battle
...ghtly less obvious is the conflict between the blacks themselves. This short story by Ralph Ellison is written in first person singular. The narrator, who is also the main character, is a young, black man who has just graduated from high school with honors. He is invited to read his valedictorian speech at an assembly for the town’s important white citizens. However, once he arrives he is told that before he gives his speech, he is to participate in a “battle royal” along with nine of his peers. The boys battle for quite some time while the white men watch, laugh, and cheer. Once the battle is over, the ten are led to a rug covered with coins and are told to grab their reward. However the coins are connected to a battery and the boys were shocked each time they grabbed one. Finally, the nar...