Fences: White People and Troy
Analysis of “Fences”
August Wilson’s famous play “Fences” is a drama set in the 1950’s. Being a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for the best play of the year, this play has had many positive responses to blacks and whites in this society. It is about protagonist Troy Maxson as well as his african american family that is filled with drama and excitement. In Wilson’s Fences by Joseph Wessling he expresses, “Fences is about the always imperfect quest for true manhood. Troy’s father was less of a “true” man than Troy, but he was a hard worker and a provider. Troy, even as a runaway, carried with him his father’s virtues along with a considerable lessening of the father’s harshness and promiscuity”(5). In this essay you will learn about the characters, the author’s background, the meaning of the play’s title, Fences, and the conflicts between the relationships in the family and life. In this play, Troy Maxson is a bitter, aggressive fifty-three year old man who is reflecting on his life in the past. Being able to support his family by providing food, clothes, with a roof above their heads is very important to him to make sure they have everything he did not receive growing up. Troy’s mother abandoned the family and was the direct result of the abusive relationship he had with his father. This affected him in several ways as an adult. His father never put his family first lacking the affection of love towards him making Troy a cold, aggressive man as an adult. Troy’s abusive childhood reflects on his son Cory. Cory gets an opportunity to have a successful future by receiving a scholarship to play college football. As Troy refuses to sign Cory’s scholarship acceptance letter he is letting Cory’s future ruined for him just like his were. When Troy’s dreams were ruined to play in the major leagues for the national American pastime, baseball, because of the racial prejudices of his time his opportunities to a successful future for his passion were denied. Troy is scared
August Wilson’s famous play “Fences” is a drama set in the 1950’s. Being a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for the best play of the year, this play has had many positive responses to blacks and whites in this society. It is about protagonist Troy Maxson as well as his african american family that is filled with drama and excitement. In Wilson’s Fences by Joseph Wessling he expresses, “Fences is about the always imperfect quest for true manhood. Troy’s father was less of a “true” man than Troy, but he was a hard worker and a provider. Troy, even as a runaway, carried with him his father’s virtues along with a considerable lessening of the father’s harshness and promiscuity”(5). In this essay you will learn about the characters, the author’s background, the meaning of the play’s title, Fences, and the conflicts between the relationships in the family and life. In this play, Troy Maxson is a bitter, aggressive fifty-three year old man who is reflecting on his life in the past. Being able to support his family by providing food, clothes, with a roof above their heads is very important to him to make sure they have everything he did not receive growing up. Troy’s mother abandoned the family and was the direct result of the abusive relationship he had with his father. This affected him in several ways as an adult. His father never put his family first lacking the affection of love towards him making Troy a cold, aggressive man as an adult. Troy’s abusive childhood reflects on his son Cory. Cory gets an opportunity to have a successful future by receiving a scholarship to play college football. As Troy refuses to sign Cory’s scholarship acceptance letter he is letting Cory’s future ruined for him just like his were. When Troy’s dreams were ruined to play in the major leagues for the national American pastime, baseball, because of the racial prejudices of his time his opportunities to a successful future for his passion were denied. Troy is scared