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Describe the distinctive nature of father-son relationships as seen in August Wilson's drama Fences
Describe the distinctive nature of father-son relationships as seen in August Wilson's drama Fences
Theme of parental responsibility in Fences by August Wilson
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The relationship between parents and son from the play Fences discovers themes that can relate to parenthood in which Author August Wilson illustrates to show the audience that parents (Troy and Rose) play an irreplaceable role in the lives of their children whether they recognize it or not. This relationship between Troy, Rose, and Cory can both positively and negatively impact Cory’s emotional, mental, and future well-being.
(What do parents owe their children, and how does this reveal itself in the text?) (PROTECTION/RESPECT)
A parent’s job is to shield their children out from harm’s way as much as possible, yet, let them learn important lessons from making their mistakes. As a parent, he or she owes their children the love and value for
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“He ain’t cared nothing about no kids…He felt a responsibility towards us” (50,51). Since Troy’s own father did nothing to help or support him, Troy is doing what he thinks is his duty as a father for his son, since that is all he has been raised to know. Troy thinks that’s how a father-son relationship is supposed to be - just a committed job. “A man got to take care of his family. You live in my house…sleep you behind on my bed clothes…fill you belly up with my food…cause you my son. You my flesh and blood. Not ‘cause I like you! Cause it’s my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you” (38). With this, Troy treats Cory the same way as his father treated him, which may push Cory in raising his own children the same way, and so on and so forth, generation after generation. If a parent shows resentment or bitterness in a repetitive pattern, their children will more than likely mimic their parent’s behavior, thinking that is the appropriate, “right” way. Wilson brought in this play a connection between Troy and Cory’s relationship with how men (in some cases) might truthfully think of what fatherhood is all
“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
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...
... does tell the truth. He talks truthfully about his father and how he is a lot like him. He also admits that the only difference with him and his father is that he does not beat his children. Troy provided for his family. Additionally, even though he was very tough on Cory, he admitted that he was responsible for taking care of him and the rest of the family. In Act One, scene three, Troy explains to Cory why he treats him the way he does. Cory asks, “How come you ain’t never liked me?” (1346). Troy can’t admit to like his own son, so points out that he doesn’t have to like him in order to provide for him. “[…] ‘Cause it’s my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you! […] I ain’t got to like you” (1347). Deep down, somewhere in the dark abyss that is Troy’s heart, he sincerely cares about his family. He just has a very different way of articulating it.
Perhaps the most important and fulfilling relationship a man can be involved in is one with his own flesh and blood. At the beginning of the play, we learn that Troy has two sons, Lyons and Cory. Lyons is Troy's son by a previous marriage and Cory is Troy's son by his current marriage. Neither Lyons nor Cory share a close relationship with their father and Troy is mostly to blame for that.
The following is a short poem written by August Wilson in the beginning of his play, Fences. “When the sins of our fathers visit us/ We do not have to play host/ We can banish them with forgiveness/ As God, in His Largeness and Laws” (Wilson 1.1.1186). Throughout the text of the play, the relationship between father and son is a recurring topic and important theme. Wilson uses the father-son dynamic to reveal much about his characters in Fences. While, Troy’s inability to forgive his father for making his childhood so difficult shapes him into the father he became, Cory is able to forgive his father and accept the way things are. Lyons is destined to follow in Troy’s footsteps until he learns to forgive.
Even though Troy does not physically abuse his children like his father did to him, he verbally abuses them. He treats Cory very callously and unjustly. In a way, Troy is taking out his frustrations of having an unsuccessful baseball career by not allowing Cory to pursue his dream to play football. Troy crushed Cory’s dream. In Act One, scene four, Cory expresses his misery. “Why you wanna do that to me? That w...
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 shaped 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.
Fences by August Wilson paints a picture of African-American life in the 1950’s. The play is dramatized by the father-son relationship between Troy and Cory, which is complex, perplexing, and ultimately emotionally destructive. Sport is theoretically supposed to be a means of father-son bonding and a way to bring fathers and sons closer together. However, in this play sport acts as a barrier between Troy and Cory and prevents them from ever having a close relationship. Troy is unwilling to allow Cory to live the life he imagines, and his restraint on Cory’s pursuit of playing collegiate football creates a relationship full of tension and hurt between the two. Despite Cory’s attempts to escape from the burden of his father’s motives, he ends
This shows that people go about their lives in a “Like father, like son,” manner. It is a parent’s duty to shape and mold their children and in most cases the child is molded into a near replica of the parent. This should cause a parent to be vigilante in establishing a good reputation formed by honesty and integrity. Not only do the actions of a parent affect their children, but also their own personal
The parent’s job is to protect and guide their children to live successful and productive lives,
Normally, most of us believe that it is the parents who are in charge of taking care of their children. It is a logical thought. It is not always the case that parents fulfill their duties as guardians though. Occasionally, they themselves are stuck in a mid-life crisis trying to be someone they’re not and forget that they have children they’re responsible for. However, it often doesn’t come to mind to us that children, siblings to be specific, have to fend for themselves. But as always, blood is thicker than water, and as little kids, they will always end up forgiving their parents for what they have done. In the novel, The Glass Castle, a memoir written by Jeanette Walls, she writes about these experiences that she had with her family. Although,
All boys want to be just like their father when they get older often times they want to talk and dress just like their dad that's their first Hero. Not all father deserve to have that. In the play Fences by August Wilson the father and sons played a major role in each other lives. Their relationship between father and son has major personal problem, from the father not getting alone with his sons to the father not even liking his own father. The fathers in the play was extremely hard on their son and got to a point that they was physically violent towards there son , you should uplifts your child with words of encouragement but Troy didn't know how to do that he had too much pride within himself. The relationship between troy and his father and son was never love driven relationships.
Throughout history children have been depicted as a reflection of how their parents act, react, and think. However Kids can also affect their parents, kids can entirely change how a parent’s attitude. In the play “Fences” this is seen in Troy’s children, Cory and Lyons, as well as in Troy himself with him and his father. Cory and Lyons reflect multiple attributes of Troy. Cory is more successful compared to his brother Lyons, Cory is a proud young man with a very bright future, his high school football career didn’t go very far but, he joined the Marines. Lyons on the other hand is a wannabe Jazz musician mooching off of his girlfriend because his ambitions are too big for his talent to match, he eventually turns to crime after losing everything
Finally, parents have the duty to show their love for their children at all time by showing them concern and genuine sympathy through the things that they enjoy. For instance, taking a child to see a movie they love to see as an encouragement for being sick helps the child feel loved and cared for.I remember my mother doing this when we were sick, we would always received a special treat. This helps to display the parent’s empathy and sympathy to the child. It is always the little things that mean so much to children. This is because their needs are limited to concern, love and provision and the only luxury they require is a truly loving parent. This helps in the developed from the concepts above.
In his review of The Trouble With Perfect/The Successful Child/Positive Pushing (Book), Douglas C. Lord talks about the role of the parent. The role of the parent is to protect their children and provide for them all they can to insure that they have the proper tools in order to be successful in life. These tools include such things as having good morals, strong work ethics, phenomenal character, etc. Providing their kids with the mentioned tools, parents protect their kids from becoming failures in life and give them the option to make something of themselves, which far exceeds the expectations of their parents. Parents have to do these things in order to direct their kids. This is believed to be an “absolute moral imperative” (Lord). If your parents did not provide you with these tools, where would you be?