How Does August Wilson Build Fences

Throughout life the differences that stand between people lead to conflict and act as daily mental and physical barriers. The self-constructed walls of emotions that are set up by these barriers arise from the absence of love which lies behind those barriers. People not only build fences for protection, but for division as well. August Wilson uses fences as a metaphor in his well-known play Fences to symbolize the characters’ need for emotional barriers that are caused by the absence of love. Throughout this play, the theme of love is clearly established Wilson uses the fence to show division and unity. Fences can either keep people close and together in one common place, or they can divide and separate people from each other. In Fences,

For example, Rose reinforces the central theme by showing love for the ones she cares about most. In a conversation between Cory, Troy and another character named Bono, it is explained that Rose is longing to keep Troy and the memories that they have built together, “Cory: ‘I don't see why Mama want a fence around the yard noways.’ Troy: ‘Damn if I know either. What the hell she keeping out with it? She ain't got nothing nobody want.’ Bono: ‘Some people build fences to keep people out . . . and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you,’” (Act 2, Scene 1). Even when Rose could see her marriage slipping away, she still is not ready to let go of anything because of the love she has for him. Rose was a devoted wife and mother and in this play Wilson uses her character to show that love exists even during a difficult situation. At this moment, Rose supports the central theme by expressing the positive perspective of what love consists of at times; forgiveness. Even after Troy has a child with his mistress, and she dies from child birth, Rose’s decision to take in the child as her own shows that she has the capacity of showing unconditional love even during an adulterous situation. Not only does she support the theme of love through her

In Fences, Wilson clearly expresses the absence of love again through the relationship of Troy and his son Cory. The relationship between Troy and his son is bitter and tense, which is clearly shown when Cory asks his father why he has never liked him and Troy responds “Liked you? Who the hell say I got to like you?” (Act 1, Scene 3). Cory thinks his father dislikes him because the lack of love he expresses through his words and actions. Cory supports the theme of love because he understands that there is a scarcity of love since Troy does not demonstrate any sense of love. Through the character of Cory, Wilson demonstrates that the theme of love is not necessarily the expected expression of love throughout this play. With Cory questioning his father’s love for him, it implies that there is an obvious absence of it. When “Troy refuses to let his son, Cory, play football to obtain a college scholarship”, his dreams are shot down (Beach, 52). At this moment Cory comes to an understanding that his father has no love for him because he doesn’t want him to pursue his dreams. After Cory becomes enraged with his father, he avoids him and wants nothing to do with him. At the end of the play Troy dies and because of the lack of love within their relationship, Cory does not want to attend his father’s funeral. This perceived scarcity of love