Most young college student who graduate often have difficulty finding work after graduation. The students go to school for many years and graduate from school with no clue on where to work and how to find work. Receiving advice from someone who knows the struggle of finding and keeping a job could be the best step you take into finding a job, because they know all the in’s and out’s as they have lived through it. Troy Maxson, of the classic American play, Fences, was always one who was dedicated to working hard to make a living. If a recent college graduate took advice from Troy Maxson, they would very much find, keep, and prosper in their career. Taking advice from Troy would teach them all the do’s and don’ts of finding a job. Troy Maxson …show more content…
was a man of fighting for success. He always believed everything he was doing could be done better. He feels that he falls short of society’s view of success. Troy Maxson thought you had to be at the same level as the “white folks” to be successful. He tells his son, Cory, “Don't you try and go through life worrying about if somebody like you or not (CITATION).” He was explaining to his son that you have to work for what you want and that you cannot depend on being liked to get you to a successful place in life. Troy continues telling Cory, “You go on and get your book-learning so you can work yourself up in that A&P or learn how to fix cars or build houses or something, get you a trade. That way you have something can’t nobody take away from you.” (Act I Scene III) Troy thinks Cory should put his efforts into something that he can use in the world rather than football because he was not fond of the idea of sports getting you somewhere in life. Troy had not found success when he was a baseball player and he thinks the “white folks” will hold Cory back from his true potential as a football player If a recent college graduate was to take advice for Troy, they would have no problem finding a job. Troy’s advice of, “Don't you try and go through life worrying about if somebody like you or not (CITATION),” would help you find and keep a job because according to Huffington Post, “Nice is not enough.” Being nice and liked is expected but what really gets you your job is your qualifications and experiences, as Troy would call it, your “book-learning.” Listening to Troys advice of “You go on and get your book-learning so you can work yourself up in that A&P or learn how to fix cars or build houses or something, get you a trade.
That way you have something can’t nobody take away from you,” (Act I Scene III) would also get a recent graduate to a successful job. Taking this advice would help you to go to college and get a degree which increases the chances of receiving a successful job. “Companies want the smartest people, and the best indicators for new employees competing in a knowledge-based economy are grades,” says Johnny C. Taylor Jr., senior vice president of human resources for the InterActiveCorp. Generally jobs choose someone with a degree and high grade point average over someone who has played a sport. Mr. Taylor also says, “The factor that matters most is a graduate’s grade-point average” Although Troy’s advice of not worrying about being liked could create a hostile work environment, it should not be the only thing you are concerned about. You want to be likable but not strive to be liked and have it be all you are worried about. According to Huffington Post, “You’ve got to assert yourself to be seen and heard so you can be recognized for the great work you are accomplishing. Nobody ever earned kudos on a performance evaluation for being nice,” this would be where getting your “book-learning” would come in handy and even possibly make you star
employee. Troy also forgets that knowing how to work in a team is important in the work world and certain jobs, according to Harrison Barnes of The Employment Research Institute, “One of the most persistent problems people in the work world have is their failure to collaborate with, and learn from, their co-workers” Although sports in known for teaching you how to work in teams and collaborate with each other you can also learn to work in teams through other extra-curricular activities too.
“Fences” is a play written by August Wilson about a family living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1957. Troy and Rose have been married for 18 years and have two grown children; Lyons and Corey. Troy is an uptight, prideful man who always claims that he does not fear death, the rest of his family is more laxed and more content with their lives than Troy is. As the play progresses the audience learns more about Troy’s checkered past with sharecropping, his lack of education and the time he spent in prison. The audience also learns more about Troy’s love for baseball and the dreams he lost due to racism and segregation. In the middle of the play the author outwardly confirms what the audience has been suspecting; Troy isn’t exactly satisfied with his life. He feels that he does not get to enjoy his life and that his family is nothing more than a responsibility. Getting caught up in this feelings, Troy cheats on Rose with a woman named Alberta and fathers a child with the mistress. By the end of the play Troy loses both of the women and in 1965, finally gets the meeting with death that he had been calling for throughout the play. Over the
As the economy evolves and the job market continues to get more competitive, it’s becoming harder to have a successful career without some kind of college degree. This creates a belief in many young students that college actually is a commodity, something they must have in order to have a good life. There’s many different factors that influence this mindset, high schools must push the importance of the student’s willingness and drive to further their education. College isn’t just a gateway to jobs, but it is an opportunity to increase knowledge and stretch and challenge the student which in return makes them a more rounded adult and provides them with skills they might lack prior to
In a simple fictional world, characters are either good or bad, heroes or villains. The heroes almost always win and defeat the villains. In August Wilson’s Fences, Troy Maxson is more complex than that. He has both good and bad qualities. He is both a hero and a villain. Because of this, Troy can be considered an antihero.
The theme of August Wilson’s play “Fences” is the coming of age in the life of a broken black man. Wilson wrote about the black experience in different decades and the struggle that many blacks faced, and that is seen in “Fences” because there are two different generations portrayed in Troy and Cory. Troy plays the part of the protagonist who has been disillusioned throughout his life by everyone he has been close to. He was forced to leave home at an early age because his father beat him so dramatically. Troy never learned how to treat people close to him and he never gave any one a chance to prove themselves because he was selfish. This makes Troy the antagonist in the story because he is not only hitting up against everyone in the play, but he is also hitting up against himself and ultimately making his life more complicated. The discrimination that Troy faced while playing baseball and the torment he endures as a child shape him into one of the most dynamic characters in literary history. The central conflict is the relationship between Troy and Cory. The two of them have conflicting views about Cory’s future and, as the play goes on, this rocky relationship crumbles because Troy will not let Cory play collegiate football. The relationship becomes even more destructive when Troy admits to his relationship with Alberta and he admits Gabriel to a mental institution by accident. The complication begins in Troy’s youth, when his father beat him unconscious. At that moment, Troy leaves home and begins a troubled life on his own, and gaining a self-destructive outlook on life. “Fences” has many instances that can be considered the climax, but the one point in the story where the highest point of tension occurs, insight is gained and...
