InBattleRoyal,anunidentifiedAfricanAmericanprotagonistelucidatesupon

theinhumanenatureofracismandsegregationinthesouth.Inthestory,theyoung
invisiblemandealswithbetrayal,lackofselfidentity,andracist,andsexistthemes.The
InvisibleManfacesthebetrayalofwhitepeoplethroughliesregardingfreedom,and
evensomewhitepeoplethathethoughthecouldtrust.Thenarratorslackofselfidentity
isrootedwithhisgrandparents,specificallyhisgrandfather.Histrekwithracismand
viewsexismismostprominentlysymbolizedinthestory.
Althoughslaveryhadbeenabolishedforabouteightyyears,thelawsandthe
justicesystemdidnotprotectAfricanAmericansfromthebetrayalofsegregationand
racismatthehandofwhitepeople.Therewasstilllynchingandthesenseless
mistreatmentandevenmurdersofAfricanAmericansbywhites.InBattleRoyal,
RalphEllisondisplaysthebehaviorAfricanAmericanshadtoadopt,thatwasconsidered
desirabletowhitepeople,tosurvive.But,thesebehaviorswerealsoseenasabetrayal
totheblackrace.
Muchofthenarratorsexperiencewithbetrayalcamebythepeopleandideals
thathetrusts.Inthestory,Ellisonusesimageryandasortoftwistedmetaphorto
demonstratetheideologicalpowerofwhitesupremacythathehimselfhadtoendure.The
narratorsarrivalatthehotelintroducesbetrayal,brokenpromises,andgameplaying
themes.Thenarratorsspeechintroducesapatternofironyanddualitythatpervadesthe
story.Indoingso,heestablishesapatternofsimplydoingwhatothersexpectofhim,
withoutexamininghismotives,establishinghisownvaluesystem,orconsideringthe
consequencesofhisactions.Thenarratorismockedandcriticizedbyrespectedwhite

menwhenheattemptedtogivehisgraduationspeech.Hisspeechinsomewaygivesan
exampleofhowthewhitemenhavetrainedhimtobelievetheracialresponsibility,but
notracialequality.Althoughasayounghighschoolgraduatehenavelyassumedhe
hadsomechoiceinwhethertoparticipateinthebattleroyal,lookingbackonthe
incident,herealizesthathehadnochoice.Isuspectedthatfightingabattleroyalmight
detractfromthedignityofmyspeech.(137)
Throughhiswork,Ellisonsuggeststhatbigotryhindersthedevelopmentofself
identity.ReadingofEllison'snovelsuggeststhatthethemeofinvisibilityhasdifferent
dimensions:(a)Invisibilitysuggeststheunwillingnessofotherstoseetheindividualasa
person.Thenarratorisinvisiblebecausepeopleseeinhimonlywhattheywanttosee,
notwhathereallyis.Invisibility,inthissense,hasastrongsenseofracialprejudice.
Whitepeopleoftendonotseeblackpeopleasindividualhumanbeings.(b)Invisibility
suggestsseparationfromsociety.Whilethenarratorisinhishole,heisinvisible.He
cannotbeseenbysociety.Heisinvisiblebecausehechoosestoremainapart.Invisibility,
inthissense,isassociatedwithhibernation,withthenarrator'sconsciouschoiceto
remaininhiscaveandthink.(c)Invisibilitysuggestslackofselfhood.Apersonis
invisibleifhehasnoself,noidentity.(SoBlackandBlue:RalphEllisonandthe
OccasionofCriticismbyKennethW.Warrenpage89)Throughoutthisstory,Ellisonis
concernedwiththemasks,roles,andlabelspeopleimposeononeanotherinthis
particularsociety.
Thenarratorsquestionofselfidentityisnotrestrictedtothemeretwentyyears
ofhisownlifebuttothelivesofhisgrandparents,whowerebornasslavesandfreed

eightyfiveyearsbefore.Thiswasafreedomthatmadethemrhetoricallypartofa
UnitedStates,butthatinthesocialspherekeptAfricanAmericansseparatefrom
whiteslikeseparatefingersonthehand.Abouteightyfiveyearsagotheyweretold
theywerefree,unitedwithothersofourcountryineverythingpertainingtothecommon
good,and,ineverythingsocial,separatelikethefingersofthehand.(137)
Thebattleroyalscenesymbolizesaracist,sexist,social,andpoliticalpower
struggle.Centraltothisstrugglearetheissuesofrace,class,andgender,threeconcepts
thenarratormustcometotermswithbeforehecanacknowledgeandaccepthisidentity
asablackmaninwhiteAmerica.Tounderscorehismessagethatblacksforcedtolivein
asegregatedsocietyaredeniedtheirhumanrights,Ellisonusestwopowerfulsymbolic
elementstosymbolizeracism:thewhiteblindfoldsandthebrasstokens.
Thewhiteblindfoldssymbolizehowthenarratorwasblindedbywhite.
Inundatedbywhiteracistpropagandaconcerningtheinferiorityofblacks.Becausenone
oftheboyscanaffordtobuythecarsadvertised,thetokensunderscoretheeconomic
inequitybetweenblacksandwhites.Thetokensalsosuggesttheworthless,empty
gestureinherentintokenism,whichisthepracticeofincludingaselectfewblacksinto
whitesocietywithoutgrantingallblackssocialequalityaswellassocialresponsibility.
(ShadowingRalphEllisonbyJohnWrightpg56)
Thebattleroyalisabrutalriteofpassagethatthruststhenavenarratorintoa
violent,racist,chaoticworldwheretherulesthatgovernasocietydonotapply,thereare
norounds[and]nobellsatthreeminuteintervals(141).Byparticipatinginthebattle
royal,thenarratorlearnsthatlifeisastruggleforsurvival,butatthispointhestill

