The Electrified Rug

Esscia Swain

May 21,2012

The Electrified Rug

In the short story "Battle Royal", there was a young black male with other black males as well, who were placed in front of a rug with money sitting on it. The money was silver and gold pieces and paper money. When the white man said, "Go" the men viscously charged at the rug to find out that the rug was coated with electricity. Even though the rug was coated with electricity the men didn't stop trying to pick up the money on the rug. What was the significance of the electrified rug and the men surrounding it?

The significance of the electrified rug and the men surrounding it was that nothing is just given it is earned. For example, the rug was placed in front and they thought it was just a plain rug with money on it, but when they charged for the money there was something in their way. Even though there was something there trying to prevent them for getting their earnings, they continued to reach for the money. The reason they continued to reach for the money is because they knew giving up was not an option, they had to feed their families. The men knew they were fighting for something in return and to just walk away because things got a little tough was not going to stop them.

The rug symbolized opportunity. The opportunity to be able to fight on an uneven playing field and not come out empty handed. For instance, when the young man found out it was not fair, such as the electricity, he kept trying because all he needed was the opportunity to some money not matter the circumstances he took what was in front of him and turned it into something for meaning. Like walking in with no money in his pockets and walking out with money jingling in his packets as he runs from the building. Also he was competing against others that had the same goal as him but he competed because it was something he had earned.

The money under the rug symbolized what all the black men were here for to come out with more then what they had in the begging. When the black men sew all the money they just had to go for it. The money for the black men also means more power. The money for the white men symbolized trickery, I'm go let you think you getting something but there is nothing there. This shows you that the white men will never let the black men have power that is why the money under the rug was fake, this was the white men laugh because they know that they are making a fool out of you. Black men are fools reaching for the fool's gold.

The significance of the electrified rug and the men surrounding it is nothing is just given it is earned because every opportunity comes with a price. The rug itself was the supposedly open opportunity by putting it right in front of them. The money was the false power