August Wilson brings out the struggle of Troy Maxson in his play, Fences. All those that matter to him end up feeling this struggle, for it remains constantly inside of him. As it overcomes Troy the respect and love that he was previously given dwindles to nothing. Troy’s actions and failure to fix them makes his true character known. Troy Maxson’s flawed nature is shown when he fails his family by giving way to his selfishness and the traits of his father.
College is the place where people go to retain the necessary training for a job that requires specific skills, which results in earning a higher pay check. In today’s world, employers are scouting out for individuals with the proper dexterities to fill the shoes for that specific job. Blanche D. Blank, the author of “A Question of Degree," argues that possessing a degree of higher education isn’t the only way to have a very successful life. This statement is highly argumentative, due to the fact that college graduates still out-earn people without degrees. Obtaining a college degree is one of the best things someone can do for themselves, when it comes to looking for a stable job. There is also so much more to college than just receiving a
There are many causes that molded Troy Maxson into the dishonest, cantankerous, hypocritical person that he is in August Wilson’s play, “Fences” (1985). Troy had an exceptionally unpleasant childhood. He grew up with a very abusive father that beat him on a daily basis. His mother even abandoned him when he was eight years old. In this play, Troy lies habitually and tries to cover himself up by accusing others of lying. He is a very astringent person in general. His dream of becoming a major league baseball player was crushed as a result of his time spent in jail. By the time he was released from jail, he was too old to play baseball efficiently.
In Fences, August Wilson introduces an African American family whose life is based around a fence. In the dirt yard of the Maxson’s house, many relationships come to blossom and wither here. The main character, Troy Maxson, prevents anyone from intruding into his life by surrounding himself around a literal and metaphorical fence that affects his relationships with his wife, son, and mortality.
The theme of August Wilson’s play “Fences” is the coming of age in the life of a broken black man. Wilson wrote about the black experience in different decades and the struggle that many blacks faced, and that is seen in “Fences” because there are two different generations portrayed in Troy and Cory. Troy plays the part of the protagonist who has been disillusioned throughout his life by everyone he has been close to. He was forced to leave home at an early age because his father beat him so dramatically. Troy never learned how to treat people close to him, and he never gave anyone a chance to prove themselves because he was selfish.
life in the mid to late twentieth century and the strains of society on African Americans. Set in a small neighborhood of a big city, this play holds much conflict between a father, Troy Maxson, and his two sons, Lyons and Cory. By analyzing the sources of this conflict, one can better appreciate and understand the way the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work.
Education is one of the most important factors to any person’s success in their lifetime, but is higher education really worth it? The answer is found in the article “America’s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor’s Degree.” Written by Marty Nemko who was most likely inspired to write this because of his experience as a career counselor. In this article Nemko addresses the parents of potential college students to inform them the truth about college’s being money hungry businesses. He brings fourth multiple examples of why bachelor degrees are overrated and how colleges are not being held to a high enough standard. Additionally, he argues that going to college isn’t even necessary for success, and that many of the skills needed to succeed in the workplace are already in the successful students not just taught at some college. The text as a whole reveals the ugly truth that colleges are more focused on making money than actually helping their students succeed and because of this fact parents should take action to protect their students from being harmed in the process.
“Fences” composed by “August Wilson”, begins on a Friday, also known as payday for the two men who are main characters in the story, Bono and Troy. The two are returning home from work as garbage collectors and begin their weekly tradition of getting together, having a few drinks and relax while catching up on each others week. As the play begins to go on, it tells that the setting is a dirt front-yard, which indicates to me that maybe they don’t have much money, low income or live in a poor neighborhood. As Bono and Troy start a conversation about a coworker, Brownie, who lied to their boss about a watermelon being taken they go on to explain that their not the fondest of their boss, Mr. Rand. I feel as if the name of this character “Brownie”
Troy Maxson is portrayed as a big man with a very big personality and a lot of dignity. He is a bitter guy who believes that he owes his family absolutely everything, from his money down to even his own soul. He is the type of man who wants more than what he can get and that is what drives him but it is also that very “want” that leads him into a very tragic life. Writing on the idea of Troy being a tragic hero, Martin says “Troy’s strengths are found in his willingness to fulfill his duty at all times. He also speaks directly to his dignity regarding his position of work and his career in baseball) Martin, 2) “Fences” Troy has many
As with most works of literature, the title Fences is more than just a title. It could be initially noted that there is only one physical fence being built by the characters onstage, but what are more important are the ideas that are being kept inside and outside of the fences that are being built by Troy and some of the other characters in Fences. The fence building becomes quite figurative, as Troy tries to fence in his own desires and infidelities. Through this act of trying to contain his desires and hypocrisies one might say, Troy finds himself fenced in, caught between his pragmatic and illusory ideals. On the one side of the fence, Troy creates illusions and embellishments on the truth, talking about how he wrestled with death, his encounters with the devil, later confronting the d...
A summer or part-time job pays more than money. Even though the money earned is important, the work experience gained has a greater long-term value when one applies for a full-time job after graduation from school. Job application documents (the application blank and the personal data sheet) ask you to list jobs you have held and to list as references the names of individuals who supervised your work. (Gieseking and Plawin, 1994, 22)