Battle Royal

3 Pages 636 Words

If a person were to ponder the many choices they have made throughout their lives, one question would be repetitive in their thought: was it free will, or fate? In many instances, people conclude that it was their free will that determined their fate. Others conclude that fate is predetermined no matter what you do. In Ralph Ellison’s Battle Royal, it seems that, no matter how hard the young African American boy, Ralph, tries or attempts, it appears that the status of his life has already been determined.
Throughout the story, there are three significant symbols that show us his life is predetermined. The first symbol appears in the form of a blindfold. Ralph is asked to go to a grand hotel to give a speech to all of the town’s big shot white men. However, something else is in store for him. Upon his arrival, he is soon taken out of his clothes and put into a fighting tog. He is then put into a ring with many other boys for a free for all fight. However, the boys are blindfolded, taking away their sight, the most essential sense in a fight. This blindfold is a symbol of their free will being taken away and ultimately determining their fate. Before Ralph even has a choice, the choice is essentially made for him.
Finally, after Ralph has completed all the theatrics that were in store for him, he was going to deliver his speech. All torn up and bloodied from the battle royal, Ralph looked utterly ridiculous in delivering his speech. Upon completion of the speech, Ralph was presented with a briefcase. In the briefcase was a college scholarship. One would think that after all the boy has been through in his life, not to mention the last couple of hours, it would appear that his hard work had paid off. However this is not the case. Even though these objects may be a symbol of status, in reality they in no way help Ralph move up in the world. This scholarship was to a college that was an all African American school, wh...