Battyle Royal Essay

1616 Words7 Pages
Hannah Dunn AP English Steffen November 8, 2010 “Battle Royal” Ralph Ellison's short story, “Battle Royal”, compares a young man's fight in a battle royal to the fight of the African Americans through time. The author uses his past experiences and own life situations to create a vivid plot and story. A biographical approach is used by Ellison to tell the story of a high school scholar invited to give a speech in front of many important people of the town. Instead he is trapped in a fight. The battle royal paints the picture of the African Americans' fight for their rights. The story illustrates an allegory that can be used as a learning experience. The theme of the short story is how the uniting of people for a common cause is a better approach than fighting against each other. The prejudice world that the African Americans lived through was tough but together they had the power to stop the abuse. Unfortunately they didn't take advantage of that power at first. This story displays their struggles through comparing it to a strategic fight. Symbols, character, and setting each contribute to the theme of the “Battle Royal”. Symbolism played a major role in Ellison's theme of “Battle Royal”. Throughout the entire short story, symbols are used to help complete the allegory of the African American's struggle. The battle royal symbolized the African American's entire struggle. They were brought over here in the founding of the New World to be used as slaves for the plantation owners. Right away they were mistreated and abused. Their struggle started with their first steps on the shores of America. Even though they received their freedom after the Civil War, they never truly were granted their deserved respect and rights. Instead of working together for a common good, they fought against each other. Even during the time of the story, the blacks did not work together.
Open Document