The symbols and language used in “Battle Royal” allow readers to understand the concept of being black in America; fight for equality. Symbols such as the white blindfold, the stripper, and the battle itself all give a suggestion as to what the unnamed protagonist was feeling, but more importantly, Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal" depicts the difficult struggles facing the man black faces in what is supposed to be a post-slavery period. era.Indeed, the narrator comes from a long line of black men who experienced difficult struggles trying to live alongside white people. The protagonist talks about his grandparents, who felt free after the Civil War, but on his deathbed the grandfather spoke to the narrator's father, telling him that he himself felt like a traitor. He advised the narrator's father to overthrow the whites. The narrator remembers a speech he gave in high school that talked about ways to advance as a black man in America. With great success, the protagonist is invited to give this speech to the white citizens of his community. Upon arrival, the narrator is invited to participate in what is called a battle royale; believing it to be part of the entertainment, the narrator agrees to participate. The white men then blindfold the young people and order them to start fighting. The narrator lasts until the last round, where he suffers a loss. After the men remove the blindfolds, they lead the black men to a carpet covered with coins and bills. The boys dive for the money, but discover that an electric current is running through the carpet. After enduring the battle royal, and when it comes time for the narrator to give his speech, the white men all laugh and ignore him. When the narrator accidentally says “social equality...... middle of paper...... his eyes leave the dancing naked women. The outbursts towards black men are further proof that during this era, black people had little to no say and did not feel equal to their white counterparts. Perhaps the most striking symbol of all is the battle itself. White men pitted a group of black men against each other; black men were in a no-win situation. Instead of expressing their displeasure with white men, black men were forced to express their anger against each other. The narrator also seems to seek the approval of white men; remembering his speech as he fights the other men. According to the protagonist: Should I try to win against the public voice? Wouldn't that go against my speech, and wasn't it a moment of humility, of non-resistance? ( ). He is afraid to challenge white men; letting them down by not performing well enough.