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Battle Royal Symbolism - College Essays

Battle Royal Symbolism

In the story "Battle Royal" by Ralph Ellison, he uses a white, naked, exotic dancer as a big symbol in the story. Tattooed on the girl that the narrator is directing his attention to is an American Flag. The symbol of the American flag on the naked blonde girl relates to the many themes of the story such as the struggle for equality. To understand how the American flag plays its role in the story you have to look at what it represents. First, the public symbol meanings of the American flag being the American dream, freedom, independence, and equality. To the main character, the narrator, those meanings are important to him. In the story the exotic dancer was what the American flag ...

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towards white women. This was an unwritten, but inexcusable law of society with harsh consequences. How that relates to the story is that the group of black boys are not suppose to be attracted to the exotic dancer as they are not suppose to be attracted to the idea of being equal with white people. This is why some of the boys try to hide the fact that they are attracted. Some of them cried, one of them fainted, and another tried to hide the proof of his arousal. They thought that if they showed that they were attracted to the exotic dancer or what she represents that they would be hurt.
The narrator also has feelings that he wants to "destroy" and "murder" the exotic dancer at the same time. He knows that he can't have the exotic dancer and what she represents. He wants to be equal so badly that he has expresses those kinds of feelings. Also it seems like the narrator is bitter about the whole situation. The white men put this white woman, who symbolizes equality, in ...

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Battle Royal Symbolism. (2008, January 3). Retrieved January 11, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Battle-Royal-Symbolism/76905

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 1/3/2008 05:12:58 PM
Category: English
Type: Free Paper
Words: 633
Pages: 3

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