Battle Royal Ellison Analysis

After reading “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison, “Of Mr. Booker T. Washington” by W.E.B. Du Bois, and “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, readers are able to gain a sense of the invisibility in which the authors are all attempting to portray. There are many factors which enabled those who took part within these writings to feel this particular way. The first factor is due to the white supremacy which was displayed throughout all three texts. The amount of profanity and rudeness in which they were forced to endure, results as a factor leading towards the invisible feeling as well. The third and final factor, which added to the list of reasons for feeling invisible, was due to their own reactions and the helplessness they began to feel as a result of the actions of the white people. White supremacy played a major role within …show more content…
He finds himself in a sticky situation where he must suffer brutal beatings from a number of different men while an audience watches intriguingly. Ellison states, “I stood against the ropes trembling. For in those days I was what they called ginger-colored, and he sounded as though he might crunch me between his teeth like a crisp ginger cookie” (1152). This statement allows readers to understand the fear held within the narrator as he discusses how he shook with fear. In the battle, we see helplessness within the narrator because we can feel that he feels like no one is on his side, as well as the fact that he has no one to care for him. Towards the middle of the battle we read, “I was afraid. I wanted to leave but I also wanted to speak and I was afraid they’d snatch me down” (Ellison 1158). Readers are able to understand that even though the narrator has a great sense of determination when it comes to gaining the chance to deliver his speech, he still experience that helpless feeling as he is scared that the outcome will be