Symbolism in Battle Royal Essay Essay Example

Symbolism in Battle Royal Essay Paper Ralph Ellison, Battle Royal: Literary Analysis Symbolism – the artistic and deliberate use of representations in literary works – assists in presenting to audiences both explicit as well as implicit meanings of various concepts and entities. Authors, poets, and other composers thus make great use of this highly effective literary device as they seek to convey varied messages to audiences. To illustrate, through the ‘battle royal’ element within the Invisible Man novel, author Ralph Ellison makes use of this literary device to induce audiences to form varied connotative as well as denotative meanings. Specifically, the fact that the novel’s narrator, as well as his fellow classmates (all blindfolded), are engaged in a duel is very symbolic. To strike closer home, the blindfolded nature of the contestants has a deep symbolic denotative and as well as connotative meanings. On the connotative side, such a blindfolded situation demonstrates the ignorance that the parties, who are all Blacks, usually espouse. Conversely, by being engaged in a duel while blindfolded, the ten Black youths indicate that the Black population is generally backwards with regard to seeking to gain knowledge and understanding. In addition, by using this symbolic element, Ellison adds a further twist to the story’s overall meaning. For example, it is notable that the Blacks do not demonstrate any significant resistance towards the idea of facing off their fellow Blacks in a blind duel. It thus seems as though the Blacks are passive partakers of the humiliation that the Whites mete out on them. We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism in Battle Royal Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism in Battle Royal Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism in Battle Royal Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In addition, it is important to note that the author employs a conventional symbolic element by describing the Blacks as being blindfolded. This is because blindfolds have the conventional meaning of implying lack of sight or understanding. All in all, in the Invisible Man novel, Ellison incorporates a conventional symbolic element, particularly; the author presents the Black contestants as being blindfolded to demonstrate their ignorance as well as their (the Blacks’) general apathy towards seeking justice, progress and development. For example, regarding the connotative implication of this symbolic element, by being blindfolded, the Black youths point to a general unwillingness of the Black community to agitate for positive change. For instance, it is very notable that the Blacks have seemingly agreed to be blindfolded, without any meaningful resistance, and then went ahead to engage in a duel. This viewpoint describes the Blacks as being people who are in some sort of comfort zone with regard to advocating for sociopolitical reforms regarding the plight of the Blacks. For this reason, the Blacks are seen as being a generally apathetic group of people with regard to seeking socioeconomic rights similar to those of the Whites. On the other hand, the denotative symbolic meaning of the blindfolded condition of the Black youths is that Blacks do not generally carefully ponder over most of their actions. For instance, it is without doubt that the duel that the Blacks are engaged in is very messy owing to the lack of the contribution of the important sense of sight. It thus follows that what the youths employ mostly as they duel is intuition and even mere guesswork. Similarly, Blacks are symbolically described as doing their things haphazardly through this symbolic element. In conclusion, Ellison’s Invisible Man novel’s ‘battle royal’ element uses the symbolic element of the dueling and blindfolded Black youths to explore certain Black qualities. For example, this depiction shows that Blacks generally lack a definite focus in their activities. Conversely, the general apathy among Blacks is demonstrated.

Definition and Examples of Logos in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Logos in Rhetoric In classical rhetoric, logos is the means of persuasion by demonstration of logical proof, real or apparent. Plural: logoi. Also called  rhetorical  argument, logical proof, and  rational appeal. Logos is one of the three kinds of artistic proof in Aristotles rhetorical theory. Logos has many meanings, notes George A. Kennedy. [I]t is anything that is said, but that can be a word, a sentence, part of a speech or of a written work, or a whole speech. It connotes the content rather than the style (which would be lexis) and often implies logical reasoning. Thus it can also mean argument and reason . . .. Unlike rhetoric, with its sometimes negative connotations, logos  [in the classical era] was consistently regarded as a positive factor in human life (A New History of Classical Rhetoric, 1994).   Etymology From the Greek, speech, word, reason Examples and Observations Aristotles third element of proof [after ethos and pathos] was logos or logical proof. . . . Like Plato, his teacher, Aristotle would have preferred that speakers use correct reasoning, but Aristotles approach to life was more pragmatic than Platos, and he wisely observed that skilled speakers could persuade by appealing to proofs that seemed true.Logos and the SophistsVirtually every person considered a Sophist by posterity was concerned with instruction in logos. According to most accounts, the teaching of the skills of public argument was the key to the Sophists financial success, and a good part of their condemnation by Plato...Logos in Platos PhaedrusRetrieving a more sympathetic Plato includes retrieving two essential Platonic notions. One is the very broad notion of logos that is at work in Plato and the sophists, according to which logos means speech, statement, reason, language, explanation, argument, and even the intelligibility of the world itself. Another is the notion, f ound in Platos Phaedrus, that logos has its own special power, psychagogia, leading the soul, and that rhetoric is an attempt to be an art or discipline of this power. Logos in Aristotles Rhetoric-  Aristotles great innovation in the Rhetoric is the discovery that argument is the center of the art of persuasion. If there are three sources of proof, logos, ethos, and pathos, then logos is found in two radically different guises in the Rhetoric. In I.4-14, logos is found in enthymemes, the body of proof; form and function are inseparable; In II.18-26 reasoning has force of its own. I.4-14 is hard for modern readers because it treats persuasion as logical, rather than emotional or ethical, but it is not in any easily recognizable sense formal.Logos vs. MythosThe logos of sixth- and fifth-century [BC] thinkers is best understood as a rationalistic rival to traditional mythosthe religious worldview preserved in epic poetry. . . . The poetry of the time performed the functions now assigned to a variety of educational practices: religious instruction, moral training, history texts, and reference manuals (Havelock 1983, 80). . . . Because the vast majori ty of the population did not read regularly, poetry was preserved communication that served as Greek cultures preserved memory. Proof QuestionsLogical proofs  (SICDADS) are convincing because they are real and drawn from experience. Answer all of the proof questions that apply to your issue.Signs: What signs show that this might be true?Induction: What  examples  can I use? What conclusion can I draw from the examples? Can my readers make the inductive leap from the examples to an acceptance of the conclusion?Cause: What is the main cause of the controversy? What are the effects?Deduction: What conclusions will I draw? What general principles, warrants, and examples are they based on?Analogies: What  comparisons  can I make? Can I show that what happened in the past might happen again or that what happened in one case might happen in another?Definition: What do I need to define?Statistics: What statistics can I use? How should I present them   Pronunciation LO-gos Sources Halford Ryan,  Classical Communication for the Contemporary Communicator. Mayfield, 1992Edward Schiappa,  Protagoras, and Logos: A Study in Greek Philosophy and Rhetoric, 2nd ed. University of South Carolina Press, 2003James Crosswhite,  Deep Rhetoric: Philosophy, Reason, Violence, Justice, Wisdom. The University of Chicago Press, 2013Eugene Garver,  Aristotles Rhetoric: An Art of Character. The University of Chicago Press, 1994Edward Schiappa,  The Beginnings of Rhetorical Theory in Classical Greece. Yale University Press, 1999N. Wood,  Perspectives on Argument. Pearson, 2004