Battle Royal Ralph Ellison Analysis
Journey From Childhood to Adults
Everyday our youth is reminded of the reality of the world around them. As they grow up they learn the truth not only about our world, but themselves. They feel the pressure to conform to what others think is acceptable of them. In turn they overcome hardships that help them to grow as individuals. This rite of passage is called initiation. The presence of this theme occurs throughout our textbook in a number of stories. The story “Doe Season”, by David Kaplan, is a great example of initiation in young children. The protagonist, who is a 9-yr-old-girl named Andrea, is faced with a serious gender problem. Her father desperately wanted a son when she was born, but instead got a daughter. In turn he raised Andy …show more content…
The protagonist in this is an unnamed, young black boy who was Valedictorian of his High School class. Ellison adds the dying words of the boys grandfather to haunt him, and in turn make him a stronger person: “…life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days, a spy in the enemies country ever since I give up my gun back in the Reconstruction. Live with your head in the lion’s mouth. I want you to overcome ‘em with yeses, undermine ‘em with grins, agree ‘em to death and destruction, let ‘em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open”(116). This speech helped the young boy to succeed and becoming valedictorian, in a time when it was not common. A lot of the causes of the conflict occur when the boy is at the awards dinner in his honor. The fact that they delayed his speech caused a conflict in the boys’ head; he couldn’t understand why they were making him box at a ceremony. Prestigious white men humiliated the black boys. They caused the second conflict by teasing them with a naked female stripper. They were able to look, but not touch. This symbolized their power over the boys. The protagonist said,” I felt a desire to spit upon her as my eyes brushed slowly over her body”(118). Next, the whole time the boys are boxing, Ellison lets the readers now how anxious the boy is to make his speech. The final conflict is when the M.C. told them, “Come up here boys and get
Everyday our youth is reminded of the reality of the world around them. As they grow up they learn the truth not only about our world, but themselves. They feel the pressure to conform to what others think is acceptable of them. In turn they overcome hardships that help them to grow as individuals. This rite of passage is called initiation. The presence of this theme occurs throughout our textbook in a number of stories. The story “Doe Season”, by David Kaplan, is a great example of initiation in young children. The protagonist, who is a 9-yr-old-girl named Andrea, is faced with a serious gender problem. Her father desperately wanted a son when she was born, but instead got a daughter. In turn he raised Andy …show more content…
The protagonist in this is an unnamed, young black boy who was Valedictorian of his High School class. Ellison adds the dying words of the boys grandfather to haunt him, and in turn make him a stronger person: “…life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days, a spy in the enemies country ever since I give up my gun back in the Reconstruction. Live with your head in the lion’s mouth. I want you to overcome ‘em with yeses, undermine ‘em with grins, agree ‘em to death and destruction, let ‘em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open”(116). This speech helped the young boy to succeed and becoming valedictorian, in a time when it was not common. A lot of the causes of the conflict occur when the boy is at the awards dinner in his honor. The fact that they delayed his speech caused a conflict in the boys’ head; he couldn’t understand why they were making him box at a ceremony. Prestigious white men humiliated the black boys. They caused the second conflict by teasing them with a naked female stripper. They were able to look, but not touch. This symbolized their power over the boys. The protagonist said,” I felt a desire to spit upon her as my eyes brushed slowly over her body”(118). Next, the whole time the boys are boxing, Ellison lets the readers now how anxious the boy is to make his speech. The final conflict is when the M.C. told them, “Come up here boys and get