Category: Fences

In the short play Fences, August Wilson introduces an African American family whose life is based around a fence. The play takes place from the 1950s through 1965. The Maxson household has many strained relationships needed to grow here. The central character, Troy Maxson, prevents anyone from interfering in his life by surrounding himself around a physical and symbolic fence that affects his relationships with his family and himself. Throughout the play, readers can see Troy’s life is falling apart because his marriage isn’t working out, his son wants to pursue a career in football, and he puts his only source of income at risk by talking back to the boss. The last scene takes place in 1965, on the day of the funeral of Troy Maxson. On that day, the other characters in the play come to terms with the flawed human being who has been the most powerful force in their lives. “Fences” provides a sympathetic, yet the unsentimental portrayal of its unforgettable main character.

The central characters in this play are Troy, Cory, Rose, and Bono. Troy is the play’s protagonist. He had a rough childhood and left home at a very young age. “Fourteen’s kinda young to be out on your own. I don’t even think I was ready to be out on my own at fourteen. I don’t know what I would have done.” (Wilson 52) He was an excellent baseball player and might have had the chance to play in the major leagues if he hadn’t spent most of his years in prison. Troy is angry about the choices he made and about what he has lost in his life and accepts his fate. In response to the deprivation he experienced, Troy makes sure to work hard, and does the most he can to care for his family. He is responsible and a hard worker, supporting his family the best he can. To protect his son from heartbreak, Troy refuses to help Cory achieve his dream of playing college football, which only made Cory and Troy’s relationship even worse. Cory does not understand his father, but he does try to please him. He has the dream of one-day playing college football and making his family proud of his success. Cory needs to leave the house in order to make his own way in the world and escape his father’s shadow. Rose is the mother of Cory and Troy’s wife who is very loving and supportive. She goes out of her way to please Troy and gives him wise advice on dealing with other people. Rose is loved by the other characters, who see her as kind and sensible. After Troy cheats on her, Rose is heartbroken because she has given all her love and made sacrifices as his wife. When Troy brings home Raynell, his child with Alberta, Rose agrees to care for her; but she will no longer be a wife to Troy. Jim Bono is Troy’s friend, coworker, and drinking partner. The two men, who met in prison, gather each Friday night after work to drink, share stories, and commiserate. While Bono looks up to Troy, he is ultimately disappointed in him for cheating on Rose, whom he admires. These characters all come together as this one hopeful yet broken family surviving the world of discrimination and hatred by this fence.

The setting of this play is inside and outside the Maxson house. We’re told that it’s a two-story brick house, set off a back alley. “The setting is the yard which fronts the only entrance to the MAXSON household, an ancient two-story brick house set back off a small alley in a big city neighborhood,” (Wilson). This shows that the Masons aren’t exactly rich and might be struggling with income. The set reminds us that money is a big factor for Troy and his family. They’re barely getting by on Troy’s garbage collector salary living paycheck to paycheck. Even tho we never actually hear the word ‘Pittsburgh,’ the play is definitely set there. Pittsburgh was August Wilson’s hometown, and almost all of the plays in his ten-play cycle take place there. The play also mentions many Pittsburgh landmarks, such as the Strip District, a popular market area. “He carries a chip basket with an assortment of discarded fruits and vegetables he has picked up in the strip district and which he attempts to sell,” (Wilson). The setting of Pittsburgh seems to be particularly important because of what it represented for many black people. In the decades after the Civil War, many African Americans migrated north to escape the poverty and racial discrimination of the South. They hoped to find work and equality but were often disappointed. Troy discusses not being able to find a job when he first came to Pittsburgh. He ended up living in a shack and resorted to crime to survive. “Living in shacks made of sticks and arid tarpaper. Messed around there and went from bad to worse. Started stealing. First, it was food. Then I figured, hell, if I steal money, I can buy myself some food. Buy me some shoes, too. One thing led to another,” (Wilson). The time period of this play is around 1950 to 1965. As the readers read through the play, they feel the racial tension between whites and blacks. There was a lot of racial discrimination ever since Troy was younger. Troy had to deal with this discrimination as a baseball player at a young age because they did not want an African American man playing baseball, which was full of white men. Years later once he gets a job as a garbage collector, he stands up against the boss about this. He states, “I ain’t worried about them firing me. ‘They gonna fire me ’cause I asked a question? That’s all I did. I went to Mr. Rand and asked him, “Why.” Why have you got the white men driving and the colored lifting? Told him, What’s the matter, don’t count? You think only white fellows got sense enough to drive a truck. ‘That ain’t no paper job! Hell, anybody can drive a truck. How come you got all whites driving and the colored lifting?” (Wilson 39). It is so unfair that the whites always get to be the garbage drivers while the colored are doing the hard work.

The pursuit of the American Dream is difficult for Troy because of the racial discrimination going on around this time period. Troy combats racism in his everyday life because he will never be happy until everyone will be treated equally. “But . . . you born with two strikes on you before you come to the plate. You got to guard it closely . . . always looking for the curve-ball on the inside corner. You can’t afford to let any get past you. You can’t afford a called strike. If you going down . . . you going down swinging,” (Wilson). Troy uses baseball to explain concepts that are important to him, like for example, life. Due to his race, poverty, and lack of education, he thinks he was born with “two strikes.” He believes he has only the slightest chance of succeeding. If not for these circumstances or “strikes”, he could have taken bigger opportunities, and possibly missed or possibly hit. Or he could have waited for a better chance, a better ball to hit. For someone to not have the same chances of success as another person is extremely unfair and discriminatory. This made life a lot harder for African Americans due to the fact they know they can’t do anything about it. The language of the play, or its tone, is very serious. There are hardly any times when the main characters are actually expressing happy emotions. There is no reason to actually be happy living in a world where life is unfair and racist.

