Troy and Cory Maxson's Relationship in Fences by August Wilson

Later in the story we learn that the misuse of Troy’s power not only lead him into losing a friend, but he lose his lover. Troy and Rose separated at the end of the story because Troy’s  misuse of power led him into taken advantage Rose. Rose stated “ What about me? When’s my time to enjoy life?”( 74). The phrase “What about me”, shows how Rose finally stands up to Troy by questioning him, the questions she ask also express her feelings about Troy treat her. Rose feel as though if Troy can go out and have fun or do what he want to do so can she. Once Troy realize he does not have as much power over

Fences is a play that not only needs a fence to be built by Troy, but it also has some division between its characters. The drama is suspenseful in itself primarily with Troy. In Scene One, Troy appears to has many differences with different characters within the play. The first is that he has a disagreement with his boss, Mr. Rand, who inexplicably doesn’t allow blacks to drive the garbage trucks, only to lift the garbage into the garbage trucks. Troy has a right to be angry due to the fact that it seems very discriminatory and disrespectful towards not only him, but to Bono as well. Speaking of Bono, Troy’s alt against him is that he is accusing him of cheating on his wife, whose name is Rose, with a woman named Alberta and Bono has told Troy that he has noticed Troy walking around her house. Rose and Troy have a son, whose name is Cory, and their feud is very bitter like a lemon, in the sense that Troy doesn’t want Cory to be on a collegiate football team, but instead to go back to his job. Lastly, Troy’s other son, Lyons, comes by. He is a jazz musician who is ignored by Troy when he asks for 10 dollars.

Troy tries explaining why he has cheated and Rose says, “I been standing with you! I been right here with you, Troy. I got a life too. I gave eighteen years

The members of the family that makes the most effort to keep the family level is Troy?s wife, Rose. The narrator tells us that Rose is a gentle woman. She cares a great deal for her family and her husband, despite the challenge of making her home a positive environment under the strains of a man with such impossible qualities. The author explains her reasons for enduring Troy by saying that ? her devotion to him stems from her recognition of the possibilities of her life without him: a succession of abusive men and their babies, a life of partying and running the streets, the Church, or aloneness with its attendant pain and frustration? (526; I, 1). In light of the fact that Troy is a good man and provides for their family in a way of his duty, Rose loves and supports him and ?either ignores or forgives his faults, only some of which she recognizes? (526; I, 1). Despite his love and respect for his wife, Troy acts extremely disrespectfully towards Rose. Due to the lack of love and respect that Troy was shown as a boy, he does not know feelings to his family. He talks down to his wife as if she were a child, while at the same time he declares his love for her to his friend, Bono. Troy?s fault, however, in declaring his love for his wife and family. He says, ?I love Rose? (555; II, 1), but when the time comes for him to show his love, he only disrespects her. When Rose asks Troy what he and Bono are talking about one

He doesn’t like that Troy is his father and what he says to him. Cory is there in the movie to have conflict in the family between him and Troy. " He ought to go and get recruited in how to fix cars or something where he can make a living." (1.1.69) Troy says this because he wants Cory to actually do something in life. He fights with Troy and complains when he is told to help Troy.

Troy creates more conflict by denying his son his football career. Troy was, in his mind, trying to protect Cory from getting hurt and losing his future but in Cory’s mind his father was just jealous. "You just scared I'm gonna be better than you, that's all” (Cory). This is the key conflict between the two. This is the conflict that destroyed their relationship. Cory never forgave his father for this

Troy's then made his life revolve around work and his family; he put his dreams of becoming a major league baseball player aside. He went into working and became a garbage man; he realized that he needed a steady income to provide for his family and to purchase the house that they live in. Even in the work place Troy wants to excel and make a stand for himself, talking to the commissioner about being a driver of one of the garbage trucks. Troy argued for blacks to drive the garbage trucks, but he doesn't know how to drive or even have a license. Troy acts out to try and better his black community and to try and break the barrier between whites and blacks. When Troy confronts Rose about his affair with Alberta, Rose becomes very angry with Troy. Rose is a stronger person than Troy, despite what she lets him think. She makes this extremely apparent when Troy tells her about the affair. "All of a sudden it's "we," where was "we" at when you was down there rolling around with some god forsaken woman? "We" should have come to an understanding before you started making a damn fool of yourself. You're a day late and a dollar short when it comes to an understanding with me." Troy realizes that the affair causes much disrespect to his wife and family. One day while visiting his wife Rose, they receive a call at 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

Throughout the play “Fences” by August Wilson, the character of Troy is constantly trying to shape Cory into the person he wants Cory to be, rather than permit Cory to explore possibilities and make his own decisions. These dynamics compel Cory to take drastic measures in an attempt to create the change that he wants to experience and to become the person that he envisions. The drastic measures Cory employs involve verbal and physical violence against his father. Each episode of violence changes the dynamic between father and son, but also changes Cory himself. He begins to think that aggression is the only means of creating meaningful change. While he may be correct in thinking that violence changes situations and people, he does not fully understand the implications of change for everyone touched by the conflict and this shapes his character

home because of his cruel father. W. P. Kenny details how Troy had to ―harden himself‖ from

Troy 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 does not derive from racism, but stems from the relationship he had with his father when he was a teenager. Without him knowing, Troy was very similar to his father. His father “stayed right here 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 gup with them crackers

Troy thought that he was a good husband to Rose because he provided her with food and a house. He wasn’t a good husband because he didn’t give her love and compassion. These two things are needed in a good marriage. She centered her whole life around him and he gave her almost nothing. When she had a problem, she couldn’t go to him. Troy also wasn’t faithful to Rose. He went off and had an affair with another woman. Rose was heart-broken by this. She couldn’t believe Troy could do this to her. She devoted her life to him and he goes and stabs her in the back. On top of that, Troy had a child with his mistress. The woman died giving birth. Troy asked Rose to take care of the baby. Rose did, what else could she have done? Troy was not a good husband.

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!

After finding out about Troy's affair, Cory stands up to his father in order to protect his mother during an altercation between Troy and Rose. Troy nearly hits Cory, but he is able to stop himself before threatening Cory by saying, "You better stay away from me, boy" (72). Cory and Troy's relationship following this incident is practically nonexistant until the time of their last fight. During that fight, after two months of staying out of his father's way, Cory has finally had enough of Troy's verbal abuse and once again stands up to him. This quarrel ends with Troy nearly hitting Cory with a baseball bat, but he is once again able to stop