During the young black males speech he accidently says social equality instead of social responsibility. When he does this the white men in the room snap at him, making sure it was a mistake and that he was not trying to be smart. After that they remind him of who is superior by saying, “We mean to do right by you, but you’ve got to know your place at all times.” (Ellison). When his speech is done he is presented with a brief case that has a scholarship inside it to the state college of black youth. His entire experience at the hotel is a representation of the struggle African American have in a white society. Just to get the approval of whites, African Americans have to work ten times harder and be ten times better. Although he feels honored when awarded the brief case and scholarship the harsh reality of it is he was humiliated, used as entertainment, and degraded just to get that prize. He is reminded that although he is well-spoken and smart like the white male he will never be superior, …show more content…
To be honored by white leaders is an all-time high for him. In his dream that same night, his grandfather instructs him to look into the briefcase again. Instead this time he finds a letter that says, “To Whom It May Concern, Keep this nigger boy running.” This message is so short, but the meaning behind it cuts so deep. As a black male you can work hard to get respect and be honored but it will never be enough in the white man’s eyes. At the end of the day, in the white leader’s eyes, the black male in the shorty story Battle Royal is just a nigger boy that is a little brighter than the rest of the niggers. The protagonist is naïve to think he is anything more than that to the white leaders. He does not fully understand the struggle he will face as an African American to become successful in a white