Battle Royal

I believe that the prostitute is symbolic of the black mans relationship (at the time) with America. The black men obviously represent black people, and the prostitute is symbolic of America, shown by the colors used to represent her and the flag tattooed on her. In the passage, the black men are allowed to look, but nothing else. However, most of them can't even look, as if they're ashamed to. Black people of the time period had a similar relationship with America, they had a vision of what it was, but were not allowed to take part in the vision. The white mans America was not the black mans, the white men could have their way, while the black men could only sit on the sides and watch (if that much).