The Battle Royal symbolizes the social and political struggle that was faced during this time period. During the Battle Royal, the group of Blacks are forced to do things against their will and comply with the demands of the Whites. Initially, the narrator believed he had a choice, but soon comes to terms that he doesn't.
2. What shocking surprise does the narrator have that night?
He is forced to watch a naked women parade around dancing for the men. The young blacks, unlike the whites, are ashamed by what they are seeing. They attempt to look away and leave, but the whites force them to stay.
3. How does the Battle Royal
symbolize the narrator’s struggle for identity?
The narrators invisibility is foreshadowed when he notices how much the darkness really scares him. When the boxing match began, it too the narrator a couple of blows to realize he could actually see through the blindfold. This is drawing a connection to the prologue when he stated he has to notice his invisibility first to recognize others. Once the narrator discovers this, he is able to notice everyone else's actions, but without giving away that he can see. Throughout the various humiliating acts of that night, the narrator has gone back and fourth on how he feels about each one of them.
4. How does it symbolize the plight
of Blacks in that time period in general?
In general, the Battle Royal is symbolizing the oppression that Blacks are still put under in order to be rewarded with something. They are "blinded" by the Whites and force to comply with their rules, while they get to act like hooligans.
5. The narrator gives a number of
speeches throughout the novel. This is the first. Study it carefully and write
a brief summary. What is the topic and why is that topic ironic?
The narrators speech is about races working with one another in order to live better life's. He gets this point across by using various quotes from Booker T. Washington and an antidote about two ships helping each other. He states that we have "social responsibilities." The topic is ironic because the narrator is giving a speech on social equality to some of the most racist men. They even become offended and disturbed when the narrator utters those words.
6. In what ways are the Blacks at
the smoker humiliated? Why do the White men take such pleasure in that
humiliation?
By forcing them to watch a naked women dance, boxing, tricking them into getting electrocuted, insulting them, and laughing at them. The black men see pleasure in this because in their opinion blacks are inferior to them and they deserve all the humiliation they can get.
7. The narrator clings to the White
man’s chair and thinks of tossing the man on the electrified rug. How does this
scene symbolize the consequences of Black rebellion in a White world?
They only make things worse.
8. List all reference to the image
of blindness.
- "Had the price of looking
been blindness..."
- "But now I felt a sudden fit of blind terror..."
- "The boys groped about like blind, cautious
crabs crouching to protect their mid-sections..."
- The actually blindfold as well.
9. What is the significance of the
narrator’s dream at the end of the chapter?
To recall the previous ideas introduced by the grandfather. The phrase "keep the nigger boy running" could potentially symbolize the idea of the American Dream being impossible for African Americans. They will always be forced to keep working and working for it.
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