of an obedient