Rose In August Wilson's Fences

In August Wilson’s “Fences,” Rose Maxson is the wife of Troy; a housewife, and mother to their son Cory. Kurnia says this regarding Rose: “her decision to focus her life more on her motherhood’s side resembles the life of Wilson’s own mother and even many other African-American mothers.” (14) She epitomizes an African American housewife in the 1950’s, subservient to her husband, and holding utmost importance on the stability of her household. Wilson introduces to Rose as a typical housewife of her time, devoted to her husband and family. Rose initially gives up her dreams, opinions, independence for the purpose of maintaining her family. She eventually develops into a stronger, more independent woman, revealing herself to be the cornerstone

of the family. The development of Rose throughout the play is a testament to the strength and enduring love she has for her family, even when faced with the most difficult of trials.
As Rose is introduced in Fences, the initial stage directions provide some back ground into her character:
Rose enters from the house. She is ten years younger than Troy, her devotion to him stems from her recognition of the possibilities of her life without him: a succession of abusive men and their babies, a life of partying and running the streets, the Church, or aloneness with its attendant pain and frustration. She recognizes Troy’s spirit as a fine and illuminating one and she either ignores or forgives his faults, only some of which she recognizes. (Wilson, 1385)
From this excerpt, the audience learns that Rose is fully devoted to Troy, and that she has considered how her life might be without him. Towards the end of the play, Rose says to Cory, “But that’s what life offered me in the way of being a woman, and I took it” (Wilson, 1427). A key detail here is that Rose has chosen not to see or address Troy’s faults, which provides more insight as to the level of her devotion. She realizes this is the hand she has been dealt in life, and she has embraced it. Rose is happy to be where she is, and is fulfilled in her status as Troy’s wife and Cory’s mother. From the beginning, Rose’s goal was to be a wife and mother. During some playful banter, Rose and Troy discuss how they met. Rose said “I told him if he wasn’t the marrying kind, then to move out of the way so the marrying kind could find me.”(Wilson, 1385). This statement reaffirms that goal.
Wilson’s Rose sacrifices much of herself in pursuit of this dream of a whole and happy family, however she maintains independent thoughts and opinions, and the small disagreements she has with Troy are thorns along the way.

Initially these are minor, and not significant enough to change the family dynamic. “Rose is a responsible, nurturing woman who sacrifices her own desires in order to keep peace in the family.” (Beaulieu, 916). The first signs of discord appear during a discussion of where to shop: Bella’s, locally owned but overpriced, or A&P, a chain with lower prices but no personal attachment. Rose asserts her opinion that Bella’s ought not overcharge and that times are changing with A&P offering lower prices. Troy disagrees, and believes that because Bella’s has always been there. A&P symbolizes the changing times, while Bella’s represents the old world. Rose’s acceptance and endorsement of A&P shows that although she has embraced her housewife status, she has retained a small measure of her own opinion, and has the propensity to move forward with the changing times. Out of the shopping discussion, Rose shares with Troy that their son, Cory, has been recruited to play college football. Rose is proud and supportive of her son’s accomplishment, but Troy wants Cory to focus on a trade so that he can earn a living. Rose says here “Times have changed since you was playing baseball, Troy. That was before the war. Times have changed a lot since then” (Wilson,

