Part one of term paper
Ralph Ellison begins the story of the main character's life with the Battle Royal episode, setting the tone for the rest of the book, as well as providing a symbolic statement on race relations in America. The main character delivers a speech to his graduating class. In the speech, the narrator advocates "humility was the secret, indeed, th ...

Part two of term paper
... white man's world, on the white man's terms. The content of the speech and his attitude toward it is important because it shows he is striving for a goal he can not and has not seen achieved. He will devote the remainder of the story attempting to achieve the goal and failing. To be allowed to give his speech to the leaders of the community, he must fight in a dehumanizing debacle, geared toward the entertainment of the rich white men in attendance. The symbolic message is that blacks have to ...