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Consequences Of Being Greedy In August Wilson's Fences

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Consequences in Being Greedy Greed is something that everyone wants to get rid of due to its destructive power, and yet it’s embedded in our human nature. Greed can benefit us in getting what we need and want; however, sometimes we never think of the consequences that greed can bring us. This can be seen in August Wilson’s play, Fences, which focuses on Troy Maxson and his struggles in providing a family during the civil rights era. Troy’s greed and desires in pursuing the American dream lead to devastating outcomes, which can be explained using CommonLit Staff’s “Sigmund Freud’s theory of the Id, Ego, and Superego” article. Freud’s theory states that the human mind and behavior is governed by 3 parts and each part plays a significance in a …show more content…

According to CommonLit Staff’s article, Freud's theory states that the Id "is the most selfish part of our mind", as it only cares about fulfilling "immediate desires and satisfaction". His theory explains why Troy makes irrational actions, such as cheating on Rose. When Troy comes clean with his affair, he explains, "I can sit up in her house and laugh. Do you understand what I'm saying? I can laugh out loud . . . and it feels good. It reaches all the way down to the bottom of my shoes" (page 71). Despite the fact that Troy and Rose have been married for 13 years, Troy's desire of fulfilling his happiness with another woman overwhelms his Ego, which is the rational part of his mind, of staying loyal to Rose. Connecting to Freud, Troy’s “immediate desire” is a sense of euphoria, which he couldn’t get from Rose even though Rose claims that she gave up everything for Troy. All in sum, Troy’s Id seems to control the Ego instead of being controlled, causing his downfall as a …show more content…

Freud claims that the Superego “is the moral part” of a human being and it “controls our sense of right and wrong” (CommonLit Staff). In Act 1 Scene 4, Troy explains his grim childhood, in which he claims that he was a “robber” who has to “steal three times as much” because he has to feed Rose and Lyons (page 56). Due to his affection towards Rose and Lyons, Troy is obligated to steal other people in order to provide food and shelter for his loved ones. This goes against his virtue of being a law-abiding citizen. In addition, he acknowledges the fact that it’s morally wrong to steal from others, yet as a young adult, his desire in caring his family, in the form of greed, overpowers it. Troy’s Superego has no power in controlling his

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