This post is for PERIOD 1 FRESHMEN only.
There's an old saying, that "knowing is half the battle." The joke, of course, is, "What's the rest of the battle?" Fighting? Pain? Losing? Cats with laser beams?
Using this notion as a jumping-off point, address one of the following ideas in a thoughtful, thorough paragraph.
What 'battles' are being fought in Ellison's "Battle Royale"?
Who is likely to succeed in battle, and who is likely to fail?
Which battle is most worthy of being fought?
Which is least worthy?
We're not just speaking literally, here. We're speaking figuratively. Be sure to consider all the characters and conflicts: the narrator, his grandfather, the other contestants, the women, the men holding the event, the audience members. Consider the narrator's speech, his dream at the end, his hopes and worries. Consider that some conflicts are external, others internal. Consider that by the end of the story, some battles have been resolved while others have just begun.
Post your response in the comments section. Be sure to include your name so you can get credit. Remember, these are simply ideas - prompts to get you started. All I'm looking for, really, is some thoughtful, interesting discussion. Therefore, feel free to post additional comments in which you respond to your peers' comments. You might also consider checking back in to see if anyone has responded to your comments, so you can reply.
You can receive extra credit for each additional response.
Again, I'm looking for a discussion here, not simply a list of unconnected thoughts. So, make connections and claims, draw conclusions, provide evidence and explanations. I'll be checking in periodically.
In case you're interested, all of these paintings are by a guy named George Bellows, one of the 'Ashcan' artists.
The battles that are being fought in "Battle Royal" are the battles of race. The narrator was invited to give his graduation speech at a big party with all of the members on the schol board going to be there. When he got to the party he found out he was taking part in the battle royal. If the narrator was white he wouldn't have had to take part in the battle royal, and he would only have to give his speech. Since the narrator was black he had to participae in the fight, and run the risk of getting hurt and pottentially getting killed. The unequality shows how white people were still treated with more respect then black people. A black person would have to participate in afight at a school function, while a white person will not. This shows how white people were favored over black people.
ReplyDeleteVery true. it does show that white people were favored over black people, but the narrator had a dream to fulfill, so thats why he never really gave up because he knew he had a good future ahead.-Tina James
DeleteTina - Are you sure he never gives up? How do you know? Evidence.
DeleteMr.Cowlin, well he did want to but, at the end he did give his speech. Even though no one really listened to him, he was awarded at the end.
DeleteYou know that he doesn't give up because he is talking about how he wants to win because he wants to be able to give his speech. Page 271 is all about how he thinks if he doesn't win then he wont be able to do the speech. But in the end I guess he does give up because he thinks thats what the white people want.
Delete-Jilly Hebert
I agree with what you said about white people being favored over black people. It really shows how black people had a very difficult time and were strongly discriminated. White people wanted to make it extremely difficult for them and they believed that black people where no where near as good as them.
Delete“Battle Royal” by Tina James
ReplyDeleteIn the story I believe the person who is most worthy to win is the narrator because he’s not there to fight, he’s there for a different reason. It said in the story that he was going to this place to give a speech, but instead he ended up being in a fight. I believe the narrator is more likely to win the fight because he has higher goals then his opponent. His opponent is only there to fight, and he is there to give a speech. I think the opponent is most likely to fail because he’s only there to fight. He has no intention of doing something good with his life. Now the narrator is sticking up for his dream. He was put in this situation, nut he lasted through it because he had something in the end to look forward to. At the end of the story he was finally able to give his speech. The M.C. said “I’m told that he is the smartest boy we’ve got out there in Greenwood.” (Ellison p-274) At the end of his speech he was given a briefcase. Even though his grandfather’s curse spoiled his triumphs, he was able to look forward at his bright future ahead and go to college. Who do you think should of won the battle?
But don't you also think that being a black person rather that a white would also have an effect on everything?
Deletei said that in my otgher comment stef. yes i do believe being a different color does have a huge impact on everything.
DeleteI agree that the narrator will succeed in life because he is ambitious and wants to have a life he was never given in the future.
DeleteI totally agree Tina! I believe that the narrator wanted that win and chance to share his speech so much more than Tatlock. It was his real desire to present his speech that made me believe he was more likely to win.
DeleteI think that he is defiantly treated differently because he is black, but he is also given the chance to do what a white person can do. He was given the chance to do what he wanted to and can get an education and do what he wants to with his life. Even though he is still black.
Delete-Jilly
I would say that they weren't fair, but only to a certain extent. Taking into consideration that he was given the oppurtunity, I agree with Jilly
Delete
ReplyDeleteIn the story, Battle Royal, there are a couple of battles being fought. One of them is for the narrator to kind of adjust to what his grandfather told him before he died. His grandfather told him to "Live with your head in the lion's mouth" (Ellison 266). This means that he should live his life aware of what is happening around him and be prepared for its jaws to snap.
