From the moment you read the title "Battle Royal," it becomes obvious that a struggle will be present in this story. However, there is not one, but many "battles" addressed. After reading the story, it becomes clear that these battles being fought are both physical and mental. The most obvious is the conflict between the whites and blacks, but equally important and slightly less obvious is the conflict between the blacks themselves.

This short story by Ralph Ellison is written in first person singular. The narrator, who is also the main character, is a young, black man who has just graduated from high school with honors. He is invited to read his valedictorian speech at an assembly for the town's important white citizens. However, once he arrives he is told that before he gives his speech, he is to participate in a "battle royal" along with nine of his peers. The boys battle for quite some time while the white men watch, laugh, and cheer. Once the battle is over, the ten are led to a rug covered with coins and are told to grab their reward. However the coins are connected to a battery and the boys were shocked each time they grabbed one. Finally, the narrator is called

The conflict that is present between the whites and blacks is apparent through the words and actions of each character in the story. This is a time after slavery but prior to segregation where feelings between the white people and the black people were mixed.

At the beginning of the story, you feel as though you are in a town where the respectable white people are somewhat accepting of the blacks, seeing as how they invite this intelligent, young black man to come and give a speech at a gathering of the town's respectable white people. However, the true nature and intent of those very people becomes clear as soon as the narrator arrives at the gathering.

The battles that take place in "Battle Royal" are those which are of great importance and are faced even in this modern day. It is easy to see that the two conflicts are closely related and, in fact, one is caused, or escalated, by the other. If there was no conflict between the white men and the black men, there would have been no need for the "battle royal" or the entire humiliating experience that occurs. In turn, the black men would not have been forced to engage in activities which bring hostility towards one another, but perhaps would take part in activities to bring them together.

The conflict that exists between the whites and blacks leads to yet another conflict, one between the blacks themselves. While the conflict that exists between the whites and blacks is mostly mental, the one between the blacks themselves is much more physical. It seems as though the white men have more intentions for this gathering than just to get entertainment by humiliating these young, black men. Perhaps their intentions are to keep the blacks fighting amongst themselves so that they will not fight against the white men. At this time, whites are united while the blacks are pitted against each other. It would be impossible for one black man t

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1289
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)