Essay
Before speaking about literary techniques it should be mentioned that two stories themselves. One of them - the drama of August Wilson's called “Fences”, a second one is a work which is a part of the story called “Battle Royale” by Ralph Ellison. Both stories tell to readers about the plight of African-Americans who lived at that time in America. About how society has forced them to humility, as how it turned away and did not understand them. The stories tell about problems with which that people should deal with. Authors tell us about different stories of different people, but the goal of the authors is to draw attention to the problems of the world and try to reason heartless people who are blind to the problems of the people around them. Drama “Fences” tells readers about the family, and through the problems of the family about the problems of an entire nation. In “battle royal” readers see society and the problem of the narrator - which also tells of the difficulties of his life, thus explaining and demonstrating clearly how difficult life was for people with black skin in that period.
In these two stories have been used many literary techniques. But two key technique, which can be identified in both stories is a flashback and symbolism.
The first one is Flashback.
First of all it is highly important to recognize what is flashback. Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. (Pavis & Shantz, 1998, p. 151)
In the moving drama “Fences” which was written in 1983 by August Wilson that literary technique is used in different ways. During reading that drama I highlight two main examples of using it.
The first and one of the most interesting, in my opinion, examples of the flashback was a moment in the play when Troy recalls his life and his relationship with his father. He tells his children - Lyons and Bono - why he ran away from home. While he telling the story of his childhood Troy is not just badly speaking about his father and reopen old wounds - no, he tells a specific story that shocked the boys. According to Troy’s words, once he messing around with a girl behind the barn, and when his father found them there, he beat up his son to a bloody pulp and threw him behind the shed and then tried to rape a girl. This is a very indicative moment. It helps a reader understand root that cause such his attitude towards his sons. It is difficult to understand that type of behavior can not led you to understanding relationships with your sons. If towards you in your childhood attitude was terrible it is really not so easy to love and care for your own children. The reader clearly understands that Troy is not from an excess of anger in the character behaves - he just does not know that person can behave differently, he did not have an example of a good father. For him, the only obligation which he is liable to his son and to his wife - is providing them materially, because of their childhood trauma Troy can not even imagine that the family is not only common bank account , it is also support and participation.
Troy’s character is one big flashback. Troy was unable to recover from the past and therefore he can not create a good present and future. But the flashback in that story is not only the attitude of Troy’s father towards him, also it reflects in Troy’s sport career. His own sport setback prevent him from rationally look at Cory dreams about football. In that drama, Wilson shows the reader the character of Troy through his deeds and thus explains the behavior of Troy.
In “Royal Battle” author also used flashback. But differently.
At the beginning of his story author tells about his grandfather's last words of the protagonist. The meaning of these words in fact was that for these people at that time, the whole life is a struggle and that people can not stop this fight. Because if they stop - they betray their people.
The main character of this story carries the words of his grandfather through his actions. At the beginning of the story, he does not understand the meaning of these words, and he trying to understand what his grandfather try to say to him. But in the end, going through a lot of life situations he understands what it is told by his grandfather.
Thus the author reveals to readers the inner struggle that the main character do. All his experiences and all his actions. The author shows how words affect the main character. The main character thought a lot about these words, analyzing and trying to understand what his grandfather means and what is the most important try to understand whether he agrees with them or not. Each passing event ultimately analyzed on a background of that words and on a background of the whole life of his grandfather. This is the main difference with the drama “Fences”.
In contrast with drama “Fences” “Royal Battle” shows story with the same problem to the first look but actually it wasn’t the same. In “Fences” author showed to his readers how previous history of Troy’s life impact his present life and future. But in “Royal Battle” author shows how grandfather’s words impact on the main characters thoughts. In “Fences” Troy doesn’t actually understands that impact but in “Royal Battle” the main character think a lot about grandfathers words. Finally he understands them but he try to do it during the whole story. He do some actions like for example his speech and think during that actions about that words. He try to find out about his grandfather life and his thoughts about the whole world. Another literature technique that used in that two stories is symbolism. It is the way how author transfers his idea by using symbols.
In the first story – drama “Fences” August Wilson used many symbols. For example baseball, Gabriel's trumpet, Raynell's garden and others.
But one of the main symbols is a fence. This symbol he carries through all the drama. Starting with the name where author highlights that in the story there are many fences. Thus, the author symbolizes many key moments of the story. It is very difficult to fully describe all what the writer wanted to convey using the fence as a symbol. But is necessary to highlight a few of them. By itself the fence builds Troy and his son Cory. The author very wisely chooses a symbol. Many changes in life of the character can be associated with a fence. For example, when Troy throws son out of the house. That is peculiar leaves him on the other side of the fence. So when Troy's own encloses himself from his family he so-called raise a fence around him. Also, the fence gives us all an opportunity to understand the difference between Troy and his wife. They seem to be on the opposite sides of the fence. She wants to keep the family together, while he cheated his wife. The fence in this drama plays a very big role. It helps the reader understand the story and the characters.
This story also encompasses many symbols. But the key symbol in that story is the battle itself. Battle Royale displays not only the experiences of the narrator and his problems. In general, it is the challenges and trials endured by African-American people at that time. This symbol shows the reader what these people were fighting at that time. And the price they had to pay daily. All experiences, all difficulties.
Also another important symbol - a blind battle. It reflects how “white” people perceive the problem of the African-American people of America. How that people were blind to the problems and experiences of “black” people. And as their apparent reluctance to notice these problems affect the African-American people.
Reference List:
- Pavis, P., Shantz, C. (1998) Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts, and Analysis. University of Toronto Press, p. 151
- Ellison, R. (1995) Invisible man. Random house, Inc.
- Wilson, A. (1986) Fences. Penguin Books USA, Inc.
