55 pages • 1 hour read
Ralph EllisonKing of the Bingo Game
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1944A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
Ellison’s work makes heavy use of symbolism. Identify a symbol that was not listed in the guide and discuss its significance using examples from the text.
In your reading of the story, is the protagonist crazy? Are the story’s events responsible for his state of mind, or is there another explanation? Support your response using examples from the text.
Discuss how World War II impacted racial dynamics in the United States and the significance of the story’s historical context.
Ellison uses imagery and word choice as foreshadowing tools. Choose three words or images and discuss how they foreshadow the story’s ending.
How much of the protagonist’s isolation is in his head? Is his reality different than his perception of it?
What is the thematic significance of the film that the protagonist watches in the theater? In what ways, if any, does it parallel the story’s events?
In your opinion, did the protagonist deserve to win the jackpot in the end, or was his disruptive behavior sufficient reason to withhold the prize money?
What is the story’s message about the nature of fate and free will?
One of the story’s main themes is the crushing impact of institutional racism on African Americans’ lives. What are some of the ways Ellison conveys this theme in the story?
What roles do the audience and man with the microphone play in the story? Does their response to the protagonist affect the story’s outcome?
Related Titles
By Ralph Ellison