I think that the narrator, himself, will win his own “battle”. I think this because he is the character that has everything planned out. He knows what he has to do to succeed without overdoing anything too much. The person that is most likely to fail is Tatlock, who was trying to destroy him. The narrator is obviously scared of him for a number of reasons. Tatlock was big and scary. To a boy like that, of course the kid would be scared. The kid kept on trying to make bets to make Tatlock stop beating him, but he wouldn’t stop until the boy said a higher number.
I think that the boy was trying to keep all self-control in this situation. That’s why I think the most important battle was for the boy to remember why he was really in that situation. He had to remember and keep his grandfather’s words, and he did. He lived like he was in the jaws of a lion. He was prepared enough to fight whatever god had for him to beat.
I think the fight that was least worthy was the legitimate boxing fight. That proved nothing of which the boy was trying to prove. All that he got out of that fight was some broken bones, and some bruises. He was obviously trying to keep his control, but instead he got beaten up. At the end, he got made fun of for saying something. Everyone was surprised because he was black and in that time era, it was rare. The guy said that since he has a dictionary, he must know big words. The boy said “Social Responsibility” and everyone was laughing at him and telling him to repeat everything. To me, all of the fighting proved nothing. It were the internal fights that the boy had with himself that proved the most.
It is true that he ended up with broken bones and stuff, but he went there for a reason. Even though he did get beat up he had a chance to just give up, but he didn't. He risked his life so he could give his speech.
DeleteYeah, I mentioned that in my second comment. I get what you're saying. He did risk everything to give a speech.
DeleteStefanie - Was it worth it in the end? Did anyone even listen to his speech?
Deleteya he did risk his life for his dream stef.
DeleteI think that that battle was important, because it opened his eyes a lot more to how white people treat black people especially because since he was always following white people and getting praised, he never felt that before.
DeleteT add to my comment the narrator faught in the battle royal to prove a point. He did not just go for the speech. -Jack Davis
DeleteI agree with both of you that he risked his life to give his speech. I think what he did was very brave of him because he could have been killed for fighting or for giving his speech, but he went through with his speech which is very brave and inspiring.
DeleteI love you this comment you wrote! "He had to remember and keep his grandfather’s words, and he did. He lived like he was in the jaws of a lion. He was prepared enough to fight whatever god had for him to beat."
DeleteI think that they were listening. They all freaked when he mentioned equality, but I think they were only listening to the parts that worried them or interested them.
DeleteThe last comment about the selective interest to the speech and how they chose to listen when they thought it was important was from Jilly Hebert
DeleteI agree with you Jilly! In the book it mentions that when the narrator said "social equality" everyone went quiet.
DeleteMr. C, It was worth it to the boy at the end because he wanted to just read his speech. Thats what he did and he was listened to. Personally, I do not think it was that worth it because who would want to risk their lives to just read something? Right?
DeleteWhat 'battles' are being fought in Ellison's "Battle Royale"?
ReplyDeleteThe boxing battle isn't the only battle being fought. I thought that the biggest battle in the story was the battle for equality. Racism is a major problem during this time period. The narrator's grandfather had said, "live with your head in a lion's mouth. I want you to overcome 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death......."(pg266)He was talking about the true battle. He had said he was a traitor in the enemy's country. He acted like a good person to white people, but he never truly appreciated them. The grandfather was saying that even though they were told that they were free, the battle wasn't over. The battle was continued and to some degree it still exists today.
How do you feel about the boxing battle?
DeleteDo you think it was fair that they blindfolded them? was it a fair fight at the end?
Delete-Jilly Hebert
I thought the fact that they were blindfolded was actually fair because it wasn't just the narrator, but also everyone else in the ring.
DeleteAlso to add on to my comment, I think race also had something to do with what the narrator was thinking. All he thought was that he was going to go to give a speech with his school. When he got to the ballroom, he realized that he was fighting. All of the whites were dressed up and treated better. The blacks in this story were treated like dogs and were put out to fight for a prize of picking up coins on an electric carpet, which nearly killed them.
ReplyDeleteI do think they were unfair, but only to a certain extent.
DeleteI agree with you Stef. Race played a big role in the story. The whites definitely were superiors to the blacks. I also don't believe that they were trying to kill the blacks but I think they were just trying to torture them.
DeleteThe battle being fought in "Battle Royal" is equality. Blacks and whites were unequal during the time period in the story, so it is a constant battle for justice and equality between blacks and whites. I know that the narrator and others are being treated unfairly by the whites because it says, "I lunged for a yellow coin lying on the blue design of the carpet, touching it and sending a surprised shriek to join those ringing around me...The rug was electrified," (Ellison, 272). This quote shows that blacks are being treated unfairly by the whites because the white folks there are electrifying the blacks as a game and laughing at them. The participants have to battle their own feelings and try to go along with the “joke” rather than react and show that the “royals” got to them.
