Family, Duty, and Betrayal in “Fences” by Wilson

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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.

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Family, Duty, and Betrayal in “Fences” by Wilson

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