The narrator of the story is considered to be one of the brighter youths in his black community. He was given the simple, but yet honorable opportunity, to deliver a speech in front of the more prestigious white community members, which he accepted graciously. However, the suffering and punishment that lied ahead, in order for him to deliver his speech, was unimaginable. The harsh treatment that he is put through is quite symbolic. It represents the many hardships that the African American people had to bear in their battle to be treated equally.

Entering the hotel anxious to deliver his speech the narrator discovers that he was going to be part of a battle royal which, consisted of nine of his schoolmates and a boxing ring. If he had only knew this was only the beginning of the numerous harsh conditions that he was going to face that evening. The boys are first ushered into a room where a nud

After being blindfolded the boys begin to beat one another furiously. The narrator then began taking a severe beating from each of the other nine fighters. “Then it seemed as though all nine of the boys had turned upon me at once. A glove connected with my head, filling my mouth with warm blood. It was everywhere. I could not tell if the moisture were sweat or blood” (P212). Not only is this quote colorful, it gives you a sense of what he is going through. However, it also represents the struggle the African American population went through to be socially accepted and treated equally in a society that has a greater number of white people after the abolition of slavery. It portrays how the black population blindly fought, not knowing what always for, just as the boys in the Battle Royal fought. The segregation of schools, restaurants and different public facilities were issues that African Americans intensely fought over to gain acceptance and equality. These different battles are represented by the savage beating these young boys were giving one another in the ring, being witnessed by high classed, white individuals. As the fight continued the white spectators, absorbed by the brutal fighting going on began yelling cruel words at the ten young men in the ring. The spectator’s actions can easily be taken as how the white population treated African Americans for many years. The white population often felt superior to the black minorities and took on a stance of authority.

The fight finally came down to just two individuals, one being the narrator. As the two individuals stood on opposite sides of the ring the blindfolds were removed. This revealed that the narrator would be exchanging blows with the biggest of the other nine boys, but by the time he realized this the bell sounded and the final bout started. It was really no contest, the narrat

Some topics in this essay:
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