ReplyDeleteIn this story, the whites are more likely to win the battle than the blacks. I say this because blacks had no rights, so they couldn’t argue for their rights without the threat of death and torture. The whites could freely speak, and they had no treat of death or torture unless they believed in justice. Whites were judges in court, so let’s say a white man murders a black man, the white man will not be severely punished or punished at all. On the other hand, if a black man murders a white man, the black man would be put to death immediately.
The battle for equality and justice is 100% worth fighting for. Everyone should be equal regardless of their race or gender. I think that the narrator will help win the battle of equality and justice because it says, “’Keep developing as you are and some day it will be filled with important papers that will help shape the destiny of your people,’” (Ellison, 275 and 276). This quote shows that the man believes that the narrator will change the world for the better. It foreshadows the future. The narrator had a lot of courage to give a speech about his beliefs, and to change the world and make it a better place, you have to have courage to stand up for your beliefs and rights.
Good quote to show your support for inequality.
DeleteThank you.
DeleteThe battle is made up of not only a literal fight in the ring but also it is a battle between the white verses the black. The white forced the black to take part in this event which causes them to be more likely to win since the blacks aren’t doing the fight by their own will. Furthermore, the whites blindfolded them and humiliated them so they wouldn’t have a fair chance at winning. The black were not favored by the judges because of their color of skin. They were fighting to take part in trying to fight for their fairness. They fought each other at first to wear them out and that allowed the whites to take an unfair advantage and hurt their chances of winning. For example from the text, "Blindfolded, I could no longer control my motions. I had no dignity. I stumbled around like a baby or drunken man." Each blow to him he didn’t know where it was coming from just like the hate from the whites to him. Why did they hate him so much? He didn’t do anything to them. He had no control over what skin color he was. Even when they got the chance to grab all the prize money they could get off the floor the gold coins actually were pocket tokens. His speech was a battle between him and the audience. They didn’t treat his with respect until the very end. They laughed at him and didn’t listen to what he had to say. May times they interrupted him and were mocking him about what words he used. The battle fought between them that day was filled with hatred and shame on both parts.
ReplyDeleteNicole Hampton
To add to my comment, race was a huge deal in the story. Blacks had to fight like dogs for money, while the white people were dressed up very nicley.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. It was unfair and unjust.
DeleteIt wasn't fair that they BLINDFOLDED then or that they put money on an electric carpet and then THREW them on there!! It is not right!
Delete-Jilly Hebert
I think that in the story, besides boxing in that ring with all the other men, he will also have to fight an inner "battle" with himself. He realizes this at the beginning of the story when he is talking about his grandfather's death. This “curse” that is carried out because of the death, is his own mind saying that whatever he is doing to make people like him must be fake, because in the end, he really must not find himself being being the person that he truly is, its the person everyone wants him to be. How would these people react if they knew he really wasn't who he said he was? The fact that the only things people seem to hear is what is expected. Maybe he believes that expectations on his part are too high? I think he feels that having a connection to his Grandfather brings the burden of having such intense expectations. Who is to say that insecurity isn't the way that he should react to all that he feels? I think that the only person that judges him is himself. The only person that matters, that is. The pressure other people put on him just makes the reasoning for the curse even worse of a burden for him to bare.
ReplyDeleteI agree totally because battles with yourself can be the worst and really dig into you
DeleteIn the short story "Battle Royal" the narrator is in multiple battles. First he is in his own morale battle about the woman. He was disgusted by himself, but he couldn't stop looking at her. The meaning of that battle was to show that it wasn't right for him to watch the woman. He lost that battle against himself when he kept on looking at the woman. His next battle was when he was actually in the boxing ring. He lost that battle too because he tried to make a dea with the last fighter and the last fighter knocked him down. Next there was the mental battle to get the money on the electrified rug. He had to be mentally strong to stay on the rug and try to get all of the coins. After all of that he still had to give his speech. The speech was the whole reason he came to the hotel ballroom. The most worthy battle of the whole story was his battle with himself to give the speech. The least worhty was probably the boxing match or the mental battle against himself when he was watching the woman. Also he was most likely to fail the battle in the boxing ring, because he wasn't the biggest kid and he didn't seem like the type of kid that liked to fight. He was most likely to win the battle he had with himself when he was giving the speech because thats what he came to the smoker to do.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your last part about the speech being the most important and the match being the less important.
DeleteI agree with you too but what was the battle of the speech?...like was it with his grandfather's curse or was he nervous? I thought the battle in his head with his grandfather's curse was probably more significant because it came up throughout the story and it was what was driving him to be the best and not give anyone a chance to doubt him because of his grandfather.
DeleteThere are many intense battles found in the story "Battle Roayle." The white men who forced the literal fight on the black men, have a corrupt idea for entertainment. "Battle Royale" should not be accepted in soceity because it is unnecessary and cruel. These men have no morals and they are failling themselves. The pointless physical fight is least worthy to be fought.
