Troy As A Tragic Hero In Fences By August Wilson

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A tragic hero is a character who makes a judgment error that automatically leads to his/her own destruction. In the play Fences by August Wilson’s Troy Maxson, is a noble man with a tragic flaw that leads him down a path ending in ruin. Troy is a garbage collector, a husband to Rose who he cheated on with Alberta, who was an escape to his real problems, father to Lyons, Cory, and Raynell, and brother to Gabriel.Troy's flaw is his stubbornness and self-centeredness. Troys mistakes and failures greatly influence his perspective on his relationship with his son. Troy used be able to knock a baseball out of the park like it was nothing but he constantly "ends in disappointment" in his personal life. Just like most tragic heroes, Troy does whatever …show more content…

Troy has an affair with this lady which affects Cory and loses respect for his father. “I ain’t got to say excuse me to you. You don’t count around here no more” (2.3.27). This affair ruined Troy’s family especially because Alberta and him had a baby, Raynell who has no mother because Alberta passed away while giving birth. Troy, a father who doesn’t want to take care of Raynell and hands the baby off to his wife, Rosa. Troy believes he’s did a lot for his family and provided them with everything they needed but he really just ruined them. He thought he was doing them right but he was only causing harm to the family. Troy didn’t show his family an example of what accomplishment look liked. “I don’t know why he don’t go and get him a decent job and take care of that woman he got”(1.1.40). Troy sees it as a man's duty to take care of his woman. In Troy's mind, Lyons, Troy’s son, is failing his duty as a man because Lyons is living off his girlfriend, Bonnie’s income and Troy finds it disgraceful. On the other hand, Troy feels that he failed in his duty as a father by not being around to provide for Lyons when he was a child. Troy was in prison most of Lyons childhood so Lyons had no one to look up to or anyone there for him. Lyons is a talented jazz musician and Troy, as a father should’ve been supporting his son but instead he called Jazz “Chinese …show more content…

Responsibility, in Troy's world, is the most titled calling of a man. This responsibility, has yet caused Troy to become a bitter man. Cory asked Troy, “How come you ain’t never liked me?” and Troy answers, “Liked you? Who the hell say I got to like you? What law is there say I got to like you?” (1.3.8). In the speech that follows, explains that as a father he has a responsibility to take care of his son by putting a roof over his head, putting clothes on his back and getting something to eat. Troy cannot "like" Cory because he doesn't wish Cory to be like him. A father is the man in the house, he provides for his kids and doesn’t complain about it but it's different with Troy. Troy has to keep bringing up how he provides for his kids and how they don’t appreciate it or realize how much he is doing for them.“It’s my job. It’s my responsibility! You understand that? A man got to take care of his family”(1.3.36). Troy is saying he has an obligation to succeed and he doesn’t have to like who he’s doing it for, he just has to finish the job of supplying the family. Cory feels like he doesn’t have a father at this point because all Troy does is yell at Cory and have him thinking he isn’t going anywhere in life. You should be able to look up to your father, I know my brother looks up to my dad and want’s to accomplish just as much as my dad

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