Literary criticism is a personal perspective of examining or analyzing an authors’ literature. It’s the understanding and approach towards an author writing a critical essay.
“Battle Royal” is one chapter in Ralph Ellison’s novel “invisible man”, which was published in the year 1952. Although, the story of the ‘Battle Royal’ was first published as a short story by the English literary periodical Horizon and it was given the title of “The Invisible Man” in the October 1947 copy of the publication in their journal. However, the novel “invisible man” gained Ellison popularity and fame as the foremost novelist of the twentieth century (Napierkowski. Vol.11).
About Ralph Ellison chapter “Battle Royal” from the novel “The invisible man” he poses an astonishing picture of brutality, lack of experience, and an internal skill or capacity that is drawn on occasionally a picture that signifies the intensity behind the establishment of the practice of racism and the sadness involved in the fight for an equal right in the society (Book Rags & Gale’s).
In the novel “Battle Royal” the narrator stated that he was told that he took after his grandfather. He further mentioned how his grandfather caused most of his predicaments in the early years of his life. Recollecting back to his grandfather’s statement on his deathbed, he said his father was called to his grandfather’s deathbed and said to him “Son, after I am gone, I want you to keep up the good fight”. The narrator remembered being told that his grandfather advised his son that life is war, and he has been a traitor since birth, he further stated that the grandfather said “he has been a spy in the enemy’s country ever since he gave up his gun in reconstruction” (Tyson, p. 260).
I agree that due to his unconcerned attitude towards his grandfather’s advice and remembering the advice that his father was given, on the dying bed by his grandfather it always haunted and ruin his chances of triumphing, this symbolizes the disobedience from not taking to his grandfather words on the determination of becoming independent of the white man who he talked about on his dying bed.
In the novel “Battle Royal” Ralph Ellison mentioned how they were blindfolded and arranged for a wrestling competition with nine others. Looking back at the incident the writer said they were “blindfolded with broad bands of white cloth,” felt humiliated and dejected for the treatment they received from the white folks in that they were blindfolded making him lose control of his emotion and believing that there is an equality difference among them and the white folks and lack of dignity. Looking back at the novel one will notice that it shows how the writer was living in a world of immorality and that he lived in a dark or blind society.
I agree with the writer for believing that he was living in a world that he does not have a say or was being underestimated all by the name of racism and power (Werner).
In Ralph Ellison’s novel “Battle Royal” he narrated how he constantly remembered the speech he was to deliver and how he felt to now given the privilege of delivering it before the fight.
From his statement, at first, he had no confidence in himself by doubting himself “Would not this go against my speech, and was this not a moment for humility, for non-resistance”. From his, though it shows that he was not courageous, and he does not have faith in himself. According to the passage, he was acting on the white man’s wish to please him. He was not seeing himself as being equal to the people.
Although the white men are to be blamed for the deception; they knowingly tricked the boys into wrestling for the fun of it.
The writer being inexperienced with the happenings around was after making his speech that he was so much happy when called on. The writer thought he was to deliver the speech but was dumbfounded when it all turned to be a boxing fight for fun. He was astonished that the thought of delivering the speech overcome his action.
One will end that the boxing and wrestling competition in the world now started from the time of slavery, and it went beyond decades up to the present millennium age (Aycock & Scott 11).
Works Cited
- Aycock Colleen and Scott Mark. A biography of the first African American world boxing champion. North Carolina: McFarland, 2008.
- Battle Royal; or, The Invisible Man from BookRags and Gale’s For Students Series. 2005-2006 Thomson Gale. Web.
- Napierkowski, Ed. Marie Rose. “Battle Royal; or, The Invisible Man: Introduction.” Short Stories for Students. Vol. 11. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com.
- Tyson Lois. Learning for a diverse world: Using critical theory to read and write about literature. New York, NY: Routledge, 2001.
- Werner Ryan. Summary of Ellison’s Short Story “Battle Royal”.