[bookmark: _gjdgxs]August Wilson did not name his play, Fences, due to the dramatic actions that take place in the Maxson household, but rather the relationships that build and break because of the “fence”. The fence acts as a physical device because the characters’ lives are constantly changing during the creation of the fence. Fences represent the figurative fence that the main characters are creating around themselves in order to keep people in or out. The fence represents something different to everyone in the play. Completing the fence will give the family a sense of hope that things will get better. The title may seem straightforward, but in reality, it is a powerful symbol that can either have a positive or negative impact on who is let past the fence. The fence appears to be finished only in the final scene of the play when Troy dies and the family comes together. The completion of the fence comes to the end means the strength of the Maxson family and ironically the strength of the man who tore them apart, who also brings them together one more time, in death.

Works Cited Page

1. Robinson, David. “August Wilson’s ‘Pittsburgh Cycle’ Plays.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 17 June 2019, www.biography.com/news/august-Wilson-Pittsburgh-cycle-century-cycle-plays-summary.
2. Wilson, August, and Lloyd Richards. Fences: A Play. New York: New American Library, 1987. Print.

Having received impressive acclaim and providing a nuanced representation of racism in the U.S., August Wilson’s “Fences” has offered a range of opportunities for interpretations. In her article, Koprince (2006) addresses baseball as one of the central thematic and metaphorical elements in “Fences.” Remaining one of the central elements of the plot focus in “fences,” baseball has never been simply a game. Instead, it was supposed to serve as shorthand for the complexity of relationships between the characters and a representation of the challenges that they experience. Thus, Koprince (2006) argues that the specified metaphor serves a vital function of challenging the very notion of the American dream. Although the connection between baseball and the thematic development of the play might seem tangential at first, a closer analysis of the manner in which the game I mentioned in the novel will show that it is used as a means of rendering the meaninglessness of the American dream and the generational trauma that the African American community suffered at the time.

The specified assertion carries a crucial and much more profound underlying central message of the article. Moreover, Koprince (2006) asserts that the use of baseball as a cultural signifier in the U.S. in the novel allows Wilson to convey the complexity of life, effectively comparing it to the game. However, the importance of the game as the metaphorical embodiment of social struggles and cultural issues within the U.S., particularly, racism, remains the focal point of Koprince’s (2006) message. Specifically, the author of the article mentions that “The black ballplayers also had to

contend with racism in the United States and were unable to stay at hotels that catered to whites or to eat in whites-only restaurant.” Thus, Koprince (2006) proves that baseball is used to showcase rampant racism in the U.S.

Apart from the central theme of racism, the article also discusses several essential topics linked to sport and the development of an identity, as well as the related notions. Also linked to the problem of racism in the U.S., these themes touch upon the problem of misunderstandings between people from different generations. Particularly, the differences between Troy and the player that represented as real-life inspiration for Wilson when he wrote the novel, are emphasized expressively in the article.

Namely, Koprince (2006) establishes that, despite his efforts and a similar extent of passion that he had for football, Gibson never managed to achieve the same career heights as Troy, which subverts the idea of American Dream mentioned above and outlines the problem of racial minorities facing multiple obstacles in their pursuit of social acclaim. Specifically, Koprince (2006) demonstrates the described conflict with the following remark: “Despite his legendary abilities, however, Gibson was never given the chance to play in the major leagues- a circumstance that may well have contributed to his untimely death.” Thus, Koprince (2006) delineates the barrier between fiction and harsh reality that Wilson had to observe and face at the time of his youth. Thus, one could interpret the outlined theme raised in the novel as a representation of an intergenerational conflict. Thus, Koprince reflects upon Wilson’s depiction of the slow pace of social change, as well as the willingness of the author to provide his characters with the opportunities and freedoms of which his generation was deprived. Thus, the novel represents a guide to healing of the community trauma that centuries of racism have caused the African American community.

The article under analysis offers quite a number of criticisms of Wilson’s “Fences,” all of which appear to be legitimate and well-thought-out. However, some of the statements that Koprince (2006) makes could be scrutinized closer and seen as legitimate points for a rather inspiring and curious debate. For example, Koprince (2006) asserts that Troy’s avoidance to give his allegiance to one of the baseball brands and, instead, referring to two ones interchangeably reflects what Du Bois defined as the idea of two-ness of the African American experience. While the specified statement seems exceptionally original and rather curious to investigate, there are no other evident references to DuBois’ work in the book. Therefore, the described way of developing Troy’s character could be seen as the means of demonstrating the complexity of his character, in general. Namely, the specified choice could pint to the fact that Troy is diverse enough to embrace the strengths and flaws of each brand, therefore, recognizing them for their uniqueness. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to claim that Koprince’s statement is misleading or wrong. Quite the contrary, the observation that he makes is unique and original, which makes the further interpretation of the novel all the more exciting. Specifically, other links to Du Bois’ idea of the African American identity and culture can be located when examining the novel more thoroughly after Koprince’s remark. However, the novel having other references to Du Bois’’ words and their specific ideas would have helped to embrace Koprince’s ideas more naturally.

While Koprince’s arguments make a substantial amount of sense, they can be criticized due to the lack of the further development of Du Bois’ arguments in the book. As a result, Koprince’s argument becomes especially compelling and insightful, while retaining enough reasons for being debated. Overall, the article provides a unique interpretation of Wilson’s “Fences.” Therefore, the article warrants a further consideration, allowing the reader to view “Fences” in a new and rather unexpected light.

Reference

Koprince, S. (2006). Baseball as history and myth in August Wilson’s” Fences”. African American Review, 40(2), 349-358.

