The narrator of the Battle Royal understands that the both he and his group of "warriors" as well as the dancing blonde woman symbolize the otherness of women and minorities during this time period. White men were in control. They used women and the black boys as playthings for their entertainment. Both the woman and the boys are reduced to "things" in this book, and especially in this excerpt. They can not hope to be treated as humans...not even with the delivery of his excellent speech about, ironically, "social responsibility".
The woman is naked and seems to be under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or the protection of her own mind taking her to another place far from the oogling eyes of these men and boys. She is an embarrassment to herself and to the black boys since to look on a white women with clothing on is not acceptable, much less to stare at a naked white woman. She is the forbidden land for these boys. The emotions they have in seeing her are channeled into a free-for-all chaotic blindfolded boxing match. The boys are filled with shock at her state, embarrassment at having witnessed it and reacting sexually to it, and rage at the white men for having subjected them to this seige of emotions for their own evil entertainment.
To the white men, this woman nor the boys are individuals. They are no better than animals thrown into a ring and made to bleed internally and externally.
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