In today's society, there are many people who are stereotyped and/or hated .
because of who they are, mainly because of the color of their skin. We have come to .
recite the "separate but equal" line and in reality we still have not fully come to that point .
in this lifetime. Some may act as if we are all equal, but where is the proof? Some of .
these topics and even more come up in Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal". .
In the opening paragraph Ellison calls himself an invisible man. Ellison says this, .
I believe because of the way that he was treated at the battle royal. He was there to give a .
speech and they asked him to participate in what else was going on that night. He was .
degraded, blindfolded in a ring with rich old white men calling him names and yelling .
obscenities at him. "I want to get at that ginger colored nigger." Everyone praised him .
for his speech at graduation, which he was very proud of, and he did not even get to recite .
it , well not until after he engaged in the battle. What kind of respect is that he was not .
equal, he was unheard, invisible.
.
The narrator's grandfather says something to him that was very significant to him .
throughout his life. His grandfather's dying speech haunted him most of his life. "Son .
after I"m gone I want you to keep up the good fight. let "em swoller you till they .
vomit or bust wide open. There he was, his grandfather the meekest of men calling .
himself a traitor, and a spy in the enemy's country. I believe his grandfather felt that he .
was living a lie all his life, he was living for the oppressor, not for himself. Many .
African-Americans in the 50's had very little respect or authority. It seemed as if the .
only way to survive was to be what they wanted you to be. That's who grandfather was, .
he was living for them.
In the end , I came to understand why he was an invisible man, and did not know .
who he was because he was searching. He thought that him reciting his speech would be .
