‘Battle Royal’ by Ralph Ellison and ‘Big Black Good Man’ by Richard Wright.
As we move towards a society of equality and acceptance of our differences, we must reflect on one of the most controversial issues in history that still exists today: racial discrimination or racism. One’s race, ethnicity, and color define their social position. Unfortunately, some people still discriminate against others because of their color or origin. The most common form of racism is directed towards black individuals with African origins who were traded as slaves and forced to work by white western people during the 17th and 18th centuries. Although these individuals have been slowly accepted into the white” world since the call for equality surfaced, there are still cases of racism that exist in various levels of society as seen in Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal” and Richard Wright’s “Big Black Good Man.”
Battle Royal is a story about an unnamed young African American who struggles to find his place in early twentieth-century society. The story takes place in the American South, where there is a large population of African Americans (Murphy).
On the other hand, Big Black Good Man focuses on two men: Jim, a young black man, and Olaf, an old white man. Set in the far reaches of Europe, this story explores the differences between the two men – not only in color but also in their masculinity and morality (Norvell).
Upon closer examination of these two stories, we can see that there are several similarities and differences between them. Both stories depict racism or racial discrimination against black people while also addressing societal issues and the lives of those around them.
In Battle Royal,” discrimination is evident as black males are forced to participate in an all-out boxing match, set up by white men who hold high positions in society. It is surprising that these men find pleasure in watching black people fight each other. The young black protagonist was invited to speak among these individuals only to discover that he would be pitted against other black males in a battle royal. Discrimination is prevalent throughout the story, including when they were gathered around a naked white female, dancing and seducing them. During this time, it was taboo to view white females sexually, putting them in an uncomfortable position.
In Big Black Good Man,” discrimination is portrayed through Olaf’s personal point of view of Jim, a black sailor. Jim is described as the blackest of black men, with blue-black skin. Olaf, an old white man, sees only Jim’s color and not his true personality. Olaf assumes that because Jim is absolutely black, he cannot possibly be human – a racist belief that leads to his disgust for the black man. He views Jim as a brute beast who might kill him at any moment and believes that violence is in his nature.
Another focus of interest for both stories is their society and the people living in it. In the story Battle Royal, we see how society is slowly accepting the existence of other races, but it is still centered on whites. We can see how these white people were having fun with all the sufferings of blacks as depicted by the battle royal fight. We can also see that black people, just like the protagonist, were doing everything they could to gain social acceptance. They studied hard in order to excel; however, society was limiting their growth. Instead of giving him an equal chance for education, they sent him to a sub-standard African American school. Despite this setback, the protagonist remains humble and thankful for what he has received from these people.
In the story Big Black Good Man,” we can see how society has moved towards equality, where blacks are no longer oppressed and have the right to live their lives to the fullest. Jim is an accomplished man who can afford any luxury he wants and treats people like Olaf equally. However, there are still those who cannot accept that society has accepted people like Jim. Olaf, for example, never regarded Jim as an equal and hardly recognized him as a human being. Despite Jim’s better-off life than Olaf’s, he is still just a black man in Olaf’s eyes – a brute rather than a human being. This perception demonstrates how people were unable to fully accept that the world was not only for whites but also for people of color.
Both stories have different endings, but they both depict the fate of racially discriminated blacks. In Battle Royal, it shows how resilient African American brothers are. They were persistent enough to be successful, which is an important characteristic they have possessed for a long time. In Big Black Good Man, Olaf was finally able to reconcile his differences with Jim, although he still sees him as a black man before his good characteristics. This shows that discrimination still exists in society but at a different level than before. Color is only skin deep, but changing a mentality established hundreds of years ago is difficult and will remain challenging.
Works Cited:
Murphy, Diane. Ralph Ellison’s Use of Imagery in ‘Battle Royal’.” 2007. Retrieved March 8, 2008 from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/147149/ralph_ellisons_use_of_imagery_in_battle.html.
Norvell, Candyce. Critical Essay of ‘Big Black Good Man’.” 2005. Retrieved March 8, 2008 from http://www.answers.com/topic/big-black-good-man-story-7.
