This short story is one of my favorites not because of the unbelievable carnage that took place but because it was so engrossing. Once I started I could not put it down. Ellison captures the moment as if it were taking place this instant. When fighting Tatlock alone in the ring, I can vividly picture the scene as, °They were yelling for us to break it up and Tatlock spun me half around with a blow, and as a joggled camera sweeps in a reeling scene, I saw the howling red faces crouching tense beneath the cloud of blue-gray smoke.± I commend Ellison for writing, what must have been an unbelievably embarrassing scene, so truthfully and beautifully.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Battle Royal, African American, African Americans, Tuskeegee Institute, short story, African American's, Booker Washington, , battle royal, african american,
Approximate Word count = 700
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)