ReplyDeleteThe "invisible man," (whose name is never given) should continue to fight his inner battle because he has ambition. Eventually, he will win because he craves education and success. He always keeps his Grandpa's advice in his head, but he cannot wait to pursue the world and discover advice of his own.
When the young man was fighting in the boxing ring, he was as "limp as a dish rag." Because he was in so much pain, he offered his opponent money to stop beating on him. He let others push him around until he was gifted the breifcase and scholarship. He realized that he was a man with his own opinions, responsibilities, and destiny.
Jacqueline - You say that "eventually he will win because he craves education and success." Why does craving these two things automatically predestine him as a winner in the end? Does have any evidence to support or refute Jacqueline's claim?
DeleteIn the story it said that he was the smartest person in Greenwood. It's true that he does want sucess and education at the end he said "First I have to attend college." (Ellison p-276)_
DeleteI also believe that he will succeed beacuse at the end when he was given the scholarship he didnt care about what had happened that evening the most important thing was the scholarship. "I did not even mind when I discovered that the gold pieces I had scrambed for were brass pocket tokens advertising a certain make of automobile"(Ellison pg 276).
DeleteI agree with you because when you desire to do and achieve something, you will persevere until your goal is accomplished. In the narrator's case he desires to be successful and recieve an education.
DeleteI think the battle that is most worthy of being faught is the battle of respect. The battle royal should be fought over respcet for the African Americans. If the Afican Americans win they should get to be treated with more respect. They should also get to treat the white people based on how they treat them for a period of time, so the white people can see how it feels. This will also teach white people a lesson on how to treat people of the opposite race the same way you want to be treated.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on this. They should give the white people in the story a taste of their own medicine.
DeleteI'd say that a big 'battle' in "Battle Royale would be more like the narrator fighting against himself. He has a constant fight against doing what’s ‘right’ in a black’s eyes, and doing what's ‘right’ in white people’s eyes. What I mean is that sucking up to others for your own benefit is just something kind of shameful. But, he did it so he would live without as much hardship as a person fighting for civil rights, and especially because of his grandpa’s last words. The part of him that does what’s ‘right’ in a white person’s eyes is probably the one to succeed because of what I’ve read from this chapter, It doesn’t seem like he’ll ever stand up for his right’s and do what he wants to do. The part of him that does what’s ‘right’ in a black person’s eyes will probably fail, because he doesn’t seem to care about civil rights as much as being passive. I feel that the battle against himself is definitely the most worthy of being fought, especially because I think that everyone goes through that at least once in their life(his ‘battle’ obviously being harder than people in the 21st century). I don’t really know what kind of battle would be the least worthy, because I think that every ‘battle’ in life is necessary to shape who you are as a person. Even the boxing fight the narrator had was important because it opened his eyes to how white people really are.
ReplyDeletethats a really good point.
DeleteI definetly agree with Jane, to also add on to her claim, I also want to add on that he is having an inner battle against himself (man vs.self) because of the expectations his grandfather sort of passed on to him. Throughout the story he is constantly reminded of his father's last words. I believe The Invisible Man wants to make his grandfather proud, but at the same time do what he thinks is right.
Delete*grandfather's
DeleteI agree with jane on the argument of man vs self. That is the most important battle for him.
DeleteI see what you are saying, but I think that the narrator will stand up for his rights and beliefs. I think that all the difficulties he faced will actually make him more devoted to stand up for his and others rights.
DeleteI think saying his speech aloud, although it was with men who weren't listening, really helped him realize more about himself and his grandfather's so called "curse" on him.
DeleteHe's fighting very hard against himself.And people in the 21st century definitely have an easier battle to overcome.
DeleteI think some battles being fought in this story is survival of the fittest, a fight to survive. A fight to gain something to better yourself. I also noticed man vs self in this story. For example, when the main character talks about the "legacy" his grandfather left him. I feel that he thinks of himself as two people. One being his deranged grandfather's legacy that people know him as, and the other side wanting to be known as something more than what his grandfather left him. He wants to prove himself to everyone, and so that's where man vs. world/society comes into place. because besides the obvious physical "battling" happening in the story, theres also battling among self and society
ReplyDeleteAndrew - Interesting point about the battle against legacy. I'm thinking back to similar books and movies I've seen with similar battles against one's own legacy. Can anyone think of one?
DeleteWalter Dean Myers is an author who has many books with similar battles against one's own legacy.
DeleteAnother book that comes to mind that has similar battles against one's own legacy would be The Help by Kathryn Stockett. The character Aibleen has many tragic reminders/flashbacks of her past. She sort of carries the burden of her past with her throughout the story.
DeleteI like your comparison about himself being two people it helps show your speech more.
