Everyday, racism is perceived as one of the most negative aspects of society . When people think of racism , they obviously see hatred , evil , and ignorance . It has been a part of world culture since recorded history and , no doubt , before that . When one thinks of racism in the United States , invariably , though not only , the struggle of the African-American is singled out . That is the main issue Ellison so powerfully addresses in his short story "Battle Royal". In it the author allows us to see the world through the eyes of a young black boy who is struggling to succeed in a predominantly white society . The thing that is absolutely essential to our understanding of the story is the understanding of this "rich" character . In this study I will try to analyze some of his traits (invisibility-lack of indentity , blindness) and his journey from idealism to a grim realism about the racism that confronts him in the story. All my life I had been looking for something , and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was . I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I , and only I , could answer . It took me a long time and much painful boomeranging of my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have be born with : That I am nobody but myself . But first I had to discover that I'm an invisible man ! (Ellison 448 ) In this passage we see the boy's lack of identity . Throughout his life , the narrator lets others define who he is, and believes that he is what they tell him to be.. He refuses to ask himself : " who am I ...