“Fences” by American playwright August Wilson was published in 1987. This play is about an elderly scavenger Troy, a basketball star in his youth. It is worth mentioning that “Fences” contains many essential topics for discussion which are relevant nowadays. For instance, the first scene reveals the duties and responsibilities of fathers and sons. There are many interpretations of “Fences,” including staged and filmed versions, and it is important to discuss both to understand their features.

The spectator sees James Earl Jones in the role of a strict father. His son, Lyons, is trying to figure out whether his father loves him, which constitutes one of this scene’s essences. It is vital to say that each of the three versions, movie, play, and text, is unique, and the spectator perceives it differently. For instance, Lyons, the son, asks his father about Troy’s affection for him. Indeed, he does not receive an expectable answer. Instead of confessing in love, Troy explains what it means to be a father. “It is my duty to take care of you” is a strong phrase that shows another variety of fatherly love (Niko Papastefanou, 2011). The excerpt from the play demonstrates Troy almost in anger; probably, he is unfamiliar with tender feelings, but he knows how to take responsibility for his family.

The 2016 movie “Fences” shows the same scene, but it is perceived differently. Here, the dialogue between Troy and Lyons is extended, and it allows for understanding the characters better. Moreover, the decorations are more realistic than the staged version, creating an atmosphere of presence. The importance of money is also raised here as a vital topic (H Moga, 2017). It shows their responsibility of Troy to care about his family.

Overall, the staged version seems to be more effective and moving. The absence of great decorations makes the spectator focus on the actors’ play, bringing attention to details. James Earl Jones performs Troy’s role amazingly with his intonation and facial expressions. Moreover, while reading the text version, it was possible to think about Troy as a careless father. However, after watching visualized performances, Troy is seen as an interpretation of a strict but responsible man. Overall, the message of this scene is the complexity of father-son relations; more generally, the play is about acceptance and the ability to adapt to circumstances.

References

Niko Papastefanou. (2011). James Earl Jones – Fences “You ain’t never liked me” [Video]. YouTube. Web.

H Moga. (2017). Fences 2016 – TV scene, “I ain’t got to like you” Scene [Video]. YouTube. Web.

The focal point of this paper is to present a symbolic criticism of the play “Fences” by August Wilson with a special emphasis on the significance of Gabriel in the play. This play by August Wilson can be described as a loose autobiographical saga where African American lives are portrayed under the social structure of legalized discrimination during the late 1950s where the setting is mainly Troy’s house in Pittsburg.

The basic story of the play is based on the ramification of black manhood where the protagonist tries to mend matters from going bad to worse by his means. This story is an effort from the protagonist’s point of view to formulate a survival strategy living within the framework of an otherwise unwanted system with the help of illusions and pragmatism. This mechanism of survival strategy against a discriminating society is the basic theme of the play where Gabriel acts as an alter ego of Troy (Zimmerman 143).

Gabriel is unaware of all these social complexities and evokes a blissful aura that, as per the play is the gift of shrapnel in Gabriel’s head during the Second World War. Gabriel is insane and thinks of himself as angel Gabriel. This insanity acts as a counterpoint to Troy’s reality and makes existence and survival easier juxtaposed between reality and fallacy. This play can also be seen as a social criticism of the black community with enough care to depict the actual cause, reasons, and effects of the prevailing social misgivings among the community.

The playwright analyses the cause of a degraded livelihood of the black community and traces the actual reason to the days of the slavery through the story of Troy’s father who led an utterly depressing life and unlike Troy’s illusions he had no back ally to fall back and searched for salvation what he understood most with his perceptions- women. And thus ramifications of the present state of affairs could well be linked with racial discrimination and misfortune.

Another depressed character from the former generation to that of Troy was Bono’s father whom he narrated as walking blues. This person was also induced by women but his main objective was traveling far and wide. He was also a dejected character like Troy’s father and it could be enumerated that the entire generation was completely disheartened after the freedom their ancestors received from slavery (Wilson 67). This tag was difficult to come off and they all suffered because of it dearly.

Troy Maxon is the protagonist of the play. He is a responsible person who is extremely dissatisfied with life though he is a dreamer by nature. In this frustration, Troy Maxon lives in a self-created world of illusions. When the play starts we see Troy Maxon is telling a story to Rose and Bono where he is encountered Devil who is personified by death and there is a huge brawl between them. This is just one example of his imaginary world and there are more.

As a whole Fences is a story that narrates the livelihood of Troy Maxon and all the characters of the play are instruments that communicate with Troy and thereby reveal his inner self to the audience. Nevertheless, every character at the same time indulges in conflict with him at some phases of the play no matter small or large. More often than not it is Troy himself who is the responsible person to instigate these conflicts and these conflicts take place because of Troy’s inability to accept a different point of view proposed and accepted by the others (Zimmerman 42).

The main reason behind this is that Troy himself lives in a world of dreams and when he realizes that that world is inaccessible to other members of the society he tends to be frustrated and eventually becomes angry with the society and this anger is manifested upon the person next to him as being an otherwise simple person he has no other specific identity to exert and no ability to enforce a change to the society. Society becomes the primal force against Troy Maxon and people around his vicinity become the victim of his anger. Troy is in constant conflict with Rose as contradictions arise with his stories and for his passion for numbers. Troy conflicts with Lyon as there is the decision to become a musician. Troy conflicts with Cory because football is their main passion.

One very interesting fact about Troy is his surname, Maxon. Maxon is a combination of Dixon and Mason. The Mason-Dixon Line was given to the imaginary line that was instrumental in differentiating the Free states and the slave states. The character of Troy Maxon appears to stand at the brink of apparently two opposing ideologies or existence. One of the existences is his very own dream world and the other is the reality. Thus, in this manner, Troy Maxon is neither totally free of the ideas of the society nor is he completely enslaved by the needs and demands of the society. He stands in a line of ‘no man’s and he is not at all comfortable with this existence. He could be enumerated as a character that is partly full of disappointment and partly engaged in hope.

