Loop Holes ~ Powerleveling

Touch Training- 300
Touch Training2- 600
Hearing Training- 300
Hearing training2- 600
Electromagnetic Training- 300
Electromagnetic Training2- 600
Chakra Training- 300

Tousen was on his way home; finally returning from a string of solo missions he had taken as a way to get himself out of sunagakure and away from the desert heat and pestilent sands. For him, completing his missions was something of a vacation, as even though he was working hard and doing his job, he was also putting himself to good use without having to play hero all the time. Not only that, but he also would get paid for his services as completing missions came with a salary as well. Though he didn't necessarily need money, it wasn't too bad of a thing to have it. The leave that he had in order to complete his missions was pretty long. Infact it only took him five days of the almost three week mission leave that he had. He didn't necessarily need to return to Sunagakure yet, but thought it unmoral to attempt to take advantage of his time away. Instead, he justified it by making series of detour that were both relevant and somewhat important to him. All the while in Sunagakure he was looking for a particular item. He wasn't necessarily sure how the item worked however, or what it was, only that it was a part of technology developed by his people for a host of situations. He literally didn't know anything about it with the exception of its possible location. If there was one, there was most likely more then one. The Ishiki clan had branched out far and wide before the main branch was slaughtered in Sunagakure. As a result, abandoned settlements were everywhere, and the place he was traveling now just happen to be one of them.

This was suppose to be a place in the mountains; an older Ishiki clan area in which the most inventions were carried out, most of which in secret. It was most likely abandoned generations ago, which made him think that anything there would be generations old and thus impossible to use. For him, this was more like a field trip and a learning experience, he wasn't necessarily looking for anything or anyone. It was more like an archeological dig of sorts. It took him quite some time to get there, in fact. Having come from moon country on his last and someone sad, yet successful mission, he had to take a boat and then another long trip away from Sunagakure to the other side of the great nation continent. This was in Lightning country, considered to be one of the great nations and one of the more mountainous of places. The hidden village here was known as the village hidden in the cloud for the fact that it was high in the mountains of Kumogakure; higher then the clouds themselves and like the great fabled mount Olympus, Kumogakure was unseen from the ground of base of the mountain even. He ended up walking most of the way. It took two days from arriving in water country to simply walk across the waters between water and fire countries to get to fire country which was considered main land. From there he rested for a day at an inn, using what little he had before he got paid to pay for his stay at the hotel and then began his walking once more. The co-ordinance he had received were those given to him by his brother. His brother told him that it wouldn't be a bad idea to investigate and possible find members of their family where the many old settlements took place. If any one of them still existed, then they would have some relatives somewhere, along with a place to properly train their abilities with those who could explain them to them. It would be something of a dream come true as even since he lots his parents the brothers could only ever depend on each other.

He then read an essay. The essay said the following: The 20th century was a time of great change and innovation in the history of not only the Americas but the world. With two world wars fought, multiple new technologies and the rise of industrialism, it was certainly a time of transition. One such transition was that of civil right, especially in a nation like America that declares every man be equal. In a time where the lines between black and white were drawn in bold print, many attempts were made to cross the line and test the boundaries of segregation. In Ralph Ellison's "Battle Royal", the reader must step into the shoes of a black male, struggling to find his niche in a segregated world. His task is made ever more arduous by his grandfather's last words that sit in the back of his mind like a curse. In this essay I will argue that the narrator's struggle to obtain identity is a result of his grandfather's final words that place him in a limbo where he is caught in between the white and black societies. This is shown in his interaction with the other black individuals before and during the fight, his interaction with the white individuals, and his innocent persistence to deliver his speech. However, one must first define the meaning of his grandfathers words to apply them to the situations in the text.

To define how the narrator was effected by his grandfathers words one must first define the meaning behind his wisdom. His grandfather was described as being "the meekest of men", however, his final words are far from meek. It is not rare for those on their death bed to lose their sense, and thus the family may take this as a sign of his near departure and thus rushing the young children from the room to shield them from the sight. However, his words were those of insight and wisdom. His final words explained that the best way to survive and fight in the segregated world is to fly under the radar; to move like a "spy" and "undermine" them while "agree[ing] 'em to death"(460). To become an invisible man that walks the line between standing out in the crowd and blending in. For the narrator, this is a struggle to interpret. The average ideal is that those who fought for rights did so with marches, speeches and picket signs; It was unheard of to "give up [ones] gun" and "keep up the good fight" from "in the lion's mouth"(460). Through out the battle royal, the narrator continues to try and understand his words in the context of his life, which turns into a trial and error process of experiences in which he must carve his own definition from his grandfathers words. The other time in which his grandfather appeared was in the dream after the Battle Royal. This scene had more then just words, but also symbolism that is important to define in order to better understand the grandfathers position. The first is the idea of the circus that they are sitting in. The circus is a metaphor for life in this situation. The second, is the clown that he refuses to laugh at. This clown is the black man, wearing a silly, ignorant facade on the outside and performing for those who watch. Black men must become this clown, and mask themselves in order to please those who watch, but in the same respect must be able to take off the clown act. The grandfather refuses to laugh at the clown because he knows that it is simply and act, and a facade; most likely what he had to do himself. The final is the letter that states "To Whom It May Concern, Keep This Nigger-Boy Running"(469). Upon reading it out loud, the grandfather laughs, and it is this laughter that wakes our narrator. This message, enclosed in multiple envelopes and the brief case is a metaphor for white oppression. Though he has been rewarded with a scholarship and thus moving on to higher levels of education, to the white man it is nothing more then a way of keeping him running. In their eyes, no matter how successful, well educated, or courageous a black man is, they are still nothing more then a 'nigger-boy'. After all, it was the same individual that they had given a scholarship to and praised for his work that they had reduced to an animal in the battle royal without question. His grandfather, however, would argue that this is what he wanted them to think; that while he acted like an animal he was still intelligent, that even though he humbled himself to give a speech, he was still better then them, and even though he was humiliated, he ultimately obtained a scholarship from the ordeal, something he would not have been able to get otherwise. The idea is, by making the white man think they are in control, they can manipulate them in their ignorance and fight "the good fight" under the shroud of this ignorance; like a spy, as his grandfather described himself in his last words(460).

