Introduction

First published in the literary journal Tomorrow in November 1944, Ralph Ellison's short story"King of the Bingo Game" explores black men's alienation in white society. In the story, the main character struggles with the reality of his existence. The protagonist feels hopeless: he lives in an unfamiliar city in an unfamiliar part of the country and is further isolated by the threat of his wife's death from a sickness they cannot afford to treat. He is poor, hungry, and afraid of what his future holds. His vulnerable position in society speaks to the plight of blacks living in America at the time the story was written, particularly to those who have come north with hopes of realizing their dreams.

Throughout "King of the Bingo Game," Ellison creates...