It must have been hell. But John knows that, as a Black man in a deeply racist, unequal society, he has no option but to accept this injustice and try to avoid more confrontation in the future. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." `It gets pretty dirty overnight.`. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1725 titles we cover. Both stories, In The Black Ball, John and his sons conversation about the white and black balls represents the constant risk that bias, suspicion, and misinterpretation pose for Black people under Jim Crow. He was looking down at his outstretched hands as he talked. `Yessir.` You mustnt let them kid you, son.` Literary analysis of Ralph Ellison's short story "The Black Ball" In the short story "The Black Ball" by Ralph Ellison, a father named John is desperately trying to hold onto his job as a hotel porter to support his child and initially ignores the entreaties of an eager white man who would like John to join a union. The way the content is organized, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. In spite of myself I had to smile. Black ball It represents all the negativity that had to go with being black, it was like a humiliation, a struggle for a daily life, and they faced a aily discrimination witch isn't correct, the prejudice. Like Invisible Man, many of the stories in The Black Ball were based indirectly on Ellisons personal experiences. Unlock with LitCharts A+ Active Themes Quotes Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. James decides that he will protect Mama by killing whatever is making her so sad, even if its God. He promises to do so. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. In the first story, Boy on a Train, a little boy named James leaves Oklahoma City with his mother and his baby brother Lewis in 1924. `If anyone should ask me, young man, Id say your face needed a good washing.`. My, yes, the old ball game. I had a hard time seeing as we walked back, and scratched myself by stumbling into the evergreens as we went around the building. `All right now,` I told him. But sometimes, bums get to the bulls first. The narrator at one point in the book buys some glasses and wears a hat. . `Daddy, am I black?` You know youre not black.` The threat to John is clear, despite his and his son's innocence. The next story, Hymies Bull, is also set on the American railroad. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Instant PDF downloads. The Black Ball collects four of Ralph Ellisons little-known early short stories. Not used to anything like that, are you?`. Refine any search. Article appearing in International Socialism, No.70, Mid-June 1974, by auto worker and socialist Fred Pilgotsky. At the end of the paragraph John reveals that the child was the little son of the white gardener. It also represents a moment when two social forces of class and color meet which, if they work together for the betterment of their members, may provide a challenge to the status-quo and may change the rules of the game. The only nice feature about the quarters was that they were high up and offered a view in all directions. Struggling with distance learning? By examining the art of literature through multiple authors of both the Colonial and Antebellum periods, these fears, struggles, and hardships demonstrate the way in which the form of narratives advanced the equality and social justice of African Americans. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. `Ever smoke Durham?` he asked. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. "Sooo much more helpful than SparkNotes. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. The storys unnamed Black narrator explains how he left home in search of work during the Great Depression, only to end up freight hopping his way around the country, like so many other unemployed young men. In "Boy on a Train," a young boy ( James) migrates out of Oklahoma City on a segregated train after his father 's death with his baby brother ( Lewis) and his mother. PDF downloads of all 1725 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. There must be no flaws this morning. The way that segregation determines lives becomes clearer and John has greater consciousness of it since his conversation with the union man. Theintimacy of the father-son duolends a greater depth to the intensity of discriminatory practices that these two individuals face. He warns John that he will be behind the black ball (out of a job) if his son keeps playing on the lawn. Struggling with distance learning? `Well, hes taken his damned ball and ruined one of my plants.` Unions dont want Negro members.`, `You mean some unions dont. The Black Ball was written before the Civil rights movement Before the civil rights movement young African Americans and groups were identified as being modern victims of black balling. `Well, if I ever see him around here again, youre going to find yourself behind the black ball. Indeed, poor little rascal, he would play until he grew sick of playing. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. His father died in an industrial accident when he was a young boy, so his mother took him and his brother to Gary, Indiana, where she thought they would find better opportunities. It is the simple innocence of Johns son which brings it to the surface, with his aspirations to drive a truck when older; he sees this as a possibility because he saw that a colored man drove the truck today. This instance also presents the idea of apportioning blame to the marginalized groups and finding scapegoats for the fault/crimes committed by powerful ones, as can be seen throughout history. `No thank you,` I said. His father died in an industrial accident when he was a young boy, so his mother took him and his brother to Gary, Indiana, where she thought they would find better opportunities. `No thanks,` I said. when youre bad I dont kid, do I?` Then, Mr. Berry comes over, furious: the ball ruined one of his plants. In this final scene, the game becomes a metaphor for the precautions, codes, and tactics that Black people must learn to use in order to survive under Jim Crow. Verified answer. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. In contrast, Catti is genuinely and uncondescendingly polite to Parker. `Daddy,` he said impatiently. , recently published, about an attempted workers revolution in China. He feels in his pocket for thebusiness cardand thinks there may besome hopeafter all. The list of present participles indicates the ongoing routine of unskilled work, but there is also a sense of pride in the narrative, pride in both his work and his son. Teachers and parents! I left him to play with his toys and a book of pictures until I returned. `Any other colored folks working here?