The Narrator seems to look up to the whites as if their status in society is a goal in which he can achieve. Though the white man is commonly known as the enemy, he originally believes that his grandfathers words were promoting him to attempt to integrate into white society, and the naive character strives for this. He is also, however, made to feel guilty, as if his actions were traitorous to his cause. He was living by his grandfathers example and 'carrying out his advice'(460). The main difference between his grandfathers example and the narrators experience, is that the grandfather's actions were a facade, while the narrator was making an honest attempt to present himself in a manner that would both impress and gain the approval of the white man, thus separating himself from black culture and creating the struggle for identity. If he was in fact putting on a conscious facade, then he would not feel guilty about his actions. He also would not be so naive to the nature of the white man, but expect it. He is described as being "shocked" at the tipsy nature of many of the white men that he looked up to(461). How disappointing it must have been when the tipsy men turned even more animalistic in their drunken state. As Norman German explains in his article looking into the imagery of the short story, any "when one sex or race treats another as an object or animal, both become dehumanized or bestial(394). The more they attempt to degrade the black men, the more animalistic they become. Through the entire experience, his objective remains clear; he wants to impress the crowd of important individuals with his speech. His want to impress the white men come as a result to him misunderstanding his grandfathers words. After his persistant attempts, he delivers his speech. He mocked and laughed at by the white men, who seem to acknowledge his attempt to impress them as some sort of joke. A black man trying to put himself on the same intellectual level as a white man at that time would have been regarded as such. Even if a black man was more intelligent, his status as a "nigger" automatically qualifies him as less of everything. But, as reward for his valiant effort, the white men send him off with a briefcase and a scholarship to a black college. The idea is the same as his grandfathers example; he performed for the white man and was rewarded for it. But not because of trickery and illusion as his grandfather meant, but because of his persistence to impress the white men. However, despite the narrators wishes to impress the white men, he still seems to support the black 'fight'. When giving his speech, while being mocked and laughed at and swallowing back blood, his frustration leads him to slip and say "Social equality" instead of "Social responsibility"(468). Though, he quickly denies it when called out. Another example is the seen with the electrified rug. He does not question the condition of his own dignity while scampering about the rug, and at one point lashes out on one of the drunk spectators, trying to drag him onto the rug as well. Of course, he was simply kicked back into the fray. Both are examples of where his self control inspired by his grandfathers words give way to the frustration of oppression. This is a result of his struggle for identity; if he was not caught between black and white mentality, he would not have to lash out at the white oppressors or try to impress them, and could maintain a facade with his objective in mind. It is this same confusion that leads him to separate himself from his fellow black man.