However, another very interesting aspect of the character of Troy Maxon is his duality in hypocrisy. On one side Troy demands from his family a responsible and practical approach but in his personal life, he indulges in the affair of extramarital activities. He directly puts up a rebellion against his employer who could be enumerated as a racist as only blacks were used for lifters and were not allowed to be drivers of the trash cars. But in the same context, the assembly finds himself in an escapist mode with his dreams. He simply is not happy about what he finds in the society or other words what the society offers him rather than protesting in a long-termed formulated process he seeks salvation in his reams.

In a way, Troy can be enumerated as a classic example of a tragic hero. As a protagonist, he becomes lovable to the audience with his whereabouts but in the end, becomes a victim of society with his death. This attributes enough negative impact on the character.

But if seen from the wide aspect it is the society that is to be blamed for his death no matter how awkward Troy Maxon may seem with his illusions at different stages of the play and Gabriel tries to play the trumpet to open heaven’s gate. They both signify equilibrium of possibilities and impossibilities and death and sustainability throughout the parameters of the play and ultimately break down the fence of distinct differences. Here Troy is the symbol of radical black resistance against racism whereas his brother acts as the symbol of love and brotherhood.

Works Cited

Wilson, August. Fences: A Play. New York: Plume, 1989.

Zimmerman, Allen. Social Criticism of ‘Fences’. Auckland: IPCL Press, 2000.

One of the main protagonists of the play “Fences” by August Wilson is Troy Maxson, the father of the Maxson family. He is 53-years old at the beginning of the play and works as a garbage collector. His family consists of Troy’s wife, Rose, and his two sons, Lyons and Cory. While Cory is a son from Rose, Lyons is a son from his previous relationship. Troy is a troubled and conflicted person and this affects his relationships with his two sons. His struggles are mirrored in the way he approaches them and their life decisions and aspirations.

Troy’s personality is based on two sets of values. The first one is his views on manhood, family, and responsibility. Those views are seen in the dialogue with his son Cory “Man is supposed to take care of his family” (Wilson, A., & Scott, 2014, p. 21). Troy’s sense of responsibility is enhanced by his decision to leave his house at the age of fourteen. Hence, he highly values responsibility, and this makes him skeptical of his sons’ pursuit of their dream careers. Lyons wants to become a musician, which is not a stable source of income, while Corey is good at baseball and even manages to earn a scholarship at college. However, when Lyons wants to loan ten dollars from his father, they begin to fight, and Troy tells him, “You living the fast life…wanna be a musician …running around in them clubs and things…then, you learn to take care of yourself” (Wilson, A., & Scott, 2014, p. 41). Hence, he wants his children to be responsible and independent.

The second of Troy’s traits comes from his background in the sport. He was a baseball player who was aspiring to become one of the great athletes. However, his dreams were never accomplished due to his age and segregation, which left him with bitterness and a sense of victimhood. Therefore, he rejects the dreams of his sons because his own dreams were not fulfilled.

Reference

Wilson, A., & Scott, S. (2014). Fences. Spark Publishing/SparkNotes LLC, a division of Barnes & Noble.

Introduction

August Wilson’s most prominent drama – Fences, explores the lives and relationships of the African-American Maxon family, who face many emotional and social hardships. The play’s central conflict revolves around the struggle for justice in the 1950s and the reluctance of human nature to recognize and accept social change. The protagonist manages to achieve what he desires through betrayal, but this has directly affected and worsened relationships within the family. Although the ending has a positive note, almost every protagonist would have expected the situation had developed differently. August Wilson reveals that treachery breeds an inability to trust a person in afterward life and consequently jeopardizes connections with the nearest people. Fences is a moving drama, and its setting and symbolism allow one to realize the peculiarities of human relationships by observing the complexities of the life of an ordinary African-American family.

Main body

Each of Wilson’s works depicts the efforts of the more inferior class of blacks, whether they are sanitation staffers, household employees, drivers, or convicts. Through his dramas, which span decades of the 20th century, the speechless get a voice (Turki and Hindreen 209). The plays reveal the personal turmoil that marginalized people experience because their humanity is frequently not recognized by their employers, strangers, family members, and America as a whole. While Wilson’s plays expose stories about the poorest black community, they are universal (Turki and Hindreen 211). In the Fences setting, the critical issue of racial discrimination correspondingly reflects the hardships of human nature, which is undeniably relevant. Betrayal and gain are frequent occurrences nowadays, and understanding their causes and consequences is especially important for everyone.

The central characters of the drama can be compared to the key personalities in Arthur Miller’s works. Nevertheless, Wilson’s plays are notable for their emotional seriousness and lyricism. The playwright did not desire to gloss over the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow and their impact on his protagonists’ life. The action occurs in the 1950s and relates to the tight connection between a former Negro League baseball player working as a sanitation staffer and his son, who dreams of an athletic career (Hassinger 48). The central personality of Fences is Troy Maxson, who bitterly resents his skipped opportunities. There are also several other key characters in the drama, such as Troy’s wife Rosy and his brother Gabriel. The relationship between the characters heats up as the story progresses, revealing their essence and nature.

Although Troy loves his son, he constantly feuds with him and refuses to let him accept a soccer scholarship to go to college. His primary argument is that a black man has no business being among the white population, which is racist (Wilson 22). However, Corey is a stubborn teenager with a strong desire for freedom. He insists that times have altered, and this moment can be considered a reference to the beginning of the struggle for civil rights. The relationship between father and son worsens from a lack of understanding and support, but it is only the beginning of great disappointments. The audience watches Troy and Rose’s relationship deteriorate as the play continues. The calm and loving woman experiences her husband’s betrayal and infidelity, which causes her to lose her ability to trust men.

