Period 3 Writing Assignment based on "Battle Royal" February 17, 2011

Based on your experience reading and listening to "Battle Royal" by Ralph Ellison:


Choose one of the following writing topics:

What is the symbolic value of the battle royal?

or

At the end of the story, the narrator dreams that he is at a circus with his grandfather: why does he grandfather refuse to laugh at the clowns?

or

Why did the narrator's classmates turn against him?  What point is the author trying to make?

or

Brainstorm – parts of the story you found the most memorable.

Share out and add others’ memories to your brainstorm

Write a statement about the theme of the story using as many details as evidence.

Write a statement about what the story’s theme is and anticipate how someone might misinterpret the story’s theme and argue against them.

Format:
Summarize Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal" as best as you can in one paragraph
State your thesis based on one of the two writing topics.
Your essay should make relevant references to the story.  Personal responses without references to the text will be ungraded.