The narrators attitude toward other blacks is best described in the scene in the elevator. When crammed in with the fellow combatants, he notes how he felt "superior to them in my way"(461). In his mind, he had already distinguished himself as more then black, as a potential member of white society. Again, this is a result of him misinterpretation his grandfathers words instead of being a spy and penetrating the ranks of white men, he is actually attempting to become an excepted member of white society, and must begin rejecting black culture to do so. In truth, he is no different to the white man then any of the other black combatants, as in the ring, blindfolded, their only advantages come from their animalistic traits; speed, strength, emotion, etc., all of which are traits the white men expect to find in blacks. The blind fold being a major symbol in the short story, as its many purposes give us insight into his grandfathers words. When fighting against the other black men, the blind fold acts as the agent of ignorance; shrouded in darkness, the combatants are disoriented and fight like beasts, aimlessly swinging and reacting to any stimulus of the senses. Ignorance becomes the equalizing factor, as no matter how superior one is to another, when shrouded in ignorance, they are no better than any other ignorant individual. It is this very same reason why the white men become more and more animalistic, as even though they are regarded as high class individuals of a greater social status, their ignorance deters them to a state no better then the blinded black men fighting in the ring. However, the blindfold also shows an example of how a black individual can fight back. When the narrator gains the ability to see through the blindfold, he takes advantage of the situation and pretends to be blind, while moving in and out of blows and putting those around him against each other. He is able to survive by feinting ignorance, while at the same time being in control of his own situation. This way he is able to entertain the white people, whom are ignorant to his ability to see, and at the same time protect himself from falling victim to the battle royal they had set up against him. When the battle royal itself was narrowed down to two combatants, he again tries to manipulate the situation. During a grapple he tries to convince his opponent to throw the fight, and he will pay him afterward, but his opponent would have nothing to do with it, and eventually ends up knocking him out. This is an illustration of the struggle between the truly ignorant and those who feint ignorance. Even though his grandfather words preaches trickery, this is still a very taboo ideal that not all individuals can understand. The grandfathers words were originally for his son, not his grandson, but his son found it so profound that they made a point to deny it. His grandson, the narrator, was said "take after" his grandfather, and in spite of his parents warning to "forget what he had said" and in spite of himself, the words had "a tremendous effect upon" him(460). His grandfather speaks of fighting with manipulation of ignorance but for those who had no other choice but ignorance, they could only ever fight with their fists and instinct. This creates tension between those who are truly ignorant and those who fake it. Referring back to the dream sequence his his grandfather, the narrator becomes the clown, the ring the circus, and the black people are the entertainment for the white men. While the grandfather will see a clown and refuse to laugh, those who are truly ignorant will mock those who are pretending to be clowns. Not only must those who fake ignorance endure white society, but they must also endure their own race, that mock and reticule them for acting like clowns. This is another reason why his grandfathers knowledge is considered a curse, and an element that makes the struggle for identity that much harder; to obtain the level of understanding that his grandfather had, you must subject yourself to rejection from both white and black cultures. While ignorance is not necessarily bliss, being knowledgeable only comes with even more baggage.

Though the narrator is successful in becoming the clown in the scene with the Battle Royal, he does so unconsciously. During the scene, he momentarily forgets about the speech, and impressing the white men and is instead thinking only of his survival in the competition. In fact, it is not until he gains his sight that he recalls his speech. The speech, and his innocent persistence to deliver it, is an illustration of the narrators misguided confusion. As noted previously, instead of wanting to undermine white society, he is trying to integrate into it. After getting such high praise for first giving the speech, it becomes a tool in which he can gain the favor of the white man, and he believes that in doing so, he can overcome the white mans oppression, as his grandfather ultimately insisted. As stated in the text, the speech originally was not even anything he "believed" but rather what he thought would sound good(460). The speech was originally just another facade of the clown. However, the positive feedback brought him to believe otherwise, and for a time, he dropped the facade and began believing in his ability to ascend to the standards of white society. Even though he wanted to impress the white men, he still took part in the Battle Royal and the scene where the black men were scampering for coins afterward; only once questioning his actions. And even then, he was questioning how taking part "might detract from the dignity of [his] speech"(461). Susan L. Blake ,who writes on the rituals and folklore of the time, brings up the point that events like the Battle Royal is nothing more then a "social ritual" and a "vital part of behavior pattern[s] in the South"(122). This is a sign of his own ignorance, as for the time, such displays were hardly ever questioned. He does, however, finally get a chance to give his speech, where the drunken crowd badgers and ignores him; showing their true feelings for him. The narrator, that only moments before thought himself superior, was to be humbled by the crowd; to the point that he slips in his speech and says "social equality" instead of "social responsibility"(468). This Freudian slip was the result of his frustration bringing him to relate with black society once more, truly humbling him. When the speech is given, and the white men have brought the black narrator back to earth, they reward him once more with the briefcase and scholarship in hopes of "keeping him running". Just as the positive feedback brought him to want to impress the white men, perhaps further positive feedback would continue this cycle; something his grandfather tries to warn him of in his dream.

With identity being a major theme in the Battle Royal, our narrator's struggle describes a universal struggle of black culture. Even today, stereotypes and prejudice still exist that test the strength of the black individual. These stereotypes are all remnants of a time where oppression of the black race was a social norm. If a black individual today does not fall in line with social stereotypes, they take the risk of being 'too white' by the standards of both black and white men; however many attributes that one would consider being 'white' are favorable in today's world. When Ralph Ellison wrote the his short story, he was showing a battle between ones self, and ones environment; where one either give up on the individual to please their environment, or reject ones environment to protect the individual. In James Booth's article "The Color of Memory: Reading Race with Ralph Ellison", he states that the "struggle is central to the restoration of identity from the shards of the past"(701). This is a universal not only of black culture but of all cultures. In the Battle Royal, a time where ones environment shaped the individual completely, the ideals of the grandfather introduce the narrator to this struggle between individual and expectation, and thus create the question of identity. If it were not for his grandfather, he would be like any other of the blindfolded men in the ring, swinging at whatever their instinct could sense. Though even in death, his grandfather is aware that the legacy has been passed on. Even after the letter is read in the dream, "To Whom This May Concern -- Keep This Nigger-Boy Running", his grandfather laughs(469).

In any case, he arrived, trained his senses using the wisdom he found in the area and continued home to sunagakure.