'Battle Royal': Comparing Swift And Ellison

Swift and Ellison share a common theme in their writings. They want to capture the attention of their audience in order to reveal a more significant controversy at hand. They both delve in to writing that can be viewed as morbid and disturbing. However, perhaps this is their intent due to the harrowing circumstances they both experienced throughout their lifetime. To begin with, I personally found both Swift and Ellison’s stories to be revolting, whether it be for the literal or figurative ideals they were trying to betray. I’ll start with Swift and when he spoke of the different ways a child’s flesh could be cooked (Swift 502). As a vegetarian and decent human, I was appalled. He also discussed with strategic flippancy of how he did not care to give thought to the old because they dying off quickly due to starvation and disease (Swift 503). Other examples of ghastly topics he wrote about include: voluntary abortions of frightened, poor mothers, using the skin as boots and gloves, and how husbands would beat his wife to induce a miscarriage (Swift 501-505). The issues Swift was alluding
Similar to Swift, he opted for the more vivid description of injustice that was being experienced. One example from his story Battle Royal is the repeated use of a racial slur meant in a derogatory manner (Ellison 368). Also, one of the boys was purposefully tossed on to the electric rug, causing him to spasm from the electricity, but the laughter from the White men continued (Ellison 368). This act of deliberate cruelty represents the mindset of most southern Caucasian during this time period. It also represents how little respect they held for the race they considered inferior. Another uncomfortable scene includes the brutality the narrator experienced in the ring while fighting (365-366). He merely wanted to present his speech, but is now being humiliated and forced to