Comparing Fences 'And' Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone
Kevin Munguia
July 28, 2011
Comparison Essay The play “Fences” by August Wilson, is a play about a man and the struggles that life gives him during his time in the 1960’s. In the short story “Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone” by James Baldwin, it talks about a boy in Harlem and how he deals with his family and with his own life as a child during the Harlem Renaissance. These stories were written during and inspired by the Harlem Renaissance Era. Since these stories were inspired by and written during this time period, they talk about some of the struggles that African-Americans faced during the time of their stories. These two stories both have a common theme that can be used as a point of comparison for the two. …show more content…
This could be one of the only things that these two stories have in common, the theme. After that they really don’t have much in common concerning that theme. As seen in “Fences” by August Wilson, Troy and his sons have a real bad relationship. Troy is bitter and harsh. He has done many things for his sons, mostly Cory, to lose a lot of respect for him. It’s almost the complete opposite for the short story “Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone” by James Balwin. Caleb and Leo don’t have as nearly as bad a relationship with their father. Compared to Troy and his sons, Caleb, Leo and his father have a good relationship. Leo’s father talks to them and tells him about how he feels. Like when he talks to his sons about how he feels about being there in Harlem during that time. They have communication, something Troy and his sons don’t have. The only problem with Leo, Caleb and their father would be that he gets drunk on the weekends. This theme, father/son relationships is one of the many themes that these two stories have. It can be used as a point of comparison for the two stories, but it seems to be the only thing they have in common involving the theme, just the
July 28, 2011
Comparison Essay The play “Fences” by August Wilson, is a play about a man and the struggles that life gives him during his time in the 1960’s. In the short story “Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone” by James Baldwin, it talks about a boy in Harlem and how he deals with his family and with his own life as a child during the Harlem Renaissance. These stories were written during and inspired by the Harlem Renaissance Era. Since these stories were inspired by and written during this time period, they talk about some of the struggles that African-Americans faced during the time of their stories. These two stories both have a common theme that can be used as a point of comparison for the two. …show more content…
This could be one of the only things that these two stories have in common, the theme. After that they really don’t have much in common concerning that theme. As seen in “Fences” by August Wilson, Troy and his sons have a real bad relationship. Troy is bitter and harsh. He has done many things for his sons, mostly Cory, to lose a lot of respect for him. It’s almost the complete opposite for the short story “Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone” by James Balwin. Caleb and Leo don’t have as nearly as bad a relationship with their father. Compared to Troy and his sons, Caleb, Leo and his father have a good relationship. Leo’s father talks to them and tells him about how he feels. Like when he talks to his sons about how he feels about being there in Harlem during that time. They have communication, something Troy and his sons don’t have. The only problem with Leo, Caleb and their father would be that he gets drunk on the weekends. This theme, father/son relationships is one of the many themes that these two stories have. It can be used as a point of comparison for the two stories, but it seems to be the only thing they have in common involving the theme, just the