August Wilson’s Fences, follows Troy Maxson and the relationship with his family. Throughout the play it comes to reveal that Troy Maxson and Rose Maxson, his wife, have failed to create a simple happy family due to their struggle with racism as black people in America, along with the tension shared between them. Essentially, Troy and Rose are “fenced” into their house together, trapped in this unhealthy marriage in an attempt to become a perfect household in the 1950s. In the Play Fences, Wilson presents Troy selling his soul to the devil, and Rose’s declaration that she sacrificed her wants to be with Troy in order to highlight the sacrifices they made to mask themselves as a healthy household. Thus, ultimately illustrating the sacrifices …show more content…
The fact that Troy’s contract with the devil formed due to his desperation to create a home, along with his rejection from white institutions, underscores the difficulty black Americans face in blending into American society. The purchase of furniture may seem like a simple purchase, but it is a powerful reflection of a family's stability. Black Americans constantly go great lengths in order to obtain these necessities, such as the furniture; These necessities are often denied to black families and favorably given to white families, which is why Black Americans, such as Troy, are forced to make sacrifices in order to blend in with such a racist and biased society. Wilson uses the idea of the Fence to contend that Rose locked herself into a life she didn't want out of fear of experiencing an abnormal household. When Rose is first introduced, her thoughts are projected to the audience. Rose admits that settling with Troy was the best of the “worst” choices as she fears an even more unstable household such as baby mama drama or single motherhood. Essentially, Rose chose to trap herself in this situation despite it not being what she
Reading literature allows the reader to experience feelings of others through literary characters of largely differing backgrounds. This leads to an increased sensitivity and consideration of those around us, which is also called having empathy. August Wilson uses strong examples of metaphors, diction, personification, and various other devices to make the reader empathize with Rose in his play Fences by allowing us to dive deeper into her thoughts and feelings.
“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
Fences was published in 1983 but the setting was the 1950s in August Wilsons home town. Wilson’s main purpose of this play is to show how the separation of humans into racial groups can create social and finance instability and can have a huge effect on African Americans and whites. The 1950s was the middle of the civil rights era. The Maxsons Family is African American, In the 1950s there was not many jobs for African Americans; most people believed that this is what pushed Troy to steal things in order to provide for his family. Troy went to prison for murder and when he got out he was determined to do good deeds and to turn his life around; shortly after he got out of prison he got a job as a Garbage man. Troy is a tragic figure and a villain; he is a tragic figure because he made great effort to do good deeds for his family, but he allowed his imperfections to get in his way which led to a horrible death. Troy is a villain because of what he did to his wife Rose. (Shmoop; Editorial Team)
Conflicts and tensions between family members and friends are key elements in August Wilson's play, Fences. The main character, Troy Maxon, has struggled his whole life to be a responsible person and fulfill his duties in any role that he is meant to play. In turn, however, he has created conflict through his forbidding manner. The author illustrates how the effects of Troy's stern upbringing cause him to pass along a legacy of bitterness and anger which creates tension and conflict in his relationships with his family.
In the play Fences, August Wilson uses symbolism throughout the story to emphasis the physical and emotional barrier between the protagonist, Troy Maxon, and everyone around him. Troy loses his career as a professional baseball player because of his race. This causes him to be a bitter man and he eventually loses his friends and family because of it. Wilson uses both literal and figurative symbolism to express the themes in this play.
