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Battle Royal Ralph Ellison Analysis

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Six feet below; yet, their influence would not go. The narrator's in "Daddy" and "Battle Royal" are both haunted by the lasting affects their deceased family members had on them. Ellison writes, "It was as though he had not died at all, his words caused so much anxiety" (Ellison 215). Ellison's quote captures the internal disorder that both narrator's experience; the lingering memories governing their emotions, actions, and thoughts - constantly dictating their lives. Although the narrator's in each story differ in ethnicity, culture, and gender; they share commonalities, such as being profoundly influenced by the death of a loved one during their adolescence. The indelible final impressions could not escape their memory. In "Daddy," Sylvia …show more content…
Similar to the narrator in "Daddy," he is restricting his life through the ambivalent feelings of gratitude to the white folks and through the guilt derived from succumbing to racial inequality. The narrator's internal conflict is represented when Ellison writes, "It became a constant puzzle which lay unanswered in my mind. And whenever things went well for me I remembered my grandfather and felt guilty and uncomfortable" (Ellison 215). Interestingly, the narrator is unable to discern when he is getting taken advantage of. After he was beat up, electrocuted, and verbally abused he was awarded a college scholarship; this made him immediately disregard the maltreatment. He is blind to the fact that he is serving the white people just as his grandfather forewarned him not to do. It is as if his grandfather is operating subconsciously to bring the abuse to his attention, yet he is still unable to become aware of it. Based off the conclusion, it is apparent the narrator is blind regarding his submission to racial inequality. However, I can infer that eventually he will be forced to evaluate this belief as the animosity between the ethnicities continues to grow. Early in the stories both narrators experience the death of a family

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