Another essential essence in the play is Gabriel, the only brother with whom Troy has nonetheless communicated, although it is noted that he had many more siblings. He is a World War II veteran and has a metal plate on his head because of a wound he acquired during the war (Wilson 26). Because of this injury, Gabriel gets a weekly disability check, which Troy uses to buy a house for him and his family. After Gabriel leaves, Troy no longer receives the money, and he signs a paper to admit Gabriel to a psychiatric hospital (Wilson 68). Through the lens of the character, the author demonstrates the lack of human values and the pursuit of profit that constantly occurs in the modern world.

Relationships with the most immediate family can be compromised by betrayal effortlessly. Each of the characters’ attitudes changes and can no longer be exact, but their lives continue, and they need to adapt to new circumstances. Observing the Maxon family disintegrate and try to rebuild after Troy does the incomprehensible is challenging. Still, it is impossible to look away from because of the complex characters, the magnetic performances, the breathtaking dialogue, and the genuinely magnificent writing and direction. Fences is complete of symbolism as the house serves as a metaphor for family, and the fence functions as an analogy for decisions affecting the family (Ashley 23). It becomes evident to the audience that one may have all the details to complete the fence, but if there is no original purpose or steadfast commitment to the task, there will be no favorable outcomes.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that the characters in the drama Fences are created to emphasize the significance of human relationships. Trust is fragile, effortless to lose, and almost incomprehensible to restore. In addition to this central theme, the author portrays the life of an African-American family trying to adapt to the conditions of the prevailing white population. The ending brings positive emotions, but one should not forget the price paid to achieve the desired.

Works Cited

Ashley, Adele Bruni. “Considering Fences: Who Can Step into Whose Shoes?.” English Journal, vol. 110, no. 3, 2021, pp. 20-26.

Hassinger, Troy. “A Quest for Furniture: Labor and Social Institutions in August Wilson’s Fences.” English Journal, vol. 108, no. 2, 2021, pp. 43-62.

Turki, Harith, and A. Hindreen. “Double Consciousness in August Wilson’s Fences.” Eurasian Journal of English Language and Literature, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 207-217.

Wilson, August. Fences. Penguin Books, 1991.

Both August Wilson and Neil Simon made their female characters Rose Maxson and Kate Jerome domestic goddesses devoted to their families and focused on the well-being of every member. Both women do everything possible for uniting their families and protecting them from the rest of the world by building visible or invisible fences and lavishing care upon their dear and near.

Rose and Kate are in their forties and their life experience makes them worldly-wise. Simon’s character Kate Jerome takes most responsibility in her home. Her maternal instinct makes her act as a mother to everyone. Her concentration on a home does not mean that her interests are limited somehow; it is explained with her life philosophy, not allowing strangers into the life of her family. I was impressed with Simon’s ability to make this character so mild and strong at the same time. Kate admits that she could stand anything “except when someone in the family is mad at me” (Simon 64). The same goes for Wilson’s Rose, whose life position is a position of a sophisticated woman. Like Kate, she manages to act as a mother to everyone. Rose treats her husband’s extramarital child like her own. She manages to be above all prejudices, sacrificing her feelings for the well-being of her family. Her statement “you can’t visit the sins of the father upon the child” (Wilson 79) sounds sincere and demonstrates the broadness of her views. Rose and Kate believe in a better tomorrow and consciously or not do everything possible for protecting their homes from the rest of the world. Rose asks Troy and Cory to build a fence, and this request represents her desire to keep her dear and near close to her. Kate speaking about strangers insists that everyone should stay on one’s side of the street as well.

The complexity of these female characters, their inner strength, and their attempts to protect their families impressed me greatly.

Fences are one of the central symbols of August Wilson’s work of the same name. The author emphasizes the dual character offenses, which depending upon the people’s attitude to them might either “not let people out or not let people in” (Wilson 106). Love, responsibility, and wisdom are the things that Rose would like to fence inside of her home being aimed at uniting her family by all means, while death and social injustice are the things that her husband would like not to let in.

Wilson demonstrates the changes in the main characters’ lives during building the fence. It is possible that the fence itself was not of crucial importance for the small and dirty backyard, but the project itself united the members of the family and revealed the differences in their life views and attitude to universal values. Rose’s concentration on the positive side of life makes her concentrate on good instead of thinking about preventing bad events. Fencing love in her home and becoming a domestic goddess, she shares her positive energy with everyone. There are no limits to her love for her family and her commitment to family and ability to sacrifice her feelings and interests are admirable. Fencing duty and responsibility in the house, the author demonstrates the significant role of these values in family life. Rose’s wisdom based on her life experience allows her to find happiness and meaning in her family life. As opposed to his wife, Troy concentrates his efforts on the struggle against things that he is unable to prevent. Thus, he describes his struggle and victory over death. He compares death to a “fastball in the outside corner” (Wilson 146). However, completing the fence, he is threatened by it and, naturally, appears to be helpless to prevent it. The same goes for Troy’s concentration on social injustice and recollections of his happy past.

Wilson’s effort to demonstrate the impact of the person’s perception on reality impressed me greatly and influenced my views.

Works Cited

Simon, Neil. Brighton Beach Memoirs. New York: Plume, 1995. Print.

Wilson, August. Fences. New York: Penguin, 1988. Print.

When the play or another literary work wins a prize, it means that its message deserves attention and recognition. In 1985, August Wilson created a play, Fences, and described the life of a Black American family in a world full of white prejudices and judgments. Despite the intention to create a fair and just society, it is hard for black people to prove their rights and enjoy their civil freedoms. Troy’s family is not perfect because of certain internal and external factors, but Fences teaches how social inequality changes human lives and serves the racially-biased politics.

