"Fences" takes place around the 1950s. During this time period there was a lot going on throughout the United States, especially for African Americans at the time. During this period and the recent years African Americans had been subject to a lot of racism. Growing up August Wilson had been subject to racial discrimination. The discrimination that he faced and the environment that he was raised in, as well as racism itself and racial barriers at the time directly influenced how he created the characters and wrote the play.
August Wilson was born and raised in the Hills district of Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania. Growing up Wilson never saw much of his father and was raised by his mother and stepfather. Wilson had faced a lot of discrimination in school. During his high school years, he had been accused of plagiarism. He written a twenty-page paper and it was so good that the teacher didn’t think it was possible for a person of color to write something of that magnitude so she accused him of copying it. The principal at the school also backed the teachers claim which led to Wilson dropping out of high school and furthering his education on his own. He went on to further his education at his local library.
During the time that the story takes place many important events had just occurred or were occurring during that time period. One big event that had occurred a little before the setting of the play is the second World War. Many blacks had come back from the war that they had
The play “Fence” by August Wilson’s has a connection with real world fence. “The yard is a small dirt yard, partially fenced, except for the last scene, with a wooden sawhorse, a pile of lumber, and other fence-building equipment set off to the side. The Opposite is a tree from which hangs a ball made of rags. A baseball bat leans against the tree. Two oil drums serve as garbage receptacles and sit near the house at right to complete the setting” (Wilson 2). He mentions that the fence has three parts open, unopened and cornerstone. The word yard and fence are symbolically represented structure and dream of country, society and Troy’s family.
The first issue that is focused on throughout the play would be the racial inequality in America in the 1950’s. Although there were many Americans who were fighting to end segregation and discrimination, nothing was legally done about it until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Troy Maxson being an African American man in his early fifties, grew up with the white man suppressing him. Troy was a Negro League star but when black men were finally allowed to play in the Major Leagues of baseball in 1947, Troy was too old to play. This left him very bitter towards life and the way he went on to raise his sons, which also ties into the generational clashes that will be discussed later on.
life in the mid to late twentieth century and the strains of society on African Americans. Set in a small neighborhood of a big city, this play holds much conflict between a father, Troy Maxson, and his two sons, Lyons and Cory. By analyzing the sources of this conflict, one can better appreciate and understand the way the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work.
In past times, racism and economic injustice headline the many problems that present themselves to society. Some people accept the horrors that appear with the issues while others take actions to change the issues for the better. August Wilson reveals that in his play Fences.” Written in 1957, Wilson’s play portrays an African American family during the time of the civil rights movement who struggle to reach the self-proclaimed American Dream in the United States (Wilson 963-1018). The protagonist, Troy Maxson, is influenced by Wilson’s stepfather, David Bedford (Martin and Downing). During the civil rights movement, African Americans carried few to no rights as an American citizen, presenting controversy to the world of political science and economic power. Wilson also contributes to the theory of Marxism in Fences. Introduced by Karl Marx, Marxist Criticism paints an identical picture of the way society reveals itself in the twentieth century. “Marx’s main interest was in economic power and the ways in which it disguised and manipulated.” (Schakel and Ridl 1455). Wilson incorporates those views into his play Fences. Wilson also reveals his intake on the views of Marxism. “Today I would say that the conflict in black America is between the middle class and the so-called underclass, and that conflict goes back to those who deny themselves and those who aren’t willing to (Lyons 1024).” The author believes that African American struggle contributes to the theory of Marxism.
August Wilson’s Fences depicts life in the 1950s for a typical African American family. The play touches upon racism, shifting family dynamics, and the politics of war. While racism plays an important and vital role in the play, instead of lamenting the issue, Wilson uses the characters as a weapon against the rampant racism of the time. In the same fashion, the relationship between Troy, Rose, and Cory demonstrates the shifting cultural and family dynamics of the decade. Likewise, Wilson’s depiction of Gabriel as a wounded veteran who is not fully supported by the government that sent him off to war offers an enlightening commentary on the politics of the era. Wilson uses the
We sometimes believe that by creating barriers around ourselves and the people we love, it will keep us safe and together. August Wilson is an African-American playwright from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania who was raised with his five brothers and sisters by his mother who worked hard to support them after his father, a white man left them. His mother found another man who also helped her raise them. In this time, it was very hard for African-Americans because it was the time when White Americans and African Americans where segregated. African-Americans were greatly discriminated and it was difficult for them to support their families because finding a job was difficult due to the racism, to be able to support their families they had to work
I didn't know anything about August Wilson before I began my research. I was very surprised to learn about his separatist views, because his play seemed so universal to me. I was also very surprised to learn that he had left school two years early because of a racial comment from a teacher, and that he had acquired the remainder of his education from hours spent at the library. What I had not known was that many aspects of Fences can be seen as
Family is not always the easiest thing to deal with as families always seem to get into disagreements. This is shown in the play “Fences” by August Wilson which is full of tension between the main character, Troy, and his various family members. Troy’s many bad decisions and mistakes cause a lot of hate to be directed at him and a lot of arguments ensue throughout the play. August Wilson uses many narrative elements in the play to make it more interesting and show the tension more clearly. Overall, in the play “Fences” August Wilson uses narrative elements such as father-son conflict, contrasting motifs, and characterization to show characters’ problems to create tension between characters.
