Keith Henderson

This week we read and analyzed a very interesting piece called Battle Royal. In this story a young African American man is invited to present his speech in hopes of winning the prize of a college scholarship. When he arrived there were many other African American men and they were all tricked into a ring where they were forced to fight. After the fight the white men throw fake money on a rug. All the fighters dive on the rug to try and get the money but the rug was actually designed to electrocute them. In the end the narrator gives him speech and wins the scholarship. I believe this story is one of triumph and determination. He could have given up at any time but instead he battled through and gave his speech. I also believe this story is symbolic of the struggles African Americans faced in their history and the triumphs and made in the end, just like the narrator.