Ben Riley 7-24-00 Thoughts on Battle Royal Ralph Ellison’s short story, Battle Royal, takes place in any small town in the south. The main focus of this story is the reoccurring incidences of racial inequality. This is a story of several generations of an Afro-American family that dream about improving their lives in a racially segregated America. In the beginning of the story, a dying old man tells his son that he should “…showed first 75 words of 873 total…

…showed last 75 words of 873 total…to be saying that perhaps he not only needed more education, but also more experience in life. He also needed to get away from his hometown and its strict racial restrictions. In a way, the white men who mocked him and his black friends in the battle royal, had also given him a terrific opportunity to fulfill his grandfather’s request. By getting a college education perhaps he could help himself and others fight racism.