What is the central conflict in Battle Royal?

The major structural development in the story is that of
black against white. The other is the outright contempt and mistreatment of the black
boys by the white spectators. There is also a broader conflict between oppressor and
oppressed, for the white dancer might be included as one of the exploited. When she is
tossed in the air it is clear that she, too, is being dehumanized, just like the boys
(paragraph  9). In addition, Ellison brings out the conflict of ordinary male adolescent
intimidation, for the boys by no means present an organized and unified front. The
larger boy, Tatlock, dramatizes his contempt for the narrator both with words and fists
(paragraphs 27-37). We may conclude that Tatlock embodies the hostility and jealousy
that the less intelligent often exhibit toward the more
intelligent.