In Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal" and "The Man Who Was Almost a Man A Man" by Richard Wright, two young black American teenagers approaching adulthood at a time when their race was neglected and looked down upon, struggle to understand the lessons of their youth as they each experience first-hand the consequences that follow each action. Their stories share similar challenges and backgrounds, but what really bonds these two young men are the decisions they make and how they carry them out. As one child abandons his responsibilities, the other gives in to what he sees as a harsh truth set in stone, these stories share the struggle to conquer the transition to adulthood but also convey a very similar message: we have to plant our feet in the ground at some point if we are ever going to earn the respect we so desire. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In “Battle Royal,” the unnamed narrator is haunted by his grandfather’s last words, when he tells his son “keep up the good fight… our life is a war and I have been a traitor since my birth... Live with your head in the lion's mouth, I want you to overcome them with yeses, that you undermine them with smiles, that you accept them to die and destroy... (389).” The narrator absorbs these words and carries them with him throughout his studies and eventually gives a speech at his high school graduation, a speech about the importance of humility in the modern world. But just as he carries on the legacy left to him by his grandfather, he must also carry the guilt when he remembers that his grandfather had called this lifestyle a "betrayal" of people of color (389 ). In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," young boy Dave falls into a trap of similar circumstances as he carries with him the nudging, prodding, and criticism of his peers, eager to exert power on them by any means possible in order to gain some respect as he begins to plot: “They [the black men] don't understand anything. One of these days he was going to get a gun and practice shooting, and then they wouldn't be able to talk to him like he was a little boy. (1401). These two young men feel motivated by their inability to control their lives, but find inspiration through alternative measures, with Dave it's a gun and with the Nameless Narrator, a speech rooted in the wisdom of his grandfather. Observing the men's actions and reactions, they both seem to share the mistake of taking the easy way out. With Dave, the gun is a way to force respect, showing us that he is still just a boy at heart who has not yet learned that respect is earned. He finalizes his youth by escaping his penance and leaving his responsibilities behind. Instead of learning to become a man by recognizing his mistakes, he runs away from them and leaves his family behind to pay for what he has done. The unnamed narrator of “Battle Royal” wants to get his place at the highest level. while giving his speech to the respected people of the town, but must first survive the smoking "last man standing" he was tricked into participating in with nine other black men. These black men are not fighting for power or greed, but for the respect of their white peers. They attack the Narrator whose speech is centered on a lesson in humility, making him..