Literary Criticism In Battle Royal, By Ralph Ellison

“Battle Royal” is a short story written by Ralph Ellison in 1952. He was born in Oklahoma City. After the death of his father when he was three years old, his mother started to work as a servant. His mother used to bring him books and phonograph records from the house where she worked. Because of that he got interest in literature and music. He has received the national book award for fiction regarding his literary work named “invisible man” (1952). Battle royal is the first chapter of the novel named “invisible man”. This novel is the great example of the literary work.
The story starts way back some twenty years ago. Battle royal is a story about a young black man who has recently graduated his high school. The story starts with the confused …show more content…
On his death bed he told his father to “keep up the good fight” that he had always been a traitor and a spy in the enemy’s country. Also the words like “live with your head in the lion’s mouth” (Ralph Ellison, 1952). But those words made him and his family members totally confused and left them in disgust too. He thinks that the words of his grandfather are curse and he star to think how life is going to challenge him like his grandfather said to him. Because of those words everyone was shocked and in confusion. It was like his grandfather was not dead; those words were in everyone’s mind making them silent and to think about that. After that his family members told him to forget about what his grandfather said. He was totally confused and had a bad impact on his mind about what his grandfather said. Because of those words whenever he was happy for doing something right and good, he used to feel guilty and uncomfortable. Even though he was following his grandfather advice and was praised by the white people of the town. If he didn’t do it so by following his own way they would have hated him and treated him badly. He always knew that it was the wrong way to get praised for doing so but he had no choice rather than doing that. It seemed like it was in favor of the white people but in reality it wasn’t if they knew the truth. On the day of his graduation he was praised and …show more content…
With that brief case he praised him and told him to lead his people in a right path. That was the most awaited moment in his life, he felt like he gained something he wanted from his life and overcomes the fear which his grandfather had set in his mind. Everyone in his family was happy and excited by what he gained. And he stopped to fear about his grandfather curse after that. He was proud of himself and thought that he was out of his grandfather situation. He was strong individual by