I LOVED the chapter from Battle Royal. I will admit, I did not expect to like it at all or even as much as I do. I can’t even pinpoint what it is that I like in this story, but something drew me in at the beginning and kept me entertained all the way through. I would like to read the entire story one day.
A classmate described it as being “realistic yet over-exaggerated”. I would have to agree. Everything seemed so real and I could picture it as I went along. However, some things may have been over-developed and over the top. I wouldn’t say that this is a bad thing. I would say it is what makes the story so powerful.
Battle Royal is a gruesome story. The battle that takes place shows no mercy and Ralph Ellison spares no detail in his writing. I really enjoyed the main character and thought Ellison developed him really well. The boy wanted to keep his reputation with the White men and looked for their approval. It seemed as if his natural instinct was to go against the battle, but he had to withstand it in order to reach his goal of giving the speech. I was a little saddened when he said that he saw himself as a future Booker T. Washington. He also had this idea that it would be better to make peace where they were rather than fight for their rights.
Ellison also incorporates the treatment of women in his story. The blonde woman is an example of someone being taken advantage of and mistreated. I thought the narrator’s internal struggle with the woman was quite intriguing. He hated her and loved her at the same time. This shows that part of him knew what was right, but the other part of him followed society.
Battle Royal really struck me and I hope to one day find the time to enjoy the rest of Ellison’s work.
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