The Point of View of Battle Royal by Ralph Ellison Essay

The point of view in Ralph Ellison’s â€Å"Battle Royal† comes strictly from his trials and tribulations that he has overcome as a young black writer that began before the nineteen Fifties. Ralph Ellison was a black writer who was born on March 1, 1914 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma only seven years after it had actually became a state. After completing the lengthy research of this man and his works I found that Ellison once had considered becoming a classical music composer after getting the idea from a nineteenth century opera composer named Richard Wagner. The reading of â€Å"Battle Royal from â€Å"Literature An Introduction to reading and writing† by Edgar V. Roberts and Robert Zweig Tenth Edition was actually the first chapter of Ellison’s novel†¦show more content†¦He deliberates how he was â€Å"looking for his self and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer.†(Ellison) It seems that his point of vie w from the beginning reflected upon his ancestors and how things were then as opposed to when he began this novel. His grandparents being slaves during their time made him not ashamed of them, but the fact that he was ashamed of himself for at one time being ashamed by it. I feel that his grandfather telling him to keep up the good fight symbolizes the title to this particular chapter. I feel Ellison’s point of view represented some melancholy from when he was invited to give a speech in the main ballroom of a well- known hotel. It was to be in front of the towns leading white citizens. I think that Ellison was a little intimidated from the beginning for the simple fact of whom this speech would be presented to. Ellison probably was nervous from just looking at the surrounds of the ballroom and the attire of those whom he would be presenting to. For example â€Å"All the town’s big shots were there in there tuxedos, wolfing down the buffet foods, drinking beer and wh iskey and smoking black cigars.† (Ellison) I feel Ellison was intimidated of the ballroom itself for the fact that he describes how tall the ceilings were. I feel Ellison’s point of view changed twice in a matter of minutes. After they went down the elevatorShow MoreRelatedEssay on Ralph Ellisons Battle Royal1164 Words   |  5 Pagesin the years following the Civil War and the subsequent release of their people from bondage. 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