In this play by August Wilson “fences” reflects on our lives in so many different ways. August Wilson uses characters for us to reflect into, in this play he wanted us to focus on Troy, a 53 year old black man who struggles with providing for his wife Rose, his son Cory finically. His youngest brother Gabriel, an ex soldier who got injured in a war and received $3000 from the government, Troy used that money to purchase a home for his family. Troy is really good baseball player in Negro league baseball in his younger days, because of his color, Troy was unable to get into the Major baseball league and make good money. He become a garbage collector and lives in his own little world and views the people in his life as revolving around him. When he ruins Cory's chance of gaining a football scholarship, he did it because he believed whites wouldn't let his son play, however the world had changed and Troy …show more content…
He is without any doubt responsible in his duty towards his family as a head and a provider. When he put an end to Cory’s football dream trying to protect him, it shows that the complexity of Troy also manifests from the good and admirable qualities of his personality. Even though Troy pursues the wrong direction in trying to help his son, it's still clear that he cares for him. He may seem to be too harsh to his wife and son but deep beneath his tough exterior he truly cares about his family but has trouble showing it. His family only learns about it until his death and after the negative actions he did that tore his family apart. At the end of the play Troy is made as a tragic hero, he showed us the perspective and experience of living life as a black man, faced with lost opportunities due to color discrimination, we can learn a lesson from his failure instead of painting him as the
Fences can be viewed as a family play, it can also be viewed as a work specifically of the black man's place, or plight, in a predominantly white world. Either way, it has a very valuable message. It is a true art to be able to touch on so many aspects of life in a work, aspects that may be viewed differently by different people.. Wilson's work, and the character of Troy Maxson, makes me question many things, among them myself, as well as his intended message. This is why I am so in awe of Fences, and of Wilson's talent. This is why I am writing my paper on Fences.
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
Fences by August Wilson shows the evolving African-American experience during the 1950’s to the 1960’s. The main character Troy Maxson makes his living as a sanitation worker to provide for his family. Throughout Fences the audience can see how Troy’s past played a strong role in his relation with his sons and wife. Troy would eventually meet his ultimate demise after an altercation with his second son, Cory Maxson. Through Troy’s actions and relationships with his family, Wilson shows that as the determination of individuals clash it can lead to the decline of family relationships.
Troy?s relationship with his father was one, which produced much tension, and had a strong influence on Troy?s relationships with his loved ones as an
Troy’s relationship with his youngest son, Cory, was a prime example or his controlling nature. One major conflict between them was Troy Forbidding Cory from playing football. As said in the quote, “ If you go on down there to that A&P and see if you can get your job back. if you can’t do both...then you quit the football team you’ve got to take the crookeds with the straights ”(Act 1, Scene 3, Line 192) Troy is not happy with the fact that Croy quit his quit because of football practice. Troy is so against it because he was denied acceptance into a baseball team because of his race in his past. In a way troy thinks he his looking out for cory but deep down, as rose brings out in the next scene, he is haunted by his own
To start with, Troy Maxson is a father of three and is the husband of Rose. Troy built a fence around his son Cory. Cory is a student in high school who plays football and has a chance to meet with a scout. In act 1 scene 2, Troy finds out about Cory and the college scout and how Cory quit his job to play football; “Troy: I thought we had an understanding about this football stuff? You suppose to keep up with your chores and hold that job down at the A&P. Ain’t been around here all day on a Saturday. Ain’t none of your chores done ...and now you telling me you done quit your job”(1484). His father is stuck in the world where blacks do not get to play sports
became a father that Cory never wanted, ultimately leading to Troy’s own demise. While it
He works as a sanitation man and has a son who wants to play football professionally which he disagrees to. This is one of the fast example of how his tragic flaw will lead to the “inevitability of its consequences” where he becomes isolated by his family. When Troy was younger, he was unable to play baseball professionally because of his social status as a Black man. In an argument with Rose about whether Cory, his son, should play football, Troy states “ The white man ain’t gonna let him get nowhere with that football” (Wilson 34). Because of his flaw of being too self centered, he doesn’t realize that time has changed and there are many more black athletes than before.
However, that is not the last time that Troy’s race has been a hurdle in his life. He works for the sanitation department lifting the trash into the back of the truck, and he wants to drive the truck. The only problem is that they were not allowing any African American men in that position. He approached his boss and said, "I went to Mr. Rand and asked him, 'Why? Why you got white mens driving and the colored lifting?'" (Wilson 1.1.13). From this we can already tell that Troy is not afraid to stand up for what he believes is right or what he feels is his duty to do as a black man in America.
In addition to these negative feelings, Troy also had another side; he was a responsible man. However, his responsibility as a family man will conduct him to
Troy is the son of an abusive father. His father was hardly around to raise him. When he was around, he made him do chores and if he didn’t do them he would beat him. One time, after Troy tied up the mule, just as his father told him to, he went off to the creek with a girl to “enjoy himself.” The mule got loose, and his father found out. His
The award winning play Fences is not just a work of fiction from the mind of August Wilson, but rather it is the reflections of a middle-aged man on his adolescent years. The majority of characters, places, and events are mirrored after real-life people, places, and history from Pittsburgh where Wilson grew up. Rather than creating a whole new world and characters for his third play, August Wilson infused his own personal childhood to form a story that could be related to by viewers and readers alike. Whether a Wilson consciously replicated elements of his history or not, the success of Fences, is due to the audience 's ability to relate to the characters and the circumstances of their lives.
Alan Nadel argues that the object of the fence in August Wilson’s play, “Fences” symbolizes a great struggle between the literal and figurative definitions of humanity and blackness. The author summarizes the play and uses the character Troy to explain the characterization of black abilities, such as Troy’s baseball talents, as “metaphoric,” which does not enable Troy to play in the white leagues as the period is set during segregation (Nadel 92). The author is trying to use the characters from the play as examples of black people during the segregation years to show how people of that time considered black people not as literal entities and more like figurative caricatures. Stating that these individuals were considered to be in a
Troy’s personality is very conservative. He is an angry man who has been a victim of racial violence and allowed his bitterness to become a barrier to new opportunities that opened at this time. As a child Troy wanted out of his abusive father’s relationship. His father barely looked after his 11 children and had always puts himself first before anyone else. Instead, young Troy escapes north to Pittsburg ending himself in jail due to theft, which is where he meets his ace
Troy becomes so wrapped up in his own misfortunes and bitterness that he fails to realize what strength his family really has (Zirin). They are trying and willing to help him but he is unable to fathom the possibility of that because he is so far gone. Troy says “…Come on! It’s between you and me now!