SOURCE: "Symbolism in Ralph Ellison's 'King of the Bingo Game,'" in CLA Journal, Vol. XX, No. 1, September, 1976, pp. 35-9.

In the following essay, Saunders suggests that the symbolism used by Ellison in "King of the Bingo Game "—particularly the symbolism of the bingo game, the anonymity of the protagonist, and the bingo wheel—reflects the racial oppression of blacks in American society.

Ralph Ellison's short story, "King of the Bingo Game," recounts the experiences of an unnamed black man who struggles to survive to be recognized in an environment that insists on entering to his invisibility. This nameless man lashes out against the restrictive and stultifying aspects of his victimized black life style. Faced with a dying wife, Laura, who needs adequate medical care, he engages in a bingo game held at a movie-house, hoping to win money to defray the medical expenses. Subsequently, he receives the...