Textual Analysis Of Troy

The character I have chosen in the book, Downriver, is Troy. The reason for me to pick Troy was because he was the oldest and seemed to know what he was doing. Troy is the character who wants to be in control. There were three events that happened to him where I feel his character shined.

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 finally left when he was 14 with two black eyes as a parting gift. Troy's father was the

Even though Troy wasn’t fair to his wife, he took care of his family as a man should. He took care of his sons with all that he had, but the love for his family was not evident in his character, especially with what he did to Rose. Cheating on Rose was a very selfish, and disrespectful act that showed no love towards his family. Troy’s behavior stems from the relationship he had with his father when he was a teenager. Without him knowing, Troy was very similar to his father, which was depicted very well in the film. Troy’s father “stayed right there with his family. But he was just as evil as he could be” (Wilson 905). Troy’s description of his father was the same person he was. In his conversation with Cory he says to him, “like you? I go out of here every morning…bust my butt…putting up with them crackers everyday…’cause I like you? You about the biggest fool I ever saw. It’s my job. It’s my responsibility! You understand that? A man got to take care of his family” (898). This scene in the movie showed more passion. A reader can read this scene in the play with whichever tone they choose, but in the movie, we are able to see the and feel the passion from what Troy was

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.

In the beginning of the play, Troy is portrayed as crude, bitter, and stern. His past experiences, such as being incarcerated and running away from home at such an early age, shaped his mindset and his relationship with his sons and his wife, Rose. Not wanting his son Cory to make the same mistakes as he did, chasing a sports career, Troy is harsh to Cory. Troy's belief in the importance of providing for his family outweighed the common belief of expressing love and compassion toward his son. Although Cory longed for that love from his father, Troy believed as a father he was approaching his responsibility of providing for Cory and Rose accordingly and that was his

Troy was a bad father to his family. Troy made sure to work hard to supply his family with a house, clothes,

Troy could be looked at as a selfish man who only thought about how Troy felt. He was not the type of

The only people who are able to change Troy’s world lie inside of his planet. He eventually opposes them and stays content in the ways he’s always lived in keeping the traditions of his world and leaving all the changes on the outside of his fence. Troy is in power in this world but is challenged by his son. This occurs when Corey fights Troy. Troy cannot handle the idea

     Throughout this play, many of Troy’s complexities are shown through other characters. Through Gabe, Bono,

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

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?

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!

Starting at childhood, Troy's life was difficult. He was a product of a dysfunctional family and abandonment. These events are internal scars that Troy carries with him throughout his entire life. When Troy was about eight years old his mother fled while he slept to escape the abuse of his father. His mother had

Troy fits a character who would have lived in the 1950’s, having experienced discrimination, an abusive father and a changing society towards African-Americans in that period.