Symbolism In Ralph Ellison's Battle Royal
Luigi Vittatoe
Professor Rachel Johnson
COM1102 Writing About Literature
January 27, 2016
Essay #2: The Naked Blonde
In “Battle Royal” Ralph Ellison uses symbolism to further his ideas. A notable symbol is the naked blonde who entices young black boys as she dances. The woman is a representation of America and contributes to the main character’s story of race. The black boys in a local hotel’s main ball room, and in there, they were forced to look at the naked blonde dance. The girl has a tattoo of the American flag (Ellison). The flag is symbolical in that it relates to several these in the story like the fight for equality. To Americans, the American flag is a symbol of independence, equality, freedom and the American dream. The flag tattoo …show more content…
Throughout history, black men were persecuted and were not allowed to even look at white women. Therefore, the blonde serves as a reminder to the narrator the he will never get to realize social equality. The blonde symbolizes forbidden freedom, and she strips the narrator of his innocence and decency. By provoking them with the naked dancer, the white audience shows the amount of control they have over black people.
The audience not only consisted of the black boys, but also important men in the community such as judges, lawyers, bankers, fire chiefs, merchants, and teachers. A pastor was even part of the audience (Ellison). The prominent men watching the blond is a depiction of how the society in the 1950s was racist despite America being look at as the ideal country by the whole world. The men represent racism in the education, medical, judicial, and economic …show more content…
Invisible Man. New York: Random House, Inc., 1952. Print.
Thomas, Lee, Paul. Reading, Learning, Teaching Ralph Ellison.
Ellison, Ralph. (2014) “Battle Royal”. Meyer, Michael. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s
CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course.
Student name: Luigi E.
Professor Rachel Johnson
COM1102 Writing About Literature
January 27, 2016
Essay #2: The Naked Blonde
In “Battle Royal” Ralph Ellison uses symbolism to further his ideas. A notable symbol is the naked blonde who entices young black boys as she dances. The woman is a representation of America and contributes to the main character’s story of race. The black boys in a local hotel’s main ball room, and in there, they were forced to look at the naked blonde dance. The girl has a tattoo of the American flag (Ellison). The flag is symbolical in that it relates to several these in the story like the fight for equality. To Americans, the American flag is a symbol of independence, equality, freedom and the American dream. The flag tattoo …show more content…
Throughout history, black men were persecuted and were not allowed to even look at white women. Therefore, the blonde serves as a reminder to the narrator the he will never get to realize social equality. The blonde symbolizes forbidden freedom, and she strips the narrator of his innocence and decency. By provoking them with the naked dancer, the white audience shows the amount of control they have over black people.
The audience not only consisted of the black boys, but also important men in the community such as judges, lawyers, bankers, fire chiefs, merchants, and teachers. A pastor was even part of the audience (Ellison). The prominent men watching the blond is a depiction of how the society in the 1950s was racist despite America being look at as the ideal country by the whole world. The men represent racism in the education, medical, judicial, and economic …show more content…
Invisible Man. New York: Random House, Inc., 1952. Print.
Thomas, Lee, Paul. Reading, Learning, Teaching Ralph Ellison.
Ellison, Ralph. (2014) “Battle Royal”. Meyer, Michael. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s
CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course.
Student name: Luigi E.