“A person was sort of a social misfit, educated but out of his own class, without the hope of entering into that which is above him” (Chesnutt 48). When Chestnut said those words, what did he mean? Chestnut wanted to say that for Black people to overcome the social misfits done on them by the Whites such as social injustices, they had to fight them by pursuing education and getting better jobs that can place them among the elite and same as the Whites. Through education, Chestnut believed that the Black community could overcome racial injustices by acquiring wealth and status, just like the Whites. Chestnut idea is reflected in Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal” story. At the end of the story, Ellison remembered his grandfather’s curse, “Our world is at war”. These words reminded the narrator that the world could be won with a great deal of fortitude and honor. Receiving a scholarship to join state college for Negros was an opportunity for the narrator to fight the racial injustices through acquiring education. The story can be understood using the philosophy of Du Bois; that developing the best race with the intellectual capacity was the key to fighting the mass contamination of the social injustices perpetrated by Whites. However, Booker T. Washington shared a different view; that hard work, material prosperity, self-help and solidarity were the key to stopping discrimination of Whites against African-Americans. Washington argued that education in farming, industrial and crafts would earn the Black people respect from the Whites. In “Battle Royal story”, when the boys were punching each other’s faces before the unscrupulous white spectators, the narrator believed in words that his grandfather had spoken. He understood that the young men had to fight this war if they had to leave the battlefield. He learned that each person had his own battle but with different talents and skills to elevate the social positions of the Black people. These lessons are what Washington was trying to say. As such, it can be seen that Ralph Ellison’s short story, “Battle Royal”, portrays the conflicting race philosophies of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois.

The Conflicting philosophies and Ralph’s Story

Towering Black intellectualism, Booker T. Washington developed a philosophy that he believed would save the African-Americans from the racial injustices done on them by the Whites. Washington’s philosophy was based on three principles; self-help, racial solidarity and accommodation. His main emphasis was to discover the talents that the Black people had and use them to help themselves. For the second principle of racial solidarity, Washington urged the Black people that the way to overcome the racial injustices was through collective intellectualism. In other words, the Black community had to come with their different skills and engaging farming as groups, invest in crafts and industries so that they could create wealth among themselves. Washington believed that White people discriminated Black community because they lacked material wealth, and that acquiring wealth was the best way of elevating their status and matching with their competitors. His idea of the liberation of the Black people from the social injustices of the Whites was a form of a gradual process. Black people had to tolerate the racial discrimination that was done on them for a short duration and, patiently work hard to acquire wealth. He believed through these virtues, African-Americans would make them have the same respect as the Whites and be placed at a higher level in the society strata. As Booker T. Washington said in the Atlantis Exposition Address speech, “People had no defence of any type unless development was taking place amongst everyone” (Washington, “The Atlanta Exposition Address”). Washington meant that the collective power of the Black educated community would emancipate them from the social injustices perpetrated by the Whites. Today, some of the African-American leaders seem to share Washington’s philosophy. For example, President Barrack Obama once said that, “we recognize our failings and then rise together to meet the challenges of our time”. The essence of Obama’s speech is the togetherness which matches Washington philosophy of racial solidarity.

Du Bois shared a different from Booker T. Washington. Du Bois advocated fight for justice for the Black people. He based his philosophy on the view that the Black community would free themselves from racial discrimination by the creation of a small population of people who would fight racial injustices of the Whites. He argued that there had to be a “Talented Tenth”, exceptional men with educational skills that would guide the Mass of Black people away from racial discrimination of the Whites. He added that developing the best of the Black race would be the guide to the liberation from racial injustices. He said that, “The Black race as to be freed by the exceptional men” (Du Bois, “Chapter”).

Du Bois philosophy has been echoed in Chestnut’s notes. Chestnut seems to share the through that every individual must discover his talent at his free will and rise to the ultimate problem of civilization. In reference to Black discrimination, Chestnut seemed to acknowledge that “every individual would find a worthy career and rise to the ultimate problem of civilization” (Chesnutt iii).

In Ralph’s story “Battle Royal”, depicts the two conflicting philosophies. A good reference can be made from the narrator’s thoughts that he had when he was observing how the Whites enjoyed and felt entertained at the Black young men punching each other’s faces in the ring. The narrator had a change of thoughts from time to time, which at one point translated Du Bois philosophy and at another, Booker T. Washington’s view. His grandfather said before he died, “that your head had to be in the mouth of the Lion” (Ellison 362). The grandfather’s words had him thinking that he meant that he had to stand out the best among the other by being liked by the white; so that he could rise against their wishes. At some point, the narrator felt that his grandfather wanted him to stand out against Blacks by colluding with both the Whites and the Blacks. However, he was wrong. People were not happy that his grandfather was living in the mouth of the lion for himself, only trying to benefit alone and leaving his folks behind. At this point, the narrator considered himself belonging to the exceptional men, the “Talented Tenth”; the same concept that Du Bois shared. The narrator thought that he could save himself and others from sulky and mean Whites if he also became the “…desirable con- duct-just as my grandfather had been” (Ellison 364). However, when the narrator watched battle royal that is when he developed a different perspective of his grandfather’s curse. He understood that his grandfather meant that he had been “a spy and had betrayed his own country” (Ellison 361). These words drummed into his ears when he saw how divided the young boys were as they thought that being tough is all they needed to fight the battle. The interpreted their naivety and he remembered that being united was the most important thing. He recognized the essence of racial solidarity. In fact, he said, “He imagined himself as Washington” (Ellison 366).

Conclusion

People still argue about ways of ending racial injustices from the perspective of the two philosophers. There are those who still believe that working together by pooling talents and skills together would earn African-American the respect that they have been seeking from Whites. On the other hand, others share the view that only the elite from the Black community will put an end to the racial injustices. Whichever the view, President Barrack Obama seems to spread a neutral approach concerning the two philosophies. He stated that regardless of our birth or circumstances that life offers, whether losers or winner, “everyone has a chance to work hard, get ahead, and reach their dreams” (Obama 144-45)

Works Cited

Chesnutt, C. The Marrow of Tradition (1902).New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola,

2003. Print.

Du Bois, W.E.B.   “Chapter III. Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others “. Retrieved

September 23, 2011 from http://www.bartleby.com/114/3.html

Ellison, Ralph. “Battle Royal”. : The Human Experience. 11^th ed. Ed. Richard Abcarian et al.

Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. 361-371.

Obama, Barack. Great Speeches by African Americans. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc.

Mineola, 2006. Print.

Washington, B.T. “The Atlanta Exposition Address”. Retrieved September 23, 2011 from

http://www.wfu.edu/zulick/341/booker.html.

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