DeleteInaki Bascaran
ReplyDeletePeriod 1
In "Battle Royale," many fights are underway. The main character, is fighting and trying to figure out who he really is. Also his Grandfather's words are haunting him. His Grandfather said that you have to be a good example to white men, but it is still a fight. He told the boys father that he should still fight but be the best man he could be. The boy is afraid that he is going to be a traitor one day too. Whenever he does something good, he feels guilty with his Grandfathers last words.
Another battle that is being fought is him and Tatlock but this has less meaning into it. Less pride was being shown in this battle. The boy knew he could not beat Tatlock. Since he knew he could not beat him he knew that he also had to deliver his speech, which showed more pride to him. He tried bribing Tatlock so he could deliver his speech and show that he was more than just a weak boy in the ring. The speech is the thing that meant so much more to him.
Another thing that happened is the rudeness of the audience. They tortured these boys but the main character kept on going to show these men what he is made of. I think he was building up his courage for them, to then give the speech with more respect.
When the boy read his speech I think he was trying to tell the men that all races should be united as one. He wanted social equality, and he showed that he is hoping for a better world. During his speech he was teased and laughed at, but although he was in pain and was tempted to leave, he kept on fighting so he could show these men what he really is. This speech was his biggest fight and I beilieve no matter what this is what he really wanted.
I agree with you that the narrator showed courage because after they tortured him, he still got up in front of everyone and made his speech.
DeleteI think the battles being fought in the story were physical as well as emotional. The narrator was fighting an emotional battle against his own fear towards the other contestants and his fear of not being able to present his speech. Also, it was a fight against racism and the dscrimination of the men who were watching the fight. The narrator, like the other contestants, were black and poor and were being called discriminatory names. The men watching were rich white men who were all drunk.
ReplyDeleteJuan - I like what you are saying about a battle "against fear." Are there any specific quotations that would support your claim? Anybody want to help out?
DeleteTo help support Juan's claim about the battle "against fear" would be when The Invisible Man was reading his speech, and once he got to the word "social responsiblity," the audience couldn't hear. (It was like they were trying not to hear on purpose). He had to repeat it about five times, but they still couldn't comprehend. The Invisible Man decided to conquer the battle against fear and mention "social equality". For some reason they heard that loud and clear, and they certainly did not like the sound of that term. So in short, the narrator had a battle against fear when he mentioned "social equality".
DeleteI think that one of the main battles in the book is how the main character deals with his grandfather’s dying words. When his grandfather died he told his son to please white people. Do what they say and then teach your children how to do the same. This quote is a big part in the story. "'Live with your head in a lion’s mouth'" (Ellison 266) This quote shows that you must always be ready. People will turn on you and betray you. The beginning part of the story talks about how the narrator is having problems struggling all his life because his grandfather’s worlds are always with him. When the narrator didn’t know what to do he carried out his grandfather’s advice no because that what his grandfather had to him, but because “I was carrying out my grandfather’s advice in spite of myself” (Ellison 266) When the narrator says this I think what he is saying is the only reason he is doing what he is, is because he wants to stop thinking about it. But it doesn’t help very much because all of the white people praise him for what he is doing and how he is “respecting them.” When the narrator goes in to the “smoker” thinking that he will be giving a speech he is thrown into a battle. Now during this time he thinks that that white people are absolute pigs. When he finishes the fight he realizes that he hadn’t thought about his grandfather all the while like he did before. After the fight he gives the speech and receives a briefcase and a scholarship. That night though more than just his grandfather’s words return to his mind. When he is asleep he has a dream about his grandfather. The dream was about how serious his grandfather was. It says “He refused to laugh at the clowns no matter what they did.” (Ellison 276) When this happened I thought that the main point we were to get from that was about how he was so quiet and serious about the next thing that would happen. At the end of the dream it becomes a nightmare. The narrator is told to open the briefcase once again and to his surprise he finds the same state stamped document, but many, many more. His grandfather says “’Them’s years,’” (Ellison 276) When the narrator is told to open the one on top a note with gold writing is on it. The note says “’To Whom It May Concern, Keep This Nigger-Boy Running.’” The dream is ended with the laughter of the grandfather. I think that the reason he had this dream was because the narrator thinks that the scholarship is a trick to keep him doing what the white people want. The narrator is worrying about what will happen in the future, but decides to go anyways even if his grandpa’s words will carry on with him.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that one of the very important battles is the man living out his grandfathers words. Those words really affect how he acted on a daily basis. These words also haunted him everyday.
DeleteBattle Royal by Ralph Ellison is a story about a huge boxing tournament that involves both literal and figurative writing. The narrator’s main goal is to be able to give his speech at the end of the tournament, while the other contestants are more about the money. The narrator explains how he is like an invisible man and could never figure out his purpose in life. He would always turn to others for answers, when really he was the only person who could answer them. The narrator’s goal was to bring meaning to his family and also to himself. His grandfather was a hard-working slave and he had wished for the next generations of his family to never stop fighting. He had wished for them to live with their “head in the lion’s mouth” (Ellison 266). The narrator’s strength and survival was just what his grandfather would have wished for. The narrator had overcome the hatred and racism towards the blacks. Winning the audience away with his terrific speech was just adding toppings to the cake. The Battle Royal was how the narrator found his true meaning in life and spoke of equality for all.