Wilson underlined that his play is a chance for the reader to look at black Americans differently and try to understand their decisions, problems, and attempts. On the one hand, Troy is a husband and a father who believes, “It’s my job. It’s my responsibility… A man got to take care of his family” (Wilson, n.d., p. 41). His skin color does not reduce the level of his obligation but increases the necessity of protection and care. On the other hand, Troy defines his race as the major reason for his failures and explains, “I just wasn’t the right color” (Wilson, n.d., p. 42). The father does not support his son and loses his wife’s love because of racial fears. White politics is depicted in Troy as a controversial character who knows that “life don’t own you nothing” but never tries to change that “you just another nigger on the street” (Wilson, n.d., pp. 21, 90). Society and racial discrimination provoke emotional and physical disagreements in Black families, destroying them from the inside, and nothing can be done to improve or protect young generations.

Wilson’s statement about politically-determined art is evident in his Fences through the main character’s life and the decisions made within the family. Instead of fighting against injustice and poor opportunities, some people prefer to build fences without understanding their initial goals. It is hard to accept Troy as a positive or negative character, but his damage by the political system is evident as he dies as a womanless and sonless Black man.

Reference

Wilson, A. (n.d.). Fences. Internet Archive. Web.

Themes are among the most critical component of a successful play or drama. It is the play’s driving goal and the message the author is attempting to convey to the audiences, which, when appropriately expressed, fulfils them emotionally as well as analytically. A properly analyzed theme in a play leaves the audience with the impression that they have just read an excellent play. Fences represent family life—how its characters understand their duties as family members and how they define their responsibility to the whole family; it also examines how betrayal may shatter the familial connection.

The play’s protagonist, Troy Maxson, started his job in the sanitation department as a trash collector and ultimately advanced to the position of the driver. For instance, the theme of family relationships is shown by their relationship with their father. Boys mould themselves after their dads and will want their fathers’ trust from an early age. Essentially, human beings learn to operate in the environment by mimicking the conduct of others around them. If the father is kind and treats others with dignity, the young son will develop similarly. When their fathers are away, young boys seek other masculine figures for guidance on acting and thriving in the world (Wood and Brownhill 176). Cory’s swinging of his dad’s bat is a symbolic action that represents his desire to fill his dad’s shoes, despite the fact that he struggles and is not confident in his ability to do so. Unlike Troy, who emanates almost exorbitant confidence, Cory is unable to generate the same level of self-assurance, as seen by his clumsy swing.

Troy’s endured hardships at a tender age made him appear harsh and sometimes strict towards his son Cory. He regrets the hardships he endured while under his father’s care. “At times, I wish I had never met my father. He could not give a damn about no children” (Wilson 50). He was an exceptional baseball player who was capable of competing in the major leagues had he not spent his early years in prison.

Troy seems to feel that the fundamental job of a parent is to provide food and shelter for his family. He reminds his son Cory “A guy has a responsibility to provide for his family” (Wilson 38). Troy feels it is unnecessary for a person to exhibit affection to his child. He believes that his responsibilities to his spouse do not include the responsibility to remain loyal to him.

“Cory: How come you ain’t never liked me?
Troy: Liked you? Who the hell say I got to like you? (Wilson 37).”

This dialogue between the father and his son reveals Troy’s long-buried feelings for his family, which Cory helps Troy uncover. Troy has come to a moment in his life when he is ultimately overwhelmed by the duty of providing for his family, despite the fact that he loves them and that his care and devotion are on show in previous sequences. In Troy’s view, the highest calling a man can have is that of being responsible. On the other hand, Troy has evolved to be a bitter person as a result of this burden. For the simple reason that he does not want Cory to become like him, he cannot like his son. Troy declines to tell Cory that he loves him; instead, Troy informs Cory that he operates only out of obligation towards him as a kid and that there is no reason why love must be implicated.

Troy is pictured as a responsible and dutiful husband who provides for his family with his income. Troy does not assist his son in fulfilling his dream to play college football in order to spare him from suffering a similar heartbreak; this only serves to further isolate Cory from him. The comment from Troy reflects his position: “I told that boy about that football stuff. The white man is not going to let him get nowhere with that football. I told him when he first came to me with it. Now you come telling me he went and got more tied up in it. He ought to go and get recruited in how to fix cars or something where he can make a living” (Wilson 8). He seems to be in denial, fearing that his kid would suffer the same disappointment he had as a child, depriving him of his dream of being a professional football player.

Troy believes that duty is the bedrock of family—but it is nearly identical to his notion of skilled duty. If affection is not a feature that differentiates family from vocation, Troy must find nothing about family life especially satisfying or distinctive if the family is only a legal obligation. Troy engages in an extramarital affair but does not feel it is really wicked. He has supplied for his family and loves his wife, but his love has expanded to include someone else. While Troy fulfils his perception of his family obligations, his adultery creates a big divide in his family relations.

Troy is a man torn between his longing for freedom, as seen in his relationship with Alberta and siring an illicit child, and his intense commitment to his children, wife, and brother. Troy’s feeling of obligation stems from his father’s lack of care for him as well as his siblings. His father’s commitment to his family might be seen as toxic; his father’s deceit contaminates his connection with Cory. Troy is shown not to live up to his expectations. Troy has a criminal background and takes advantage of his brother’s incapacity to support himself. Only when he is involved in an illicit romance does he feel alive and free. He does problematic activities as a result of the pressure he exerts on himself and others around him to perform appropriately. Troy’s drastic actions eventually imitate that of his father. He forsakes Rose since he gets intimate with another lady and is adamant about not repenting his misdeeds. Additionally, he neglects his son and brother, destroying his bonds in the pursuit of his own independence. Troy exemplifies the concept that duty may become a burden as well as a virtue.

