King Of The Bingo Game Literary Devices

How easy is it for an individual to feel a sense of control in their life, and what lengths do people take in order to have dominion over themselves? Important themes can be observed through literary analysis in Ralph Ellison’s “King of the Bingo Game,” which contains literary examples in the text that convey Ellison’s forthcoming message about control and psychological fear. Ralph Ellison’s “King of the Bingo Game” incorporates important aspects of perspective, conflict, and imagery to depict the unveiling of true existential desperation of the anonymous bingo player, reflecting the struggle to assert control in the face of external forces. Initially, the perspective surrounding the bingo player is described by Ellison to encompass the perspective …show more content…

The narrative depicts that, when he had won one of the winning numbers of his five cards, he was abruptly lifted onto stage, suffering from terrible embarrassment from a persistent “desire to cry” (Ellison 33). The scene is painted from the perspective of the bingo winner, standing under the seemingly blaring lights, subject to the heckling from the host and the crowd. Moreover, when he had failed to let go of the button, the perspective changes from third person to first, further supporting the decline of the bingo player from the audience's perspective to his own (Ellison 51). However, the description of the internal and external conflict of perspective is not the only way in which Ellison gestures to the undermining effects of pressure. As seen in “King of the Bingo Game,” conflict can be between several entities, one at a time or multiple simultaneously, highlighting the psychological toll that control has on an individual. Ellison accurately depicts the internal physiological conflicts of the bingo game winner to convey the detrimental effects of an …show more content…

Considering these details of conflict, transitioning its focus from one party to another, it is representative of life’s unpredictability presented to the nameless protagonist. This central conflict sends him into an isolated state, coming to the realization that “somehow he had forgotten his own name” (Ellison 67). The impact of conflict on the sense of self in Ralph Ellison’s “King of the Bingo Game” explores the effects of uncertainty on the bingo player, further supporting the debilitating psychological fear of opportunism. Equally important, Ellison remains consistent with the implementation of imagery throughout the text, developing the existential themes of the story furthermore. As his third symbol, Ellison depicts imagery throughout the entire experience of the bingo player— from arrival on the stage to the final curtain closing to encompass the overwhelming situation of the