ReplyDeleteBrian Lada
ReplyDeleteThe Battle Royale is a men’s boxing tournament with the winning prize of money. Particularly in this story though, the narrator (a black man) wanted to give a speech at the end of the fight. In the story this “invisible man” (meaning he doesn’t understand his purpose in life) wanted to bring honor to his family, especially his grandfather. He believes that he has a curse from his grandfather. His grandfather tells him that life is a fight and that he was a spy in the enemy’s country. In my opinion, what he’s trying to say is that you need to fight for your rights. Also make a purpose in this life like, fighting for freedom and equality. The invisible man’s determination in this fight is dedicated to his grandfather. Following the fight, he gives a phenomenal speech that wins over the audience. After his amazing speech, he is rewarded with a scholarship to the state college for Negroes. I believe that this breaks the curse from his grandfather, and fulfills his grandfather’s wishes for his grandchildren.
Brian - Prove that it "wins over the audience." I'm not sure I agree with you.
DeleteI agree lada. I think more so he wants to show the whites that bhes just as good as them and he could be better. But I also think he does want to fulfill his Grandfathers wishes
DeleteI agree with Mr. Cowlin that the narrator doesn't necessarily "win over the audience." Just because he got a scholarship to a state college as a reward from the superintendent, doesn't mean that he "won over the audience." You may refute my statement by showing me this quote, "Yet when I finished there was a thunderous applause" (Ellison 275). Although that is true, throughout his speech they were laughing at him, and making him repeat parts of his speech over and over again. Also, at the end, the superintendent said, "' Gentlemen, you see that I did not overpraise this boy. He makes a good speech and some day he'll lead HIS PEOPLE in the proper paths'" (Ellison 275). You see, in the end, the superintendent and the white audience, still felt the same about the African-Americans as they did before the Battle Royal.
DeleteThere are many battles that are being fought in Battle Royal. One of the battles is the battle for equality. This story is set in 1952 and in this time there was still a lot of segregation. In the begging of the story he speaks about how he used to be ashamed of is grandparents being slaves and that he is now ashamed of himself for even thinking that way. He had finally come to peace with the fact that his grandparents were slaves. Later on in the story when he is invited to this party to give his speech he ends up in the Battle Royal. When the battle has come to an end he is allowed to give his speech and during his speech, even though he doesn’t mean to, he accidently says “social equality” instead of social responsibility. I think that even though he didn’t mean to say that it was still at the back of his head and he was thinking about it after everything that had happened that evening. Even though he was at peace with the past he still wanted everyone to be treated equally.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you! I really like how you explain why the narrator said "social equality" rather than "social responsibility." I didn't even consider that until I saw your comment.
DeleteI agree with taylor, he did want to say many things but may have been scared about saying it. You are right when you said that that was at the back of his head but he wanted to say that.
DeleteIn “Battle Royal”, I think the contestants were in a battle with themselves to fight for what they want. Other contestants fought for the prize or they fought for the ‘champion’ title. But, the narrator wasn’t trying to win the prize or to win the biggest guy in the gang; he tried to stay in the ring because he thought if he won, then he could make a speech in front of the white men. You can see how desperate he was trying to make a speech. If he didn’t care about the speech, then I think he would’ve given up a long time ago. Also, in the text, the narrator said he would give his entire prize to Tatlock if he gives up. But Tatlock didn’t give up because he was fighting for the ‘champion’ title. In conclusion, I think the contestants were fighting to earn something for themselves.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you because to him, he only fought because of the speech and some things in life are worthy enough to be fought for. This was obviously important to him. The boxing ring probably was not the best place to read his speech because hardly anyone was listening, but in the end I am glad everything worked out for the narrator.
DeleteIn the story "Battle Royal," the narrator has to fight multiple different battles, only one of which is physical. First, in his head he has conflicts with his grandfather's last words. He feels that even though people praise him for being an example of desirable conduct, he has that underlying guilt and odd feeling of treachery that his grandfather talked about on his deathbed. For example in the story it says, “The old man’s words were like a curse.” This shows what the narrator thought of his grandfather and how at the beginning it seems as if he does not like his grandfather much. If one thinks of the battle as life I would say the narrator is most likely to succeed in life because he wants an education and has long term goals that do not involve getting drunk and fighting. If one person was to fail in the battle of life, it would be Tatlock because even though now he seems all mighty and strong, he will most likely turn out to be one of those men getting drunk and watching all those boys fight, wishing he had done something else with his life. The battle that is most worthy of being fought would probably be the ones inside of the narrators head with his grandfather. He needs to clear those up to find out who he is and not make the mistakes his grandfather made. The least worthy one is probably the boxing fight because it doesn’t ever matter how strong one is.