Troy Maxson succeeds in betraying almost everyone in his lifetime, including his wife, son, brother, and closest friend, Bono. Almost every individual in the drama is betrayed in some manner by Troy. Troy’s romance with Alberta does not undermine his view of the family as a duty-based entity. Bono approaches Troy concerning this, to which Troy says, “You saying I don’t measure up. I don’t measure up ’cause I’m seeing this other gal” (Wilson 66). Finally, the conflict between Bono and Troy is settled, and Troy fully accepts that he has become emotionally connected to Alberta. However, he seems to be completely honest in saying that he never planned to do so in the first place. Troy is shown to be remorseful for having cheated on his wife and not being available for his family when they needed him. Troy was having an affair with another lady, and eventually, they had a child together.

Troy views his responsibilities and relationship with his family primarily as monetary in nature. Furthermore, Troy’s infidelity to Rose demonstrates how the connections of families are largely based on the relations between the spouses who build them. Therefore, Troy’s infidelity highlights a flaw in the family system: the reality that the concept of family as a kind of a stable, pre-existing framework of human encounter and growth is extremely problematic. Troy’s family begins to disintegrate as a result of his failure to fulfil his commitment to Rose. On the other hand, Bono attempts to detect Troy’s irrationality, saying that it is impertinent to proceed with balancing two relationships without Rose discovering it. Bono is adamant that he must abandon Alberta if he wishes to maintain a connection with his wife.

Furthermore, the concept of what the Maxson household depicts is compounded by the arrival of Troy’s child from his previous relationship with Alberta, Raynell. After Alberta’s death, Rose accepts Raynell into the family and raises her as her own daughter. As a result, the family is shown to be a framework of promises and vows that may grow and develop through time as a result of these pledges and vows. Rose’s response to Troy when he confesses to having an affair highlights the tremendous sacrifices she has made for her marriage with Troy. He states that there have been times when she wished to pursue more pleasure and gratification by seeing other men, and yet that she has declined because of her commitment to Troy.

As a further demonstration of Rose’s belief in the importance of family and that it is indestructible, she insists that Cory attends his father’s burial, despite his desire to miss it. While Cory thinks himself to be estranged from his dad, Rose believes that family is something that should transcend personal differences and should be valued above all others. However, Rose’s belief does not explain the type of duty that Troy is used to doing. Rose considers her family to be more than just a financial relationship. During their conversation, she explains to Troy that she felt a deep attachment to him that was founded on a noble commitment of her own, self-longings—a sacrifice that infidelity undoes. When compared to Troy’s feeling of moral responsibility, Rose’s feeling of moral duty is conflicted by adultery.

Unlike Troy, who believes that his infidelity is something that Rose should accept and come to terms with because of his efforts to sustain the family, Rose does not believe this to be the case. Infidelity is more likely to result in mental discomfort, anxiety, despair, increased risk-taking conduct, and real physical injury directed towards women (Delishia M., et al. 376). Rose acknowledges she has made sacrifices as well in their marriage. Still, they go beyond those motivated only by monetary gain and the fulfilment of one’s responsibilities as a provider by providing food in the house and keeping the home in good order. Instead, Rose’s job is to ensure that the family remains whole and that the relationships that have been established are protected—bonds that, once again, she believes must never be severed. Troy deceived rose, but she was not the only victim who had been betrayed by Troy. Gabe was also deceived by Troy, despite Troy spending the entirety of the play protecting Gabe and his illness. He explains why Gabe must not be imprisoned and how Gabe came to be in that position by fighting for his nation.

Later, he settles Gabe’s bail for suspected disorderly conduct. On the other hand, Troy is a hypocrite since he finally deserts Gabe when things become nasty. Rose says to Troy, “well, you ought to know. They went over to Miss Pearl’s today and got Gabe. She said that you instructed them to go ahead and arrest him. Assume that the government distributes a portion of his cheque to the hospital and the remainder to you. You treated Gabe similarly to how you treated Cory. You would not sign the form for Cory (in order for him to play football), but you would sign it for Gabe. You signed the form… you said send him to the hospital…you said to let him go free…and now you have gone down there and signed him away for half his money. Troy, you have turned on yourself. You are going to have to account for it” (Wilson 77). Troy turned on himself and seized almost half of Gabe’s earnings. Troy is entangled with betrayals, and including his wife, he betrayed his own close relatives.

While Troy’s activities harm several of the players, the closing scene demonstrates their admiration for him as well. Probably they see that Troy did not deceive them in his heart in certain ways. Troy makes no apologies for his actions in the play. Perhaps this is the reason why the other characters admired him. Rose’s statement towards Cory following her husband’s death implies Troy’s overall intentions. “Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t…and at the same time, he tried to make you into everything he was. I don’t know if he was right or wrong…but I do know he meant to do more good than he meant to do harm” (Wilson 97). Troy constantly did what he believed was right, even if they were all upset by his actions. Troy, it may be argued, never deceived himself; however, Troy’s father betrayed him by sexually assaulting his fiancée after his admonition for having an affair with the same female.

August Wilson’s Fences is ideally a picture of family life—how its characters perceive their obligations as family members and how they define their responsibilities to the whole family. Additionally, it also investigates how betrayal may disrupt the familial bond. For example, the subject of family ties is shown through Troy’s family members’ interaction with him. Troy seems to feel that a father’s primary obligation is to provide food and shelter for his children. Troy eventually reaches a point in his life where he is overwhelmed by the responsibility of offering for his family, regardless of the fact that he loves them, and his care and devotion are demonstrated in previous sequences. As a result, he begins an extramarital affair with another lady.