` The railroad, with its segregation and violence, serves as a symbol of the systemic racism and discrimination that Black people faced in American society. The way the content is organized, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. As I came around the building past the tall new evergreens, I could hear the boy crying in just that note no other child has, and when I came completely around I found him standing looking up into a window with tears on his face. This stirs The Union man, who reveals his hands to showscarsall over them. `Whats the matter, Daddy?` he asked. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights, Calling the Wind: Twentieth Century African-American Short Stories. Complete your free account to request a guide. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Besides that brass, his money, and the half-dozen or so plants in his office, I dont believe he had any other real interests in life. The white children are foils for Johns son: they show how he is (and will be) excluded from mainstream American life due to the color line. Contrary to this, his relationship with his employer is of atransactional naturewhich only aggravates the racial divide between the two. He tries' to accomplish this goal by adhering to his grandfathers dying words. The coin bank in the shape of the grinning black man (Chapter 15) and Tod Clifton's dancing Sambo doll (Chapter 20) serve similar purposes in the novel, each representing degrading . The titleBlack Ball ismaterializedthrough the sons toy, creating an interestingmetaphor-to-object representation.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'litbug_com-banner-1','ezslot_3',161,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-litbug_com-banner-1-0'); Further, the importance given tothe sons viewpointis a veryclever addition, as it showcases thedifferent perspectives of the same situation-how aninquisitive childunderstands his world as compared to how hisweathered, unfortunately accustomed fatherdeals with it. The main character of "The Black Ball," John, seemingly struggles through his life. The Black Ball Penguin Modern: Author: Ralph Ellison: Publisher: Penguin Books Limited, 2018: ISBN: 0241339235 . In Boy on a Train, a young boy (James) migrates out of Oklahoma City on a segregated train after his fathers death with his baby brother (Lewis) and his mother. | Summary and Analysis, Transients in Arcadia | Summary and Analysis, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July | Summary and Analysis. In the story, it seems like it's just a straight forward story but if you take a real close look at it you can see that there is a message within the story. As the children played, the wind blew their cries over to where I stood, and as I watched, a flock of pigeons swooped down into the driveway near the stretch of green, only to take flight again wheeling in a mass as another child came skipping up the drive puling some sort of toy. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. I must have looked queer. He was fooled by the smile. GradeSaver, 14 January 2023 Web. The Story "The Black Ball" written by Ralph Ellison is about a man named John, born around the civil war that goes through difficulties and challenges in his life him being an African American. The Black Ball collects four of Ralph Ellison's little-known early short stories. John mentions that Mr. Berry, his employer, hates that educatedworker implying that John isworking towards rising against the societys discrimination. As John muses, He was learning the rules of the game already, but he didnt know it. Johns quiet satisfaction at the beginning of the story has shifted; he has become more alert to the injustice of his position. The Question and Answer section for The Black Ball is a great Their nurse, dressed completely in white except for her dark glasses, which I saw when she raised her head, sat still as a picture, bent over a book on her knees. He was a pretty nice fellow, as he used to say after particularly quiet afternoons while I tried to study, and for which quietness he expected a treat of candy or a `picture movie`, and I often left him alone while I attended to my duties in the apartments. He wishes that Black Americans could find the same kind of national pride and unity that the Welsh seem to have. I was so concerned with the brass that when the fellow spoke, I jumped with surprise. `He was just kidding. She called something to the child and pointed back in the direction of the garages where he had just come from. In both "Boy on a Train" and "Hymie's Bull," the American railroad serves as a powerful symbol of the harsh realities of racism and segregation in the United States during the early 20th century. They represent the way that people can maintain their sense of dignity and hope even in the face of difficult circumstances. Back inside, Johns son asks what Mr. Berry meantafter all, the ball is white. I stopped the polishing again to see what it was he was trying to get after. John replies that he is not black, but brown- and either way, it is mostimportant to be American. In the evening, the narrator climbed atop the train to watch the sunset. An editor Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Who threw it, son? Bring any friends along you want to.` Indeed, poor little rascal, he would play until he grew sick of playing. `Oh, Im trucking.` `But,` he said, `Ive got something really worth a lot; that is, if youre interested.` Instant PDF downloads. If he stays away, there wont be trouble for him. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. The hope lies in the marginalized sections of the society coming together and reinforcing their cause. When his son asks whether he can take his ball to play outside, John says Dont ask questions and stay away from other kids. The reason for this is because itlowers the risk of the young boy being blamed for something he did not do. The story happens in a Hotel, John works at it and has a conflict with the Hotel Manager and The Union worker. Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Ralph Ellison's The Black Ball. `He threw it up in the window.` "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." Complete your free account to request a guide. The Black Ball Symbols Next Trains Trains "Boy on a Train" and "Hymie's Bull" are both set primarily on moving trains, which represent a core but elusive American ideal: the promise that migration can bring freedom and a better life. His aspirations are limited by what he can see is possible, by the precedents of other people of his race. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Anonymous "The Black Ball Symbols, Allegory and Motifs". I gave him his food and settled into a chair to study, but my mind wandered away, so I got up and filled a pipe hoping it would help, but it didnt, so I threw the book aside and picked up Malrauxs Mans Fate, which Mrs Johnson had given me, and tried to read it as I drank a cup of coffee.