ReplyDeleteI also definitely agree that there was a “battle” between races. By that i mean that black people were being forced to participate in “dog fights”
ReplyDeleteyea
DeleteI also agree there was somewhat a battle between races, but I don't agree with Andrew that it was a battle because the African-Americans were forced to participate in "dog fights.” To me, a battle is where both opposing sides use all of their strengths and strategies to fight out the other side until that side surrenders. The blacks in the story Battle Royal were defenseless; they were blindfolded and were punched senselessly. To me, the most important battles in this story were not in fact the literal ones, but the figurative ones. The narrator versus his own inner self and the narrator against the burden of his grandfather were the most significant battles to me.
DeleteBesides the obvious fight between the boxers, there are many more "battles" going on in the story “Battle Royal.” One of the biggest battles going on in the story is racism. The Narrator, who is black, has to fight Tatlock, who is a large white man. The boxing fight isn’t just to see who the stronger man is; it is to see what the stronger race is. Also in the end, he does what he came to the place to do, which was say his speech. During his speech the white men there start to make fun of the narrator, and this creates another battle, but a battle for the narrator himself, which is the idea to give up. But he doesn’t , he keeps saying his speech.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about one fight being race and equality because it showed how much segregation and torture there is.
DeleteThese are really good points.
DeleteThe narrator faces several battles in 'Battle Royale'. One is physical when he has to fight Tatlock in the ring. I think the main theme of the story is racism. When the narrator is delivering his speech he mentions social equality. After he mentions that he gets comments on how he is wrong about that and he lies and said that was a mistake. If he didn't say it was a mistake I think he would have many more problems. What I thought the narrator was battling the whole story was his grandfathers message before he died. I woul be thinking about that a lot. I wouldn't know what to do if I were the narrator. His grandpa told him to stand up to the whites, but I don't think he would want to get beaten.
ReplyDeleteI think that Ellison's battle royal represents blacks vs whites. I do not think that it represents it physically, but figuratively. It is saying that whites would always beat the blacks in that time period. The white man wil suceed in this battle and the black man will fail. I do not think the battle between the white man is worth fighting, but I do think that the battle with his grandfather is worth fighting. The fight between the white man is not worth fighting, because back then blacks were practically invisible. They had no say in anything, and were treated very unfairly. The battle with his grandfather is worth fighting, because he should prove to him that he is able to attend college.
ReplyDeleteYou are totally right, in my opinion anyways because I do think the major battle, or theme in the story is black vs. white. That is truly the conflict.
DeleteThe narrator faces several battles in 'Battle Royale'. One is physical when he has to fight Tatlock in the ring. I think the main theme of the story is racism. When the narrator is delivering his speech he mentions social equality. After he mentions that he gets comments on how he is wrong about that and he lies and said that was a mistake. If he didn't say it was a mistake I think he would have many more problems. What I thought the narrator was battling the whole story was his grandfathers message before he died. I woul be thinking about that a lot. I wouldn't know what to do if I were the narrator. His grandpa told him to stand up to the whites, but I don't think he would want to get beaten. The narrator wants to show how good he is and bring back pride for his family and especially his dead grandfather. He wants to show the whites that he is more than just a black person in thier perspectives.
ReplyDeleteIn "Battle Royal," Ralph Ellison shows many a different battles including the obvious fights in the ring, but also the mental fights with his grandfathers dying words and the battle with the apparent arrogent white men. One of the biggest sebtences in the narrorator's grandfather's last word was, "Live with your head in the lion's mouth"(Ellison 266). This means that you should go with the white men. Play there game, but when they snap they're powerful jaws, be ready to pull out. This concerned him because he did not know what to do. He wanted the respect of the white men, but he also wanted to be an individual, himself. The other battle was against the white men specifically in the "smokers" place. He wants so badly to impress them but when he tries he gets put in a ring and forced to fight. Even when its all over and he is saying his speech the men in the lounge mock him and talk over him. But as soon as he stands up to them and says "social equality" the men deter him and become angy wich quickly puts him down. I believe the battle worth fighting is the one with his granpa's words. I say this because he doesn't have to prove anything to those men he needs to be himself and not care what the white men think about him.
ReplyDeletelolol
DeleteIn the story "Battle Royal" The main character of the story has to face three different conflicts. The first being the fact that his father was a slave. This fact means that because of him being black he gets discriminated against by other races. The second fight being when he was boxing Tatlock in the ring. The narrator offered to give all the prize money to him if he faked passed out but Tatlock wanted to beat him up because he was racist and didn't like black people. The third conflict was while he was delivering his speech. The men receiving the speech thought the Narrator said social equality
ReplyDeleteinstead of social responsibility. Him saying would have meant that he wanted equality in life, witch black people did not have back then. With each conflict mostly being about race I think the main conflict of the story is his race.
