Tips for the Teacher

Almost every semester, when I teach my Intro to Literature course, I find myself really drawn to Ralph Ellison's short story "Battle Royal." So, I assign it for my students to read, usually connecting it to their reading about symbols (literary, conventional, etc.). The problem is that I don't ever seem to know what to say about the story when we discuss it in class. It's almost like the story is too "heavy." Like it needs time to breathe or something. I usually manage just fine by giving students the agency to take the class discussion in whatever direction they choose, and we always read more than one story, but I don't feel like I'm "doing" anything effective with "Battle Royal." I'm certainly not doing it justice. For whatever reason, I have this weird feeling like I'm missing something important about how to teach this story. And because of this, I ask you - the few readers I have - what do you do if/when you discuss this story with students?