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English II Battle Royal is a short story about racism, segregation, and being an African American male trying to succeed in a world that is considered to be a "white world." In this paper I will give examples of the different aspects of racism that is shown within the story, and discuss the different images that the authors uses to represent his theme. At the beginning of the story a young boy speaks with a dying grandfather who feels that he has betrayed his black heritage by becoming a trader, a spy for the white race. When the narrator was young his grandfather told his father, "Son, after I'm gone I want you to keep up the good fight. I never told you, but our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days, a spy in the enemy's country ever since I gave up my gun in the Reconstruction. Live with your head in the lion's mouth. I want you to over come 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em seller you till they vomit or bust wide open. " This message sets the story off and becomes his way of life of living, although he was unsure of what his grandfather really meant until he got older.
In this passage you see that the grandfather fought for the lack race that is up until they were free and he felt there was no need to fight. But, the one mistake that he made was becoming the "nigga" that they wanted him to be the type to sit back and allow them (whites) to remain in control. But he wanted his son to stop the cycle to fight for his race, by becoming the enemies' friend so that you can be where they are, on top. It wasn't until the middle of his life that he realized what his grandfather meant and that he had become a trader throughout life as well, however unknowingly. As the narrator was approaching graduation from high school he was to receive a scholarship to attend college but he had to attend the "Battle Royal." As he arrived along with several other African Americans who were to also receive an award he didn't know what to expect or what was to come at the event. The room was full of white people all there to degrade, and disrespect him but that didn't stop him from leaving he remained to receive his award.
While he gave his speech he stated "social responsibility" and the crowd yelled back what's the word you say, boy? "Social responsibility, I said. What Social responsibility, I said. What. Social... Louder...
responsibility. More! Respon-. Repeat! -stability. " He later yelled equality by accident. There was a stillness in the room he told them he said it by mistake and one of the men from the audience said, "we mean to do right by you but you " ve got to know your place at all times. " In this quote his place was the place in which black folk were to remain in during that time.
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Research essay sample on Battle Royal Social Responsibility