Works Cited

Pittman, Delishia M., et al. “Psychological Distress as a Primer for Sexual Risk Taking Among Emerging Adults.” International Journal of Sexual Health, Vol. 33, no. 3 2021, p. 371-384.

Wilson, August. Fences. Theatre Communications Group, 2007.

Wood, Peter, and Simon Brownhill. “‘Absent fathers’, and children’s social and emotional learning: An exploration of the perceptions of ‘positive male role models’ in the primary school sector.” Gender and Education, Vol. 30, no. 2, 2018, p. 172-186.

Rose Maxon is the main female character of August Wilson’s famous play Fences. The feminine spiritual strength of Rose, who is physically weak, is opposed by the author to the manly physical strength of Troy, who has a lack of psychic and emotional strength. Rose is portrayed as a strong woman due to the ability to oppose her husband, readiness to accept dramatic events in her life and overcome them, and spiritual strength expressed in wisdom and unconditional love to her dearest ones.

Though Rose is married to the man who has patriarchal views and seems to be dominating in the family, she is strong enough to oppose him and express her opinions. First of all, Rose opposes Troy when he is doing the wrong things. She openly says about her disagreement with Troy’s forbidding their son Cory to go to college on a football scholarship.

She also criticizes him for refusing giving money to his elder son Lyons and manages to force him to change his mind by saying “Let the boy have ten dollars, Troy” (Wilson 11; act I, scene I). This situation reveals the strong impact Rose has on Troy’s actions. Besides, though Troy behaves like a husband demanding full respect and obedience from his wife using the clichés of patriarchal men like “This is men talk, woman,” Rose often participates in Troy’s conversations with other men and oppose the opinions he expresses (Wilson 5; act I, scene I).

She also permits herself criticize Troy and say things that can potentially hurt his ego and point to his weak sides: “Troy, why don’t you admit you was too old to play in the major league? For once… Why don’t you admit that?” (Wilson 20; act I, scene III). Except verbal opposing to the husband, Rose also dares to refuse Troy when he tries to kiss her by saying: “Troy, you better leave me alone” (Wilson 16; act I, scene III). This detail demonstrates that Rose is not afraid of her husband and has enough strength to make him respect her wishes. She is neither afraid of demonstrating her emotions to him.

She confesses that considering Troy the person she has to live for was her choice, and nobody forced her to do it: “I took on his life as mine and mixed up the pieces so that you couldn’t hardly tell which was which anymore. It was my choice. It was my life and I didn’t have to live it like that” (Wilson 46; act II, scene V). However, after discovering Troy’s betrayal, she confidently proclaims: “This child got a mother. But you are a womanless man” (Wilson 38; act II, scene I).

Though Rose plays the role of a housewife and recognizes Troy’s leading role in the family, she is not portrayed as a weak woman unable to oppose her husband. On the contrary, the author introduces the readers to the woman who has a strong influence on her husband and expresses her wishes and opinions openly.

Another aspect of Rose’s strength is related to her readiness to face difficult situations and overcome them. Opposite to Troy, who is stuck in his past failures and regrets, Rose demonstrates the ability to move over the bad situations. This feature is brightly illustrated by Rose’s behavior after discovering her husband’s faithlessness.

Even though she is shocked by Troy’s affair with Alberta and the news about their child, she finds enough strength in herself to try to save her family and find a solution. Her strong personality enables her to gain her self-control and cold-mindedness and try to deal with the problem. Even though Troy does not seem to be eager to refuse from his affair, Rose insists: “I am your wife. Don’t push me away” (Wilson 37; act II; scene II).

Only a very strong woman can behave like this after experiencing a huge stress related to revealing the faithlessness of the husband. Rose’s ability to overcome the past and continue living in spite of grief is also reflected in her ability to forgive. Even though she is deeply offended by Troy’s betrayal, after his death she behaves like a devoted wife who forgives the past mistakes of her husband. When Cory refuses to go to Troy’s funeral, she says: “Boy, hush your mouth.

That’s your daddy you talking about. I don’t want hear that kind of talk this morning” (Wilson 45; act II, scene V). Only a strong woman can manage not to let her feelings of resentment to her husband influence the attitudes of their children to him. The author reveals Rose’s strong personality by demonstrating her ability to move on and forgive for the sake of her family.

I think, the brightest illustration of the fact that Rose is a strong woman is her feminine spiritual strength. Her main strength is related to her ability to share the love with the dearest ones and judge the life situations and people’s feelings wisely. Being an ordinary housewife, Rose surprises the reader with numerous manifestations of her huge wisdom throughout the text. She wisely sees the initial motives of the behavior of Cory: “Everything that boy do… He do for you. He wants you to say “Good job, son.” That’s all” (Wilson 21; act I, scene III).

She also reveals Troy’s motives: “Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t” (Wilson 21; act II, scene V). Her wisdom is also expressed in her understanding of a main woman’s role in a family life: “And whenever you was going… I wanted to be there with you. Cause you was my husband. Cause that’s the way I was gonna survive as your wife” (Wilson 34; act II, scene I).

Her wisdom is also reflected in her decision to raise the daughter of her husband and his mistress: “And you can’t visit the sins of the father upon the child” (Wilson 38; act II, scene I). Besides the wisdom, Rose demonstrates the strength of feminine cordiality and kindness. She gives her love to all members of the family and agrees to raise Raynell because she knows that “a motherless child has got a hard time” (Wilson 38; act II, scene I).

The main source of Rose’s strength is her loving, kind heart enabling her to overcome any distress. Rose’s spiritual strength is opposed to Tray’s egoism encouraging him to consider himself a victim and get stuck in regrets.

Rose Maxon is presented by Wilson as a strong woman capable of opposing her husband and dealing with difficult situations with the help of her feminine strength given to her by her warm and loving heart.

Works Cited

Wilson, August. Fences. 1987. Web.