In Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal,” a young black
male has to go through many struggles just to get recognition. The male is
invited to make a speech at a gathering of white individuals. It is important to
realize that this story takes places during a racial era. At the time, blacks
weren’t viewed as intellectuals. However, this young boy is able to break
through the boundaries that were set for him and execute a graduation speech
that is worthy of being heard by “the town’s leading white citizens.” This boy is a representative of the black
community and the fact that he is receiving recognition from the white community
is a great “triumph,” for the black community. When he arrives to deliver his speech, he soon
realizes that he has to take part in a battle against his own race. This idea
of battle was conjured by the same white individuals who are to hear his
speech. The boy does not wish to participate in the battle; however, he does so
because all he cares about is delivering his speech. He literally fights in
order to make his speech. After he delivers his speech, he receives a
scholarship to attend college. He went through the struggle in order to see
success.
“Battle Royal,” can be compared to the song “Ghetto
Story."
"Ghetto Story," deals with growing
up in a neighborhood that is looked down upon, then obtaining success. In the
music video, a young boy is profiled. He is from a bad neighborhood and battles
with some boys in the community. He fights in order to win and he does exactly
that. As a youth, he won the fight and was able to grow and become successful.
The boy being profiled is actually, the singer of the song. In the video the singer says "This [is] a survival story," and "Battle Royal" is exactly that. This music video
shows that even though you come from a bad community or neighborhood, you can
still find success, even when things seem bleak. This was the same thing
portrayed in “Battle Royal,” and that is where the two connect.
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