Ellison's Speech In The Battle Royal, By Ralph Ellison

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Battle Royal was a story written by Ralph Ellison, He wrote the story in 1952. The story was about a young black guy who has just graduated high school, which he was trying to figure himself out he was confused to what he wanted to do. He wanted to give a speech at this event so he was invited to take part in to the Royal Battle. The Royal Battle was with nine other black men. After the long fight he did his speech and he was awarded with a scholarship to the state college for Negros. Ellison though he was curse by his grandfather because on the grandfather deathbed his last words before he died was to "keep up the good fight". "Our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days", "live with your head in the lion’s mouth". He didn’t …show more content…
He was scared and frighten because he didn’t know what to expect but he wanted to do his speech so he was willing to do whatever it takes. When he got to the fight him and the nine other black men was blind folded and force to get in to the ring to fight. The white men called them black boys and made them fight. When the fight started he hobbles throughout the ring like he was lost. When he starts fighting he was getting punch everywhere which he felt himself bleeding from the nose and mouth. As he was fighting the room was full with white angry drunk men screaming at the black boys to hurt one other. He could not see barley hear or feel his own body because he was so beaten at that time. Things began to get worse the nine other guys start punching him all at once. He wanted to give up but he’s now starting to understand his grandfather’s word “our world is a war" these white men have no regard for the feelings or emotions of these young blacks’ men. These young black men have fought this war if they are ever wanted to leave this battlefield. He felt the other nine black men didn’t really have a care they wasn’t curse by their grandfather so he felt he had to fight his way out. He just has to figure out how to get through this fight and do his speech so he can achieve his …show more content…
He did not want to fight to begin with but when he wanted to do his speech they invited him to the Royal Battle. So the other guy that was left in the ring was one of the biggest guys there. He tried to take the easy way out and told the guy to “Fake like I knocked you out, you can have the prize". The other guy wasn’t buying the fake fight he continue to punch and punch on him then Ellison start thinking about his speech and he started to gain strength so he started punching back but later on in the fight the guy punches him again he eventually felt out and got dragged out the ring on to a chair bleeding. After the fight the white men through coins into the ring to have them fight on the ground for the coins for more excitement for them to laugh at. He start to see more and more what his grandfather was talking about at that time his grandfather had to accept it but he didn’t like it. The grandfather never found a way out. This is what the grandfather meant when he said he had been a traitor his whole life so now he is trying to find his way out because he knew his grandfather

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