The Battle Royal in Ralph Ellison’s story is a symbol of the various challenges black Americans face in their quest for equality with white Americans.
The battle serves as a manifestation of the real-life challenges a young black man during that period had to endure in order to attain equality and acceptance in society. The narrator highlights this when the boys are blindfolded and instructed to engage in combat, symbolizing the ongoing struggle faced by black Americans in their quest for civil rights. Through various forms of symbolization, Ellison effectively depicts this battle and its significance.
The boys’ fight in front of high society white men represents a real-life struggle that occurred not only in the past but continued for many years afterward. This struggle illustrates how white men held all the power and used it to be cruel and brutal towards black Americans, denying them their rights, refusing to accept them as equals, and finding pleasure in keeping them oppressed. The narrator explains that he felt completely powerless, physically and emotionally, stating, “Blindfolded, I could no longer control my motions. I had lost all dignity.”
The quote, “I stumbled about like a baby or a drunken man,” can be interpreted as a means of degrading black Americans and classifying them as beasts in the eyes of white society (Ellison, p. 247). It can also symbolize the black boys’ inability to set their sight on victory, both in the boxing ring and in life. The battle experiences the narrator depicts serve as a harsh reality for some individuals.
The chaos and commotion in the room as the battle erupts can be seen as symbolic of the struggle for civil rights. The unfolding of the fight exemplifies how black Americans had to persistently fight for equality and refuse to back down. The blindfolding of the boys provides a powerful insight into their journey into the unknown, just like black Americans facing uncertainty in their everyday lives. The narrator vividly describes these details, mirroring the experiences of black Americans who knew that regardless of the outcome, their fight would eventually yield results.
The narrator hopes that one day black individuals will no longer have to live in fear of violence or endure humiliation from whites due to their perceived inferiority. The battle they experience inspires the narrator to overcome present and future obstacles. This struggle illustrates the desire for change, as the narrator and all black Americans of that era face fighting, humiliation, and confusion. Surviving the battle symbolizes the quest for societal transformation.
According to the narrator, as stated in Ellison’s work (p. 248), the more the men became threatening, the harder they fought. However, amidst the ongoing battle, the narrator found himself worrying about his speech once again. His ultimate goal was for the speech to reach the high society white men.
This can be seen as one man’s desire to be heard, to change society’s perception of his people, and to end the humiliation they faced. This attitude serves as a powerful motivator for initiating change and creating a better future.
