Fences by August Wilson

659 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Themes in August Wilson Fences

In the play, Fences, Troy seems to have a complicated relationship with every other character in the play. This applies especially to his relationship with his son, Cory. Troy and Cory have many similarities and differences that complicate their relationship. There are many outside factors that also make matters worse.

One of the differences that complicate their relationship is that they have grown up in completely different time periods. A great deal has happened between the times when Troy was growing to the time period that Cory is growing up in. This issue itself causes many other concerns. For instance, Cory is a very talented athlete. He would like to play football in college and would probably receive a scholarship for it. However, Troy does not want Cory to play football, because he himself was once let down by a sports experience. Troy use to be the baseball star for the "Negro Leagues." However, his athletic ability was no longer superior when the Major Leagues started accepting blacks. As a result of this, Troy tells Cory that he does not want him to pla...

Show More
Related

  • An Analysis of August Wilson's 'Fences'

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the play Fences by August Wilson, Troy is shown as a man who has hurt the people who are closest to him without even realizing it. He has acted in an insensitive and uncaring manner towards his wife, Rose, his brother, Gabriel and his son, Cory. At the beginning of the story, Troy feels he has done right by them. He feels this throughout the story. He doesn’t realize how much he has hurt them.

    Read More

  • Troy and Cory Maxson's Relationship in Fences by August Wilson

    1240 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... 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.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis of August Wilson's Fences

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Troy Maxson Flaws In Fences

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    Losing the respect and company of people was one of the few things that caused him to feel some form of remorse for what he did to Rose. However, Troy did nothing to fix the problems he created, except to drink and pretend he was still respected. It becomes especially clear that nobody respects Troy when Cory blatantly says “I ain’t got to say excuse me to you. You don’t count around here no more” (II iv, 85). Although nobody else says it as obviously as Cory, most characters realize Troy’s failure. Even though he may have provided for his family in the physical sense, Troy neglected them a great deal emotionally. This once again proves that Troy is unsuitable to be a proper father for Cory and a respectable husband for

    Read More

  • Symbolic Fences In Fence, By August Wilson

    598 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many metaphorical fences used throughout the play. One of the biggest metaphorical fences is between Troy and his two sons Lyons and Cory. Troy gets irritated because Lyons always

    Read More

  • The Deceitful Fence

    1210 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Fences, by August Wilson

    1101 Words  | 3 Pages

    Troy has a right to be angry, but to whom he takes his anger on is questionable. He regularly gets fed up with his sons, Lyons and Cory, for no good reason. Troy disapproves of Lyons’ musical goals and Cory’s football ambitions to the point where the reader can notice Troy’s illogical way of releasing his displeasure. Frank Rich’s 1985 review of Fences in the New York Times argues that Troy’s constant anger is not irrational, but expected. Although Troy’s antagonism is misdirected, Rich is correct when he observes that Troy’s endless anger is warranted because Troy experiences an extremely difficult life, facing racism, jail, and poverty.

    Read More

  • An Overview of 'Fences' by August Wilson

    367 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Relationship Between Fences And Death Of A Salesman

    734 Words  | 2 Pages

    Troy still has frustration inside him that he has never forgotten. Due to the racism he grew up with, that stopped him from one his big dreams. Which was to compete in the major league baseball. Those years where the 1950s where African Americans had many disadvantages from public services, restaurants and etc. That pain that troy feels from racism has also held his family from accomplishing things. For example Troy states “I told that boy about football and stuff. The white man ain’t gonna let him get nowhere that football. I told him to come to me with it. Now you come telling me he done…. Fix cars or something where he can make a living “(1722). For that Troy denies his son the opportunity to achieve what troy couldn’t. Troy father rather Cory to work on A&P after school and learn a skill that no one can take away from him. Troy just wants to spare Cory from the racism from his father. But sometimes as a son is hard to understand this things because is an accomplishment you want but your father is holding you back from

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Fences And The Great Gatsby

    661 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Sometimes I wish I hadn't known my daddy. He ain't cared nothing about no kids.” (50). Troy and Cory have a misunderstanding on what to do for Cory’s next step in his life for college. Troy wants Cory to stop playing football so he can just have the job and be at school. Troy does not want Cory to have any other distraction from the two. Cory is being recruited by a college, everyone in the house is happy for him except his father. The relationship between Troy and Cory is bitter and stressed mostly because Troy is trying to treat Cory the same way he was treated by white people in sports and how he was treated by his father. Troy feels that Cory is disobeying his rules or what he tells him not to do which is to stop playing football. Which counted as strike one. Strikes were warning of disobeying rules told by Troy. If someone gets three strikes from Troy, they will be removed from the house. Life for Troy as a kid was a struggle, living on a farm with ten siblings and a father who barely cares for his kids. His father just wanted his kids to learn how to walk so they can get the working and help around the farmhouse. Before Troy even thinks about leaving his home as a fourteen-year-old, his mother already left because she did not feel comfortable around Troy’s father “evilness”. So, once she left that influence Troy to think about leaving his home which he did because his father kicked him out the

