Introduction
The main character of Battle Royal, a short story which was written by Ralph Ellison, describes the life of a young black man, who is forced to endure violent acts of racism towards him and other African-Americans. Even though it depicts the events from centuries ago, the issue that is brought up by the author can still spark controversies and heated discussions even today. That issue is racial discrimination and violence that is caused by it. Such a problem comes into mind naturally when someone thinks about the history of the United States, as the struggles of the African-Americans at the time of slavery are still vividly remembered. In this story, the author powerfully addresses the brutality and dehumanization people of color had to face even after the end of slavery.
Main body
Fortunately, nowadays, racism is seen as a crime against humans, and as one of the most destructive characteristics that a man or even a group of people can have. In a civilized and educated society, racism is associated with hatred, anger, and ignorance. Nevertheless, such kind of inequality has been a part of world history since time immemorial. To introduce the reader to the atrocities of racism that African-Americans had to face, Ralph Ellison employs the experience of the main character, a young black boy who strives to achieve his dreams in a predominantly white society.
In the historical period in which the events of Battle Royal occur, people of color were victimized in the workplace even after they have got their freedom. As a recently liberated population, black people were allowed to own neither money nor land. For that reason, the property owners from which they would rent land to cultivate and live in were all white, the majority of them were slave masters before the passage of the 13th Amendment.
However, at that time, people of color may have had their freedom, but not money. As a result, all of their farming essentials had to be borrowed from the white landowners, which was only possible through credit. The conditions of these lending sometimes were too harsh, which later created a vicious cycle for black people as they were never capable of paying it off entirely. In the long run, a crippling debt enslaved once free farmers to the white landowners again. In Battle Royal, the characters are drawn to the final line; many of them may have fallen victims to this kind of situation, and engaging in the fight may have been an effort to pay off what they owed.
Moreover, the Battle Royal was created by white men as a way not only to dehumanize people of color but to turn them against one another. Separating the group of people one by one by making one see another as an enemy is shown as evil and a tactic. Especially unfair it seems if the reader realizes that the unity around the black community was vital at that time. The author uses symbolism to employ that meaning, which is seen in white cloth, which is used to blindfold the fighters.
It represents how white people try to distract their victims from the greater evil that is happening around them. As the narration goes, “all ten of the fighters climbed under the ropes of the ring and allowed themselves to be blindfolded with broad bands of white cloth” (206). The fact that the participant of the Battle Royal accepted that white people blindfolded them further may suggest that African-Americans had come to terms with the obligation to fight.
They were severely dehumanized, almost reduced to animals fighting for survival. The main character emphasizes the point by saying, “Blindfolded, I could no longer control my emotions. I had no dignity” (207). Throughout the battle, which can be easily called a mindless slaughter, the white people do nothing but spectate, mock the fighters, and encourage them to keep going. Nevertheless, even when the fight ends, the horrible torture and humiliation continue. The winners are forced to collect their prize from an electrified rug, and the scene makes the viewers laugh even more. The narrator later finds out that the gold turned out to be “brass pocket tokens advertising a certain make of automobile” (215), although he was too ecstatic from the adrenaline to be upset about it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would appear that in Battle Royal, Ralph Ellison illustrated the violence of racial discrimination in a brilliantly disturbing way. Even after the end of slavery, African-Americans were forced to experience inequality and dehumanization by white people.
Regardless of what people of color tried to do so that they could achieve their life dreams and live as equals, it seemed like nothing could accomplish that goal. Fortunately, racist attitudes have significantly decreased in today’s society because centuries have passed since the abolition of slavery in 1865. Moreover, the Civil Rights Movement is popular and recognized around the world. Nevertheless, the story by Ellison may be considered relevant even to the issues of racism that people face nowadays, as acts of racism still occur even in 21st century America.
Works Cited
Ellison, Ralph. Battle Royal: A Portable Anthology. 4th ed., edited by Janet E. Gardner, et. al., Bedford/St.Martin’s, 2017, pp. 203-215.