We all lead lives filled with anxiety over certain issues, and with dread of the inevitable day of our death. In this play, Fences which was written by the well known playwright, August Wilson, we have the story of Troy Maxson and his family. Fences is about Troy Maxson, an aggressive man who has on going, imaginary battle with death. His life is based on supporting his family well and making sure they have the comforts that he did not have in his own childhood. Also, influenced by his own abusive childhood, he becomes an abusive father who rules his younger son, Cory?s life based on his own past experiences. When the issue comes up of Cory having a bright future ahead of him if he joins the football team, Troy refuses to allow him. The root of this decision lies in his own experience of not being allowed to join the baseball team due to the racial prejudices of his time. He does not realize that times have changed and because of his own past, he ruins his son?s life too. His wife, Rose, also plays a big part in the way the story develops. Troy has an affair with another woman called Alberta. When Rose finds out about the affair, she is devastated. In this situation we find out what her own hopes and dreams were. All she wanted was a happy home and family life because of her unstable past. The theme of this story is how a black family, in the late fifties to early sixties, faces the problems that many families are faced with, but in their own...
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.
In the play Fences by August Wilson, we are introduced to the Maxsons. An African American family struggling to live in Pittsburgh during the 1950’s pre civil rights movement. This play was the sixth out of ten plays in Wilson's Pittsburgh cycle. Fences was also a pulitzer prize winner. At the beginning of the play we are introduced to Troy. He is the patriarch of the family and his problems and mistakes are what lead the Maxson family to be torn apart. Troy treats his wife, Rose, and his sons, Cory and Lyons, poorly. Troy, can be seen as a villain. Troy proves himself to be more of a villain than a hero thought the play. He takes advantage of his wife Rose, treats his sons, Cory and Lyons, poorly, was once a criminal, and is unsympathetic
The theme is gender roles in the 1950s in Fences by August Wilson. Gender roles are social and cultural standards that determine how males and female should think, speak, dress, and interact in the society. To know if a play is accurate or not we need to look up its historical context or background, research the author in order to know if he or she is speaking from experience, and analyze a character to show how well we understand what went on in the play. Understanding the historical context gives us better insight into the background. In this play fences are a metaphor that represents keeping people in figuratively for Rose by being motherly and sympathetic, and keeping people out for Troy
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.
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.
In the dramatic play, “Fences” written by August Wilson, where there is a lot of symbolism, intertwined throughout the play. The most symbolism is directed towards a fence that the main character, named Troy and the main character’s son, Cory, are building together as asked by Rose, the wife of Troy. Although the symbolism is directed towards the same object it's seen in different point of views. For example, in Troy’s point of view, the fence symbolizes an obstacle. In Rose’s point of view, the fence symbolizes a safety net and in Cory’s point of view, the fences symbolizes a trap. The fence is symbolized in three different point of views by Rose as a safety net, Troy as an obstacle, and Cory as a trap in many ways.
Having knowledge of the historical context in which a play or story takes place is a significant factor when interpreting the story itself. Without having the knowledge of the historical context, the stories impact could be immensely misconstrued. Historical context refers to the beliefs, conditions, knowledge, attitudes and moods that existed in a certain period of time in history. In the play “Fences” by August Wilson, the setting and themes of the play are directly related to the civil rights movement that take place mainly throughout the 1950’s and 60’s; the civil rights movements were a worldwide series of political movements for equality. The setting, characters, and symbolisms used in the play “Fences” are directly related to the historical
From the award winning play “Fences” BY August Wilson, Cory stated that he doesn’t want to go to his dad’s funeral. Even though he had problems with his dad, he still should go to his funeral. According to the excerpt ,Rose states, “Disrespecting your daddy aint going to make you no man ,Cory. Not going to the funeral not going to make you make you no man.” This is important because his father is gone doesn’t mean he has to disrespect him now because the two didn’t see eye to eye.
August Wilson uses the symbol of a 'fence' in his play, Fences, in numerous occasions. Three of the most important occasions fences are symbolized are by protection, Rose Maxson and Troy Maxson's relationship, and Troy against Mr. Death. Throughout the play, characters create 'fences' symbolically and physically to be protected or to protect. Examples such as Rose protecting herself from Troy and Troy protecting himself form Death. This play focuses on the symbol of a fence which helps readers receive a better understanding of these events. The characters' lives mentioned change around the fence building project which serves as both a literal and a figurative symbol, representing the relationships that bond and break in the backyard.