Don't you also think the main character is having a battle with himself as well? Not only is this story man vs. man, but I also think it is man vs. himself.
DeleteI also agree with Jaqueline that the main battle in this story was man vs. himself. Throught "Battle Royal," the narrator is constantly battling his inner thoughts; whether they are about his grandfather or reading his speech, they all tie to a battle against himself.
DeleteThe ‘battles’ that are being fought in Ellison’s “Battle Royal” are more figurative battles than literal ones if you really think about it. In my opinion, the most important figurative battle the narrator is facing is how to endure his grandfather’s final statement before he died. Throughout the story the narrator is constantly reminded of his last words. “Live your head in the lion’s mouth…Keep up the good fight…Life is a war” (Ellison 266). The Invisible Man stated that he could never be sure of what it meant, but it had a tremendous effect on him. I believe the narrator will win this internal battle when if he not only figures out why his grandfather did what he did, but also figure out why he carried out the advice in spite of himself. In this battle, as of right now, the narrator will be likely to fail this battle because he had that questionable dream at the end about his grandfather. I think that once he figures out answers to why he is constantly reminded about his grandfather, he will succeed in this battle.
ReplyDeleteEkene Nwosisi
I like the way you think his grandfather has such a big impact on his life and battles.
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DeleteI think that the narrator needs to learn and discover what his grandfather was talking about, but don't you think he has such a bigger passion to win the battle so he can present his speech to the board? I do agree with you though when you say he has a questionable dream about his grandfather. I think that he will struggle learning about his grandfather and figuring out what he said on his deathbed, but overall I think he wanted to present his speech so bad that he was going to do anything he could to present it. I also think that he wanted to present his speech even if it was his grandfather’s beliefs and not his.
In response to Sydney: After reading your refute, I agree with you 100% But of course, I can't bash out my whole statement either.I still am sticking to my opinion that the most important battle is the narrator against the words his grandfather said, but at the same time you do have a point that he does have a big passion to to present his speech to the board. However, in my opinion, I think he has a much bigger passion to conquer the meaning of his grandfather's final phrase, than reading his speech.
DeleteI really like how you said he will only win his internal battle when he finds out why the grandfather did what he did.
DeleteThere are many battles being fought in Ellison's "Battle Royale". The obvious battle being fought is the match between Tatlock and the black man. The fight was extremely important for the black man to win because he wanted nothing more than to present his speech to the white citizens. Another battle that the black man is trying to fight is the constant thought of his grandfather. The black man always felt there was a deathbed curse his grandfather had left. The author wrote “Grandfather had been a quiet old man who never made any trouble, yet on his deathbed he called himself a traitor and a spy, and he had spoken of his meekness as a dangerous activity. It became a constant puzzle which lay unanswered in the back of my mind. And whenever things went well for me I remembered my grandfather and felt guilty and uncomfortable”(Ellison 266). By that quote I feel as though the black man is constantly worrying and battling the thought that his grandfather didn’t actually like white people and that he was actually a traitor, but he secretly acted nice towards them. The black man feels guilty about acting nice towards the white people and he thinks he should really be acting mean towards them. That battle is important in the story.
ReplyDeleteI like how you included a quotation from the text and then explained it in detail.
DeleteI think that the battles are of determination. He wanted to share his speech. So he kept on fighting. He had that determination and he was brave enough to kept on getting back up. To succeed you have to be determined and thats what he did. He shared his speech and it was worth it. To fail is to get knocked down and never get back up. Its worthy much more to fight for what he wanted, his speech than fight for the money. The money is only temporary but you will have the satsifaction of getting what you want that will last longer. AShley Moreno
ReplyDeleteI think that is very true! he is mostly fighting because he thinks that if he doesn't win or put on a "show" then he wont be able to give his speech. So I think his main purpose of fighting is because he is determined to give that speech.
Delete-Jilly Hebert
I agree, his dominant purpose is to give his speech and he will go far and beyond to keep his oppurtunity.
DeleteI think the person most likely to succeed would be the narrator himself. From the unfair treatment to the motivation from his grandfather, makes it seem as though he well go to any extent to succeed at one point in his life.
ReplyDeleteThere are many battles the narrator has to face in the story "battle royal". There is the battle inside the ring, which is set up for his own failure, but there is also a battle outside. the racism he faces would seem unbearable to most people, being called names, never being respected and things like that. Racism was imminent when he was giving his speech. People were verbally abusing, and interrupting him throughout the speech. But he made it threw. After it all he did get the scholarship which was huge for him. He had carried out the last words of his grandfather. After it all, he didn't win in the ring, but he had a victory outside of it.
ReplyDelete-Matthew Jack Healy