1. Re-read the first paragraph of the story: What facts do we learn here about the
protagonist, his background, and his situation? Why has he come to the theater,
especially if he has already “seen the picture three times”? Does the paragraph
introduce an actual or potential conflict?
From the first paragraph, we know that the protagonist was from the south and may
have recently moved to the north. We also learned that he is not financially stable
because he does not have a birth certificate, which means he cannot work, and his wife
cannot work because she is very sick. He was at the theater to play a bingo game in
hopes of winning some money so he can bring his wife to the doctor. This paragraph
introduces a potential conflict.
2. What “wonderful thing” does the protagonist think he has “discovered” once he is
onstage (par. 50)? Why can’t or won’t he let go of the button, even when the police
arrive?
The “wonderful thing” that the protagonist thinks he “discovered” is that he has control
of the wheel; as long as he holds it, it will spin. He will not release the button on the
wheel because he views it as god. He begins to believe that as long as it spins, his wife
will live.
3. What is the effect of Ellison’s choice not to give his protagonist a name? How might
his namelessness shape your sense of what the story’s central conflict is? What role
does race play in that conflict?
Ellison not giving his protagonist helps his readers focus on the protagonist’s views of