Blindness is defined as the lack of visual perception. Blindness can also be defined as the inability to see things for what they really are. You may be able to see but not be able to see the true meaning of something. Black communities often refuse to see the way white people treat them. In Ralph Ellison's novel Invisible Man many events contribute to the overall theme of sight versus blindness. The Battle Royale is a scene in the novel that contributes to the theme of sight versus blindness. The narrator is asked to give his speech to the white leaders of the community. He and some of his classmates are invited to a local hotel to give his speech. While there, the white leaders have the black students participate in a fight called a Battle Royal. The narrator and the other students are forced to wear blindfolds. After they are blindfolded, they should fight each other. The narrator tries to push the blindfold away but one of the white men retorts, “Oh, no, don't, you black bastard! Let it be!" (22).With blindfolds on the boys are blind to the fact that they beat each other up for the entertainment of white men. They are blind to the fact that they are being made fun of. Being blindfolded, the boys become helpless and demoralized. After being blindfolded, the narrator comments: “Blindfolded, I could no longer control my movements. I had no dignity. I stumbled like a child or a drunk” (22). The Battle Royale deals with the inability of black men to see how white men treat them. If the narrator and the boys didn't have blindfolds, they would realize that they are being used as entertainment and wouldn't hit each other. Blindfolded the boys don't r...... middle of paper ......college and Bledsoe. The narrator can see that college is a place to teach black people about their place in society. The narrator sees that Bledsoe is only seeking power and does not care about racial equality. The narrator contributes to the theme of sight and blindness due to Brother Jack and the Brotherhood. At first the narrator is excited to be part of the Brotherhood; assumes that the Brotherhood works for racial equality. The narrator sees that Brother Jacks is half blind when his eye pops out. The narrator realizes that he has been blind to the Brotherhood's true motives. He is initially blind to the Brotherhood, but then gains insight into the Brotherhood's true motivations. “He will carry out your orders, and for this reason his blindness is his main asset” (95). Works Cited Ellison, Ralph. The invisible man. New York: Vintage-Random House, 1995. Print.