Comparative Analysis "Battle Royal" and "Get Out" Essay

Introduction

Black men in the US have for a long time been affected by unfound public perceptions, being described us not the "right fit." Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in Missouri, and his court testimony of the struggle said. "When I grabbed him, the only way I can describe it is I felt like a five-year-old holding onto Hulk Hogan" (Donaldson,1). This is despite the fact both the officer and teenager had the same height. Representations of black men, mainly the perceived function of their bodies have been misrepresented throughout history.

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The short story "Battle Royal"

The short story Battle Royal focuses on a young black man who is made to fight for the amusement of white men tuxedo-clad. After the fight beaten and bloodied, the young man is forced to read a speech on the importance of humility and education of African Americans. During the speech, the young man underscores that black men should defer to white men in all matters, whereby, that statement earns him a scholarship to college. The compliance is part of a strategy to win the black people's war, whereby his grandfather had advised him to use guerrilla tactics of a traitor while spying enemy zone (Ellison, 1114).

"Get Out" movie

Get out movie features Chris Washington a young African American man visiting his white girlfriend's family. On their way to the family house they hit a deer and report the case to the police; however, the police ask for the young man's identification, yet he was not the one on the wheel. Servants working in the family house are all black and behave strangely. Dozens of white men arrive for the Armitages' ceremony, whereby they take an interest in Chris physique and his photography skills. When he wants to leave the house, Chris gets restrained whereby, he learns that her white girlfriend's family transplants the brains of white people into black bodies, while the host remains in the sunken place, watching but helpless (Anderson, 2). Chris is to be implanted with the brains of Hudson who, desires to get the sight and artistic talents owned by the black young man

Compare

The young black man in "Battle Royal" is cooperative and meek towards the white men, whereby his survival depends on doing what the white supremacists want. His fight involves mind games, whereby he fools the white people of meekness and cooperation, yet he knows he needs to get an education and come back to fight for the rights of fellow black people. The fight by the young man serve to save himself and others from physical slavery in the future. Chris in "Get Out" is neither meek nor cooperative, His survival depends on fighting the white supremacists to save his life, and rather he manages to escape the attempt on his life, whereby he kills the white people on his case. The fight for survival by Chris is physical, whereby he has to save himself from future mental slavery, whereby he will be enclosed in a sunken place as someone else takes his mental faculties. In this short story, black men get misused for their physique, whereby they are supposed to fight as a show of their muscles to the amusement of white supremacists. Their intelligence gets no consideration, for example, the young man in battle royal is supposed to read a written speech. "Get out" portrays a talented young African American man, whereby the white men desire for him is based on the artistic talents and photography skills he possesses.

Contrast

The two works of art seek to portray the misrepresentation of African American men. To the white supremacists, black men are tools of the burden that should be used to advance their selfish interests. In both "Get Out" and "Battle Royal" the white people assume control over black people. They expect cooperation and meekness from these subjects. These expectations emerge in both pieces of art, whereby black people oppress fellow black people. The young men who beat up the narrator in the short story "Battle Royal" are black. The conspiracy to have Chris brain transplanted get aided by black servants serving in his girlfriend's people, for example, the housekeeper Georgina unplugs his phone from charging claiming it was an accident. Cutting him off from his means of communication would limit him from asking for help when the plan to transplant his brain gets executed.

Both cases showcase violence. There is a perception that black men have extra energy and therefore their strong physique can be used as a source of entertainment. The white supremacists in both cases believe that black bodies are tools they can control to offer them entertainment. The white people attending the Armitages get together in the movie "Get Out" come in with big black vehicles. They believe that they can enter the bodies of black people and control them, just like they do with the cars. The control is achieved through violence and against the will of the victims. The white supremacists use their influence and power to manipulate black people. The police and law enforcers are quick to dismiss cases brought about by black people. Similarly, in the case of "Battle Royal" the supremacists use their wealth to buy human rights, for example, fighters are paid to fight. The reward gets placed on an electrocuted rug, whereby the winner is supposed to pick the coins made of brass, thus risking electrocution. Both the pieces of art symbolically showcases the struggle of black people against physical slavery. Historically, African Americans have been in a constant struggle to have their rights and voices heard. The struggle has been a mixture of physical and mental efforts. The piece "Battle Royal" is a symbol of mental strategy to end slavery, while "Get Out" symbolizes the use of environmental strategy. Both movies showcase segregation and discrimination against black people. Black people are seen as servants only eligible to take up menial jobs like gardening and housekeeping. Eking a living for them is at the mercies of the white people, whereby it is typically made up of painful and demeaning encounters.

Conclusion

Misrepresentation of African American men bodies is a historical injustice that continues to plague the African society. The two pieces of art are written decades of years apart, yet they bear similarities in various areas. "Battle Royal" represents the manipulation of black men back in the days of civil rights war. Get Out is a more recent film whereby it showcases white supremacism in the contemporary world. Little has changed concerning white supremacism. Looking at "Get Out" and comparing it to "Battle Royal" one can only conclude that supremacism has now taken a new course, whereby, the plan is to control mental faculties of black people. It is virtualization of slavery and misuse of black people.

Works Cited

Anderson, Victoria. "Get Out: Why Racism Really Is Terrifying". The Independent, 2018, https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/get-out-why-racism-really-is-terrifying-a7645296.html. Accessed 26 Mar 2018.

Donaldson, L. "When the media misrepresents black men, the effects are felt in the real world." The Guardian (2015).

Ellison, Ralph. Invisible man. Penguin UK, 2016.