"Battle Royal"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how, in "Battle Royal," the narrator's development and enlightenment occur through two kinds of conflict. It explains how, in "Battle Royal," the narrator's inner conflict stems from what his grandfather told him and what he instinctively believes to be true. His social conflict comes from living in a society that does not agree with him.

From the Paper:

"We know that the narrator is on a journey because very early in the story he tells us, "All my life I was looking for something, and every were that I turned someone tried to tell me what it was. I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction" (Ellison 196). Here we see how, as a young man, the narrator was not confident enough with his own thoughts and opinions, so he listens to what others had to say. However, every time he does this, he is thrown off course to discover who he is. His realization that what people tell him often contradictory is a first step toward his growth. However, it takes the narrator awhile to realize who he is. This is an example of the inner conflict that causes him strife for many years."

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