Critical Analysis King of the Bingo Game
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February 24, 2024
“King of the Bingo Game” by Ralph Ellison
Ralph Ellison is a 20th-century American literary author. He was born in 1914 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, into a segregated environment. Music and literature were his majors at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Ellison left New York in the 1930s to join the Harlem Renaissance, celebrating African American art, literature, and music. His 1952 National Book Award-winning novel, "Invisible Man," made Ellison renowned worldwide. Ellison's 1944 short tale "King of the Bingo Game" is often considered a predecessor to "Invisible Man." The anonymous black narrator aspires to win a bingo game and acquire the cash prize to escape his sad life. However, luck is against him, and he loses. In "King of the Bingo Game," Elison examines identity, power, and agency in a society that discriminates by race and class.
Ralph Ellison tackles the issue of identity, written around the protagonist's life, an African American man living in the United States in the early 1940s. The theme of the identity quest is woven throughout the story as the main character faces the problem of self-assertion while under the pressure of society. The protagonist's struggle to define himself symbolizes general themes of cultural assimilation and self-discovery. The protagonist's internal monologue, where he states, "Well, I ain't crazy. I am just broke, 'cause I got no birth certificate
to get a job, and Laura 'bout to die 'cause we got no money for a doctor," shows the main character's desire to be seen as a person rather than a stereotype (Ellison 469). This highlights the protagonist's struggle to affirm his identity in a social setting that tends to distort black people and see them as one homogeneous group. The protagonist's aspiration to be considered an individual is evidence of his humanity and his need to exercise power in a society that often denies him that power (Bland).
The book shows the dehumanization of African Americans in American society, which emphasizes the struggle of the main character to fight for his identity. It furthermore emphasizes the power relations in the story, where the white audience is superior, and the black
protagonist is subordinate. The protagonist's quest for recognition as an individual tends to be fraught with the pressures to fit in and comply with social standards and norms. The theme of power dynamics in "King of the Bingo Game" is a heart-breaking mirror to the power dynamics ruling the main character's life. The bingo wheel serves as a symbolic representation of the arbitrariness of power and dominion in society (Clary 160). Ellison makes
the protagonist's frantic efforts to control the game a recurring theme to demonstrate how he wants control over a system designed to subjugate him. The game of bingo, with its rigged nature and preordained logic, serves as a metaphor for the larger social realm where the white audience is all-powerful, and the black character is at their mercy. This imbalanced power configuration is a vivid manifestation of the deeply ingrained systemic inequality in society, pointing to the obstacles that the oppressed face in establishing autonomy. The protagonist's strong passion for winning the game and being named
"the King of the Bingo Game" represents his ambition to be both powerful and control his own life. His attempts to subvert the established hierarchies using the game may have pointed to the
impracticability of challenging the deeply embedded systems of oppression, which he failed to do after all. However, the game's aspect of being rigged brings to the fore the arbitrariness of power in society while simultaneously reminding us of the numerous obstacles people face when trying to break free from societal shackles.
The author's account is a battle cry of the complexities of power relations, and it is a call to arms to those willing to fight the established order for agency and autonomy.
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Moreover, the issue of agency is a recurrent theme in Ellison's works, including "King of the Bingo Game." The protagonist's actions during the bingo game are a form of rebellion against the limitations of social norms. The protagonist patiently exercises control of the wheel, even though it is only temporary, to demonstrate his autonomy and struggle against his oppressed status (Annasai 66). These actions manifest his resistance against the oppressive power mechanisms that dominate his existence. Although the protagonist tries to exert his agency, the
scheme nullifies his efforts. The inability to escape the larger power structures that rule his life indicates the boundaries of his power and the barriers that unwanted individuals come across while going to freedom. The protagonist's statement, "I cannot give it up," captures his spirit of asserting his agency and governing his destiny (Ellison 477). However, at the same time, this declaration recognizes the fact that death is the reality of life, and humanity is the powerless one. In presenting the protagonists' quest for agency, Ellison illuminates the intricacies of power relations and the difficulties experienced by marginalized individuals in their bid for independence. The unsuccessful efforts of the protagonist in resisting the forces of the dominant power structures become a warning story, teaching the readers the insufficiency of personal agency in the face of the mighty social forces. However, the portrayal of the protagonist's unbending struggle for agency leaves a note of hope and courage for those fighting for liberation and empowerment amid oppression.
In conclusion, "King of the Bingo Game: by Ralph Ellison " is an impactful story that analyzes various facets of identity, power, and working to become an agent in a society ridden with inequality and systemic oppression. To modern discourse, the thematic idea in Ellison's work is as crucial as always. It serves as a reminder of the race, class, and societal structures
that stand above all the rest and have existed since I was born in the city of Rocky Mount. I have had much connection with the narrative fabric of his story. I understand the protagonist when he is trying to find his agency and growth since this has been a significant part of my past. Reading about the main character's struggle and his success in overcoming obstacles motivates me deeply. The narrative is a strong message that, in essence, a person must be able to take the initiative and unravel the existing power structures, giving me a new lease on life and the energy to face life's challenges with courage and conviction. The story of the "King of the Bingo Game" presents the individual trials and tribulations of its main character. However, it is also a compelling medium to describe the complex social mesh. It reflects the multi-tier challenges fought by the marginalized groups that seek agency and self-determination, especially in healthcare. In this regard, Ellison uses his protagonist's never-ending quest for freedom, and he does it in a way that evokes the universal human need to exceed imposed limitations and rule oneself against the oppression of structure. In this context, the story becomes an activist's call to action to confront and extinguish the strengthened patterns of injustice that produce a cycle of exclusion and alienation. With this in mind, "The Bingo King" keeps alive the spirit of invincible human resistance, carrying us to the unexplored seas of social reformation, our spirits high and our will strong to achieve a future where we shall have equality and inclusivity as critical pillars.
Works Cited
Annasai, Axlinabila Annisa, et al. "Theory of Patience as Reflected on Ralph Ellison's The King of Bingo Game." Intertwine: Journal of English Language, Literary, and Cultural
Studies
1.2 (2024): 61-72.
Bland Jr, Sterling Lecater. In the Shadow of Invisibility: Ralph Ellison and the Promise of American Democracy. LSU Press
, 2022.
Clary, Françoise. "Black Image and Blackness: Rewriting Myth as Cultural Code in Ralph Ellison's" King of the Bingo Game"." Journal of the Short Story in English. Les Cahiers de la nouvelle 67 (2016): 155-171.
Ellison, Ralph. King of the Bingo Game. (1944). Retrieved From: https://www.csus.edu/indiv/m/maddendw/king%20bingo%20game.pdf
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