Fences, Play by August Wilson: Review of The Main Character, Troy

He lost the respect he had in their home. Cory was tired of his father’s attitude so he finally stood up to his father. Cory had always feared Troy. He never stood up to him and let Troy walk over him and his dreams. Troy ruined his chances of getting recruited and he wasn’t going to put up with his father anymore.

Finally, Troy continues to talk about his work and attributions to their family unit. He starts to use short, concise sentences again to make it very clear what he does and why he does it. He says “It’s my job. It’s my responsibility!...You my flesh and blood...I owe a responsibility to you!” He is talking to his son in the simplest terms he can so his son knows that this is his point. Troy mentions his boss, Mr. Rand. He says that Mr. Rand does not pay him because he likes him but

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

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.

The theme of August Wilson’s play “Fences” is the coming of age in the life of a broken black man. Wilson wrote about the black experience in different decades and the struggle that many blacks faced, and that is seen in “Fences” because there are two different generations portrayed in Troy and Cory. Troy plays the part of the protagonist who has been disillusioned throughout his life by everyone he has been close to. He was forced to leave home at an early age because his father beat him so dramatically. Troy never learned how to treat people close to him and he never gave any one a chance to prove themselves because he was selfish. This makes Troy the antagonist in the story because he is not only hitting up against everyone in the play,

After understanding the protagonist’s heroic side, it is necessary to understand that he also had a tragic downfall and that he has certain weaknesses. Troy made sure to provide for his family materialistically, but unfortunately did not expose too much of his love to his children. He was able to reluctantly give Lyons ten dollars a week but that was not enough to help him make a living. Lyons states "I just stay with my music because that's the only way I can find to live in the world" (1.1.153). His dream is to be a musician. But maybe he needed more than ten dollars a week to conquer his dream? Maybe he needed some father to son affection?

Growing up, most parents want what is best for their children with the hope that they will lead a better life than the one they had. On the surface, this does not seem to be the case in the relationship between Troy and Cory in August Wilson’s Fences. Troy was a hardworking man who did all he can to provide for his family. Cory worked equally as hard in his athletic career. Troy made a decision to end Cory’s football career out of protection but Cory viewed it as his father’s jealousy. Troy’s rough attitude and relationship towards Cory stems from multiple sources: Troy’s relationship with his own father, his jail time, the fact that he did not make the Major Leagues in baseball due to discrimination, and his reluctance to accept the idea that the times have changed. Each of these plays a distinct role in their relationship, ultimately cultivating in Troy losing Cory for good.

One of the differences that complicate their relationship is that they have grown up in completely different time periods. A great deal has happened between the times when Troy was growing to the time period that Cory is growing up in. This issue itself causes many other concerns. For instance, Cory is a very talented athlete. He would like to play football in college and would probably receive a scholarship

            It is hard for Troy to live in the present having one foot in the past and one in the future.  Hence, the relationship between him, his wife and son becomes complicated.  He doesn?t realize that times have changed and black men have more rights than before.  Gradually, the relationship between Troy, Rose and Cory starts to deteriorate.  Troy starts to cheat on his wife.  His sexual infidelity and a subsequent child by another woman destroy his marriage with Rose.  Nonetheless, he doesn?t abandon his family, everyday he goes to work and at the end of the week he gives his pay to Rose.  Moreover, he doesn?t deny his daughter from another woman, and begs Rose to help him take care of her.  He says, ?? I?d appreciate it if you?d help me take care of her.?  The relationship between him and

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

He is the center of both small and large conflicts. His ability to believe in self-created illusions and his inability to accept the choices of others in life that differ from his own philosophy is what causes him to instigate conflicts. His philosophy is mainly based on experience, this experiences stem from his rough childhood, prison life, his baseball career and the discriminative hiring practices employed by his employers at the sanitation department. During this time frame, the segregation between blacks and whites was at its peak and this influence was the major governing factor to which Troy’s life was built upon. Throughout the play Troy is mostly seen as an average African American bowing down to racism and segregation. In the beginning of the play though (Act 1 Scene 1) Troy stands up to his white employers and questions them on why only white people are driving trucks and not the black people too. This is the first time Troy is seen standing up against racism and eventually becomes the first black truck driver.

“are”, as well as his inability to see the world has changed. Troy has an “iron grip” on

During the beginning of Troy’s life, he faced life-changing dilemmas that affected his future permanently. While with his parents, he was under their protection, eventually he needed to escape, as Troy told, “When my turn come to head out, I was fourteen…”(Wilson 1405). Troy fled his only known family at a young age, disregarding his own comfort. Therefore, he was left to survive alone. He also explained that his father was in a great deal of debt while he was also taking care of eleven children, which goes to show, he didn’t have an inspiring role model, and had to make his own values.

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

He first talks about his opinion on the discrimination in sports when Rose tells him about his son, Cory, wanting to play college football. In his words, he said, “I told that boy about that football stuff. The white man ain’t gonna let him get nowhere with that football” (Wilson 8). Due to his failure to achieve his dream, he disapproves when his son wants to play football. Because of Troy’s failure in sports, his pain reflected on his son who also had a similar dream. He doesn’t want his son to go through the same pain he went through when he tried to join major league baseball. He wanted his son to be successful at getting a job that would feed him and not rely on sports because Tory knew that Cory wouldn’t get a chance. Troy was also skeptical when his first son, Lyons wanted to play jazz music for a living. Troy didn’t want to even loan him any money to help him and tried to convince him take the job picking up trash. When Lyons finally got his chance as a musician, Troy refused to go see him play.