believesinthephilosophyofBookerT.Washington:thatblackscanachievesuccess
througheducationandindustry.Symbolically,thesceneintroducesthethemeofstruggle
amongblacksthroughracismforanelusiveprizethatoftenremainsoutofreach.The
economicstructureofthespectaclesimplicitlycriticizeswaysinwhichmoneyand
economicpowersustaintheexpressionofracialhatred.Astheschoolmatesfighteach
otherforcoins,tryingnottogetshocked,itseemsthatEllisonisproposingaparodyof
whatitisliketotrytosucceedinasegregatedsociety.And,inthissegregatedworld,
economicsuccessmakestheAfricanAmericanindividualatargettobothotherAfrican
Americansandtowhitesthatarethreatenedbysuchsuccess.
Thestoryoffersanironicdisplayofselfrealizationthatbothhighlightsand
critiquestheforcesofracism,anddiscrimination.Theimagerydescriptionofthenaked
whitewomaninthemiddleoftheroomashavinghairthatisyellowlikethatofacircus
kewpiedoll,thefacepowderedandrouged,asthoughtoformanabstractmask.(139)
Here,thewhitewomanisseenasoccupyingasimilarsocialstationtothatoftheyoung
blackmen.Likethem,sheisnottreatedasahumanbeing,butasaninanimateobject,a
doll,broughtinasatoyorplaything,partofthecircuslikeentertainmentforthe
enjoymentofthewhitemen.Thenarratorultimatelyseemstobesympathetictothewhite
woman.Yet,hedescribeshereyesashollowandsmearedacoolblue,thecolorofa
baboonsbutt.(138)Thisiscertainlyanodddescriptiveimage.However,the
associationofthenakedwhitewomenwithababoonsbuttexplainshisbothdisgust
anddisdainforher.Withfurtherreading,thenarratorseesthewomanasdelicate,and
vulnerable,indicatinghisfeelingsofsympathyforher,assheisalsobeinghumiliated

andexploitedbytheroomfulofwhitemen,whoappearintimidatingassomegrayand
threateningsea.So,asthestorymainlyexploitstheracistthemes,generaldiscrimination
towardsblacksandwhitewomenshowsthetrueheartlessnessoftheracist,sexist,white
meninthestory.
InBattleRoyalbyRalphEllison,theInvisibleManismovingawayfromhis
idealism,andisbecomingarealist.Thenarratorlaterassociateshimselfwithananimal,
onethatisdelicate,vulnerable,andbeautiful:abutterfly.Asheliesknockedtothefloor,
hewatchesadarkredspotofmyownbloodshapingitselfintoabutterfly,glistening
andsoakingintothesoiledgrayworldofthecanvas.Eveninthemomentofutterpain,
humiliation,anddefeat,thenarratormaintainsthesenseofselfworthtoenvisionhimself
assomethingbeautiful.Further,butterfliesareassociatedwithchangeandrebirth,asthe
beautifulbutterflyemergesfromtheplaincocoon.Insomeways,thisexperienceisasort
ofrebirthforthenarrator,ashegainsadeeper,albeitmoretroubling,perspectiveon
thenatureofracism,andhisownpositioninawhite,racistsociety.Thenarrator
experiencesanawakeningduringhisboutin"BattleRoyal"thatcauseshimtostrayfrom
hisinitialattitudeofsubmission,anddevelopanaggressive,butcautiousapproachtothe
circumstancesthatplaguetheAfricanAmericancommunity.Healludestothisepiphany
proclaiming,"IfinallypullederectanddiscoveredthatIcouldseewithmyeye
partlyopenednowtherewasnotsomuchterror.Imovedcarefully,avoidingblows,
althoughnottoomanytoattractattention,fightingfromgrouptogroup."(141)
Thenarratorhasseeminglystumbledupontheessenceofhisgrandfather'sdying
request,bybeingawareheisabletoembarkonaplanofactionthatwouldundoubtedly

appeasehisgrandfather.Herecognizesthewhiteman'sstrategy,butpretendstostillbe
blind.Bypretendingthis,thenarratordoesnotdrawattentiontohimself,therebyfreeing
himselftonavigatetheminefieldofbeingbetrayed,greatlyeffectedbyracism,
perceivingsexism,andfindingwhohereallyis.

A Battle To

Remember:

Battle
Royal
AaLona Allen
September 6, 2008
ENG 120
Professsor R. A. Waller BA, MA, MFA, PhD./ABD