King of the Bingo Game

What is the story’s message about the nature of fate and free will? How does this interact with luck and fate? Consider the elements, motifs, and historical context in your answer. Finally, based on your Personal Connection Prompt, does Ellison share the same thoughts as you regarding this motif? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt invites students to make connections between the story’s focus on fate and free will in the context of Black communities and the barrier of structural racism. For the protagonist, the bingo wheel is one of the few moments in which he has control over his life. He realizes that as long as he has control over the button, he has control over his future; however, the moment he finishes pressing it, he will be subjected to the forces beyond his control. Ellison uses this analogy to explain the lack of agency that Black communities had on their own life in the US; the barriers of racism and discrimination set up and perpetuated (by both non-Black and Black communities) indicate that while Black communities played the “game,” they usually found themselves “losing” since the white man changed the “rules” of the game. Ellison signifies this at the end of the story, where despite the fact that the protagonist wins, he still does not get the prize, as he did not “play by the rules.