August Wilson’s Fences was centered on the life of Troy Maxson, an African American man full of bitterness towards the world because of the cards he was dealt in life amidst the 1950’s. In the play Troy was raised by an unloving and abusive father, when he wanted to become a Major League Baseball player he was rejected because of his race. Troy even served time in prison because he was impoverished and needed money so he robbed a bank and ended up killing a man. Troy’s life was anything but easy. In the play Troy and his son Cory were told to build a fence around their home by Rose. It is common knowledge that fences are used in one of two ways: to keep things outside or to keep things inside. In the same way that fences are used to keep
In the play “Fences” by August Wilson the play’s attitude toward women is biased, and if the play was written by a female I think it would have a stronger feminine influence. Issues such as racism and discrimination against blacks may be raised in the play that the author did not bring up, and the women in the story somewhat do generally typify women in the 1950s. To support my interpretation, the women in the play were homebodies, just worrying about the household because they felt like that 's what they were supposed to do and that 's all that was expected of them and etc.
“Jesus be a fence all around me every day. Jesus, I want you to protect me as I travel on my way” (Wilson 1.2.21). The play Fences follows the journey of an African American family, the Maxons, and their struggle to handle the appearance of both physical and metaphorical fences. Fences shows the difficulties that the Maxons face in an attempt to balance love, loss, and laughter. The Maxson family lives in Pittsburgh during the 1950’s, and they meet tensions when searching for equality within their relationships and in their larger community. Throughout the play, tension builds between characters. To portray this tension, the author, August Wilson utilizes the narrative elements of parallel plots through storytelling, developing characters
Troy refuses to let him have his chance, stating, “The white man ain’t gonna let you
In so many ways Fences is such an ordinary story that its power comes from the ways in which ordinary people hear and view it. There is no doubt but that the metaphor of the fence prevails, working its way across work, family, friendship and the emotional pain of living a life literally dependent on garbage for survival. This is what Wilson wrote about in his Fences of the 1950s. In retrospect, however, it doesn't take a lot to put some of these pieces together yet again to create a difference story of its own kinds of fences, wooden, social, economic. But then or now, this story is still about the ordinary failing of a person who cannot figure out how to get out of the box that surrounds him and who thus finds himself pulling others inside his own fenced in troubles and pains. Being a black man wasn't easy then and it isn't easy today.
First of all, the main effect of racism that August Wilsonportrays in his story is that racism triggers discrimination, segregation and marginalization. In fact, racial segregation is the first thing that comes into play whenever there is racism. The whole story in Fences revolves around how the central character, Troy Maxson, together with his family, is raciallysegregated just because he is an African-American; black(Carino, 33). The whole argument of the story surrounds the instance when Troy Maxson is racially discriminated by being told that he can no longer take part in the major league because his skin color betrays him. Despite the story being written in 1985, the racial discrimination that it is talking about is still being felt today in 2017, over thirty years later. Therefore, through causing discrimination and marginalization, racism continues to tear apart the modern society that has civilized and
A teenager who lives his life in fear of his father, not knowing if he is ever liked. A brother who is determined that his brother his always upset with him. Life is supposed to be about pursuing one’s own dreams, not letting others down for the decisions. Even in the 1950’s, the representation of denial of dreams has been represented because African Americans lived in a time period where they were not accepted because of their skin color. Specifically through major league sports, and stereotypes that they were not the right fit for this career, refusing them even though they have grown up wanting to live up to the dream. As one may know, Satchel Paige, a famous Major League baseball player during the 1930’s had many struggles in lifetime career. Such as, being denied to play baseball, but later becoming known for his talent as he approached the Negro League. Because of this, it allows one to realize that even though one may deny a dream, it does not mean one cannot continue to strive for their goal. Life also has bumps in the road with struggles which might put a halt on an idea or even completely destroy it all together. Making mistakes is just one part of the problem but, reflecting one’s action on another loved one is the other piece to the issue. One cannot simply live life always being held back by others because it makes it difficult to fulfil a lifelong dream. Throughout the actions displayed in Fences, August Wilson applies characterization through the refusal of