    Read More

  • Fences Troy Maxion Character Analysis

    647 Words  | 2 Pages

    In August Wilson’s play Fences, Troy Maxson has had many life experiences that lead him to act cruelly toward his children. Troy's relationship with his two sons Lyons and Cory. They have a complex relationship. Troy wasn't really in Lyons life. When he was growing up, Troy was doing time in jail. Troy then meet rose and they had Cory. But Cory and Troy also don't have the best relationship. Cory wants to play football but Troy refuses to let him play/ get recruited. Troy wants him to work at the A&P and get good grades at school. But it is more than that. In a kind of way Cory and Lyons want Troy’s approval and the sense that he is proud of him. Troy feels that it doesn't have to be that way, as long as he provides for Cory and

    Read More

  • August Wilson's Fences

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    Troy was met with many hardships in his life that left him feeling like he needed to protect himself from the things that have hurt him and could hurt him. The fence that Rose told Troy to build symbolized the barrier that he puts up to protect himself from the things that have hurt him and could hurt him in the future. Troy uses the fence to symbolize the emotional separation and neglect he has towards his family; Rose and Cory in particular. The main reason why the fence took the whole play to complete is because Troy neglected it and spent his time with his mistress which symbolized his neglect towards his family. Cory brings this to attention when he tells Troy that he "don't never do nothing, but go down to Taylors'", which is obviously his mistress’s home (Henderson). This was Troy’s f...

    Read More

  • How Is Troy A Tragic Hero In Fences By August Wilson

    1443 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is the reason why Troy fights against his family and himself, because he feels like he is the only one who can protect them. To Cory and Rose, Troy is destroying the family because of his stubborn thoughts but to Troy he is saving the family from falling apart and this distrust causes the family to eventually fall apart. Troy really does try his hardest to be a good father and is bothered by the fact that Rose and Cory do not see it as him trying to protect them but more of him destroying the family. This hurts Troy because his family is his everything they are what he “fights” for he works day end and day out to put food on the table and try to give them a life he thinks the deserve. August Wilson in “fences” Troy says, “ I love this woman, so much it hurts. I love her so much… I done run out of ways to love her.”(1.1) Wilson uses to show how much Troy actually cares for his wife, to Troy Rose is his everything, she is the light in his darkness, she try’s to guide him back to a sane man. Another Way Wilson shows how much Troy loves his family is when Troy is talking to his family and says that “ You all line up at the door, with your hands out. I give you the lint from my pockets. I give you my sweat and my blood…”(1.3) Troy is saying that he will give them everything until he has absolutely nothing but the lint from his pockets. He will go out of his way to make

    Read More

  • Father Son Relationships In Fences

    1697 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although it seems as though Cory is determined to escape from what his father wants, he still takes the same path his father went on. This ironic situation is shown when Troy says "I don’t want him to be like me! I want him to move as far away from my life as he can get” (Wilson 481). Throughout the play, Cory is also trying to pursue this individuality, but ends up trying to chase after his dreams in a sport just like Troy. Cory faces a battle inside him as he tries to form a unique identity separate from his father; however, Troy is resistant to Cory's attempts at individuality. Troy's efforts to restrain Cory from being an individual character makes Cory take on drastic measures, such as verbal and physical violence, in an effort to become the person he wants to be. Troy restrains Cory from pursuing his dreams so much that it builds up to a point where Cory points out the truth that Troy is so afraid to hear; “Just cause you didn't have a chance! You just scared I'm gonna be better than you, that's all" (Wilson 493). Sports acts as a barrier between them from ever becoming close, even though they are both interested in them. This confrontation results in Troy counting numbers until Cory

    Read More

  • A Discussion of a Father and Son Relationship in the Play Fences

    1693 Words  | 4 Pages

    The father son relationship is a centering conflict within the play Fences. Throughout the play we are amerced into this complex connection of Troy and his two sons, Cory and Lyon. Additionally, we see a slight picture of the relationship between Troy and his father through the lens of Troy. Troy is overtaken with bitterness and he is convinced that his color makes him powerless. This mentality of powerlessness streams into the lives of Troy’s youngest son, Cory. Moreover, it is evident that this mentality was passed down from Troy’s father. Socio-cultural issues during the 1950’s acts as a further reinforcement to the problems depicted within the play. Troy and Lyon’s relationship slightly differs from that of Troy and Cory’s; however, it is evident that as Troy and Cory, Lyon ends up “fenced” in by ...

    Read More

More about Fences by August Wilson

Open Document