The Prevalence of Social Injustice in Today America Essay

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Royal Battle: The Prevalence of Social Injustice in Today America

One of the most controversial contemporary American literary works that raised eyebrows in the 1950s was Ralph Ellison’s essay, Battle Royal. A short story told in the first person, with the main character, the narrator being a young high school graduate whose grandfather’s deathbed last words hunted for the better part of his life. The dying grandfather had called his son, the narrator’s father to his bedside and gave his last speech; thus, "Son, after I'm gone I want you to keep up the good fight. I never told you, but our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days, a spy in the enemy's country ever since I give up my gun back in the Reconstruction. Live with your head in the lion's mouth. I want you to overcome 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open." Just when they were all wondering what was wrong with the dying old man for uttering such strange words, he muttered to conclude his final speech in a more fierce tone and said, "Learn it to the younguns" (Ellison 1). From that moment, the young man who had been told several times that he took after his grandfather in character, was never himself, he lived his life in the guilt of being a traitor whose appearance of humility was just a showoff to satisfy the power that be, like his grandfather had advised at his deathbed. His fear was soon to be confirmed as he was invited to deliver a speech at “a gathering of the town's leading white citizens” where his experience over there is the central theme for the masterpiece, Royal Rumble. The essay depicts the typical survival struggle of the black Americans ever since his first arrival from the slave ship into the country centuries ago, up until Ellison’s days, and till the dawn of the next day. Points raised by Ellison in the book are mainly on social injustice, which include inequality, brutality, and mutual suspicion in the country. Of course, howbeit, in passing, Ellison (4) did not leave out sexism in the society in this narrative but controversial literary work. Sadly, these issues are still very much with us today, and we have to talk about them, overlooking them will only confirm Ellison’s portrayal of the society’s deafening silence to the survival struggles of the downtrodden and battered around us.

Following the ratification of the 15th Amendment in the 1870s, it was believed that racism would be a thing of the past in the great United States of America. While the African American that had survived to see the historical day jubilated in a heavenly ecstatic mood, little did he know that the context of the Freedom Proclamation was not as simple as it appeared on paper. His immense relief was not particularly for himself for he knew too well that he had but a little while to enjoy this long-awaited ‘liberty’. His joy was mainly for the young generation coming after him. He had longed to be heard, trusted and respected as a human being; to be judged by his deeds and to be loved for his good conducts. Sadly for him, no matter how he pushed and no matter how he cried, he was always found out by his sin. The same sin his grandfather perpetually tried for, the same crime his father was convicted of, and they lived all their lives trying to find justice. Justice, they sought, and acquittal they pursued until they gave up ghost trying.

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So, when he finally heard it announced that he would no longer have to run and hide for his skin color, which he does not have the power to change, he heaved a sigh of relief and grin in satisfaction. Unfortunately, days ran years, and many decades after, all his wishes seem to be a mirage. While the content of the law had set him discharged and acquitted, the forces that appeared powerful than him would not stop reminding him that never would his generation be genuinely free. Long after the amendment, the African American still struggles to find his relevance, in the schemes of things. The same issues raised by the American essayist years ago are still very much with us. Today, the great nation of American is still a theater of prejudice where inequality, racial and gender discrimination are still prevalent.…

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…living by what “they believe works” as opposed to what they genuinely believe, just to have ‘peace and respect’ from the society. However, no matter how the black man lives in pretence, he can never be free from the guilt of being a ‘traitor’. The narrator’s dream after the award confirms this. For a while, he felt so proud of himself, so elated and felt appreciated for the ovation, and the scholarship he received at the gathering. The news got to his neighborhood, and his neighbors were trooping into their house to congratulate him on the success. For that moment, he felt on top of the world and in a very rare mode of what his life has represented since that day at his grandfather’s deathbed, he even felt free from the late man’s curse. However, the ecstasy only lasted for just a while as his late grandfather whom he thought he had been free from, was waiting for him in his dream. His woes got more compounded by the true reflection of the accolades he had earlier received, which only meant to keep an eye on him and to keep him running for the rest of his life.

In conclusion, social injustice and sexism is cancerous prevalence that still reigns supreme in our great nation. Just as if the injustice on its own is not grievous enough, more grievous is the way we are not allowed to talk about it, and maybe we just may talk about it but only by a slip of the tongue. Like the narrator's experience, we are meant to look the other side while the battering continues, after which we are to pretend like nothing ever happened. Ellison has shown by the analogies of the men’s reaction at the mention of the word social ‘equality’ during the young man’s speech (10) and also his dream with his grandfather at a circus (12) that there will never be absolute peace and trust between all parties concerned as long as we continue the pretence game. The only solution is to talk about it, see injustice to one as an injustice to all regardless of color, gender or race, and let humanity, love and fairness prevail over prejudice.










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