Symbolism is used throughout Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal". Symbols have more than one meaning than what appears to be the central idea. Symbols in this story are very contradictory. The main character is also the narrator who tells the story after he has become an educated adult. In Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal" symbolism is used in the narrator's dream of his Grandfather to make him realize what he would have to achieve and strive for to have a successful life.

The Grandfather had been a meek person all his life. On his deathbed he said some words that startled his family. He said, "our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days, a spy in the enemy'' country..."(223). Instead of the Grandfather being direct with his family his last words were full of symbolism. This puzzled the family. It would be up to them to interpret what the Grandfather meant.

The Grandfathers last words caused anxiety among the family. The narrator let the words disturb him when he did something good. The narrator said, "The old man's words were like a curse" (244). He felt this way because he did not understand his Grandfathers cautious way of telling him h

As the narrator went on to graduate from high school he still let his Grandfather words make him feel, "against the wishes of the white folks" (224). The narrator knew how the Grandfather felt but failed to realize his message. Following this the narrator had a dream about his Grandfather that he did not understand until he was an educated adult. The dream happened after he went through a traumatic situation with some of the most respected people in town. When the situation was over, he was rewarded and felt as if he is important again. The narrator failed to realize how the people in town really thought about him. It did not matter to the town that he was graduating at the top of his class, all they saw was the color of his skin. These circumstances combined with his Grandfathers last words led him to the dream he would have after he received his reward.

The message read, "Keep This Nigger Boy Running" (233)". This means that his whole life people would look at him as a black person. This let the narrator know that he will have to keep running in order to be ahead of the other guy. He knew that he will never be able to finish his education. He will always have to keep learning new things for the rest of his life. He should never feel as if he is better that anyone because all some people will see despite his education is his color.

The Grandfather asked the narrator to open his brief case. The brief case had been given to him in real life by the towns' people in order to help him further his education. He also received a scholarship to one to the colleges. The town used

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Approximate Word count = 1080
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)