In Ralph Ellison's short storyBattle Royal,? the main character, which is a young black man, who was affected by his Grandfather's dying words. This advice given caused so much anxiety in his life, he would give speeches that he didn't even believe in just to keep the white's thinking that he knew his place in life. Most things he did in life before figuring the advice out cause him nothing but guilt and being in uncomfortable positions.
The young black man's Grandfather, before dying, is the one who gave this advice that would affect this mans life style. The young man was always told by his parents to forget his words, (199) but he just couldn't. They where like a curse not only to him but to his family as well. These words caused him so much anxiety. (199). The life he lived was basically through his Grandfather's words, he didn't know any other way. He lived fighting for what he wanted and he acted a certain way to white's, just to assure them that he knew his place in life. If he acted any different way they didn't like that at all. (200). The whites didn't see him as a human being, they just see him and all the other blacks as a nigger, or as the young man says,invisible.? (199). So the young man gave speeches about things he didn't believe in and he acted ways that didn't make him feel right, because he wanted to continue what his Grandfather started. And when things did go right for him, he would remember his grandfather and feel guilty and uncomfortable. (200). A lot of the things he did made him feel guilty and they?d put him in many uncomfortable positions. .
The young man's uncomfortable ness is shown a lot through out the story. We the reader's where given many insights on how living through his Grandfather's advice had put him in many uncomfortable situations. One of the situations is when he gave the oration on his graduation day. He gave the speech, not believing in it, remembering his Grandfather, but he believed that it worked.
