Chapter Summary And Symbolism In Battle Royal
1) Symbol In chapter 15, the narrator comes across a coin bank when leaving Mary's house. The coin bank is a figurine is of a grinning black man, who when a coin is placed in its hand and a lever is pushed, tosses the coin into his mouth. This is not only derrogative on how society viewed the african americans but also symbolic in how the narrator has experienced the race being not only treated negatively, but regarded in terms of unequality and in a sense, bottom feeders. More specifically, this can relate to the Battle Royal where the young black boys scavvanged up their winnings on the electrified carpet infront of an audiance that was mainly wealthy white people. To the white men, this exemplified the black men's despair to grab up any money they could, in a humiliating mannor, which was supplied by the white man himself. I think this symbol is significant because it symbolizes the reoccuring issue of black men being lesser equals of the white man, and it doesn't allow the narrator to forget about his "place" in society,
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winter, with the moon high above and the chimes in the steeple ringing and a sonorous choir of trombones rendering a Christmas -caarol; and over all is a quiteness and an ache as though all the world were lonliness. (pg.35)"
" The plant was in Long Island, and I crossed a bridge in the fog to get there and came down in a stream of workers. Ahead of me a huge electric sign announced its message through the drifiting strands of fog.... Flags were fluttering in the breeze from each other in a maze of buildings below the sign, and for a moment it was like watching some vast patriotic ceremony from a distance. But no shots were fired and no bugles sounded (pg. 196)"
" I was sitting in a cold, white rigid chair and a man was looking at me out of a bright third eye that glowed from the center of his forehead. He reached out, touching my skull gingerly, and said something encouraging, as though i were a child. his fingers went away (pg
winter, with the moon high above and the chimes in the steeple ringing and a sonorous choir of trombones rendering a Christmas -caarol; and over all is a quiteness and an ache as though all the world were lonliness. (pg.35)"
" The plant was in Long Island, and I crossed a bridge in the fog to get there and came down in a stream of workers. Ahead of me a huge electric sign announced its message through the drifiting strands of fog.... Flags were fluttering in the breeze from each other in a maze of buildings below the sign, and for a moment it was like watching some vast patriotic ceremony from a distance. But no shots were fired and no bugles sounded (pg. 196)"
" I was sitting in a cold, white rigid chair and a man was looking at me out of a bright third eye that glowed from the center of his forehead. He reached out, touching my skull gingerly, and said something encouraging, as though i were a child. his fingers went away (pg