Battle Royal by Ralph Ellison
... In the story “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison, examples of how the hierarchy works can be found through out the text. ... A good example of how whites exercise their power over blacks can be found in “Battle Royal”. ... The white men in “Battle Royal” have their first advantage just because they are white, however, the advantages do not stop there. ... Again, “Battle Royal” is a perfect example of this separation. In the story affluent white men of the town have gathered to witness the battle royal under the guise of getting together is to make a “charitable” contribution, a scholarship for the main character to go to the local Negro college. ... Once again, “Battle Royal” shows us how the hierarchy works and what the difference is in being a man or a woman in the south. ... Through using the story “Battle Royal” the author has created a clear picture of what the south is, an unchanging hierarchy of power.