1386). Rose is, again, open to viewing how the world is changing around her, embracing hope for the future, and supportive of Cory’s dreams, where Troy is stuck in the past of his own failures and shortcomings. Rose lets the argument die in deference to her husband, to preserve the peace. When Troy’s eldest son, Lyons, pays a visit to ask about borrowing ten dollars, Troy is hard on him. To preserve the peace, Rose tells Troy to leave him alone, and changes the subject, asking Lyons to stay for dinner. Troy hands Rose his paycheck, and she, in turn, hands Lyons the ten dollars he’s asked for, pacifying the situation, and covering for Troy’s inability to support his son’s alternate lifestyle in an effort to preserve the fragile stability of their family. Such minor altercations allude to bigger, more fundamental rifts in their marriage, and more development for Rose coming into her own reformation.
Rose begins to get fed up with Troy in the second scene. After other minor disagreements and bickering, Rose says to Troy, “You got something to say about everything..” (Wilson, 1393). She has come to the realization that the world is moving forward and Troy is holding her and her family back with his refusal to to accept the changing state of the world. She is beginning to be more assertive and finding her voice in opposition to Troy. The first time that Rose really asserts dominance in the household is when she says to Troy, “And next week.. When that recruiter come from that school.. I want you to sign that paper and go on and let Cory play football. Then that’ll be the last I have to hear about that.” She is starting move out of the submissive housewife role in order to protect her family’s future prospects. Rose knows that Troy is opposed, and rather than entertain his protects, she simply walks out of the house. It is an act of defiance that Troy is unaccustomed to. This action is a prelude to the coming eruption-- the pot is starting to boil between Rose and Troy. That steaming pot erupts into a full rolling boil as Troy reveals to Rose that he has fathered a child with Alberta. It is the point of ultimate heartbreak for Rose:
I done tried to be everything a wife should be. Everything a wife could be. Been married eighteen years and I got to live to see the day you tell me you been seeing another woman and done fathered a child by her ... And now you wanna drag your behind in here and tell me something like this. (Wilson, 1413)
Rose feels betrayed and heartbroken. She accuses Troy of taking so much from her without ever realizing just how much he takes. The dreams that she has had of a perfect family are shattered. She admits that she has known Troy isn’t perfect for a long time, but has stood by him regardless. Now she is not so sure. “Rose questions her decision to devote herself entirely to her family after discovering that Troy has been having an affair and that his mistress is about to give birth to their child...” (Beaulieu, 916). It’s revealed that Troy has signed paperwork to have Gabe institutionalized, in exchanged for half of his disability payments. Rose confronts Troy, saying “You did Gabe just like you did Cory. You wouldn’t sign the paper for Cory...but you signed it for Gabe. You signed that paper.” (Wilson, 1417). Rose can no longer continue in the relationship, the pot. Troy’s actions have forced her to step back and see that he is not protecting her. Instead he is hurting the family, holding Cory back from opportunity to go play football and go to college, and condemning his own brother to an institution for a few dollars each month. Rose has come to a point of no return; she cannot continue to support Troy. Her independence from him is inevitable.
Six long, silent months later, Rose confronts Troy, asking if he is coming home tomorrow after work. She says she cannot live like this any longer, and in the midst of their argument, the phone rings. Rose answers it, and returns outside to Troy to reveal the news that his daughter has been born. As Troy is trying to leave, Rose also breaks the news that Alberta died in childbirth. At this point, Rose thinks that their marriage may be salvaged after all, with Alberta out of the picture. She says to Troy, “I am your wife, don’t push me away” (Wilson, 1417). Troy does push her away, though. When Troy returns home with his baby daughter, he pleads with Rose for mercy on the baby girl. Rose replies, “Okay, Troy...you’re right. I’ll take care of your baby for you...cause...like you say...she’s innocent...and you can’t visit the sins of the father upon the child. A motherless child has got a hard time. From right now...this child got a mother. But you a womanless man.” (Wilson, 1419). The last phrase -- a womanless man -- is what cements the change in their family dynamic. Rose will continue to honor her marriage by staying in the home, but she will no longer be subservient to Troy, and will no longer put up with him holding her back. She moves closer to the church, and further from Troy. When questioned by Troy about what time she will be back from church, she responds, “Ain’t no use in you studying me. It don’t matter what time I come back.” (Wilson, 1420) The statement exemplifies change in dynamics. Rose is calling the shots, and is not concerned if Troy approves anymore.
The morning of Troy’s funeral allows us to see the strong woman that Rose has always been, but now she is truly standing on her own. She is raising Raynell as her own daughter, ushering the young girl to get dressed and ready for her father’s funeral. As Cory comes home for the first time in seven years, Rose embraces him. When Cory says that he is not going to the funeral, it is his attempt for one final act of rebellion. Rose will have nothing of it, though. She has grown to be a much stronger woman. In talking to Cory, she reflects on her history with Troy. “Rose loves Troy and strives to be the epitome of a good wife, despite the cost.” (Menson-Furr, 27). Menson-Furr re-emphasizes that all Rose has ever done, she has done to improve her life with Troy. She tells Cory, “that was my first mistake. Not to make him leave some room for me.” (Wilson, 1427). She admits that it was her own decision to let Troy consume her. Raynell’s conception was the biggest upset of Rose’s life, but in raising Raynell, Rose is given a fresh chance. “But I took on Raynell like she was all of them babies I had wanted and never had.” (Wilson, 1427). Raynell is Rose’s redemption. Rose tells Cory, “You just like him. You got him in you good. You Troy Maxson all over again.” (Wilson, 1427). She goes on to say this about Raynell: “I’m gonna do her just like your daddy did you... I’m gonna give her the best of what’s in me.” (Wilson, 1427). The best of what is in Rose is her capacity for love, her strength to endure, and her ability to stand up for what she believes to be right.
Rose Maxson began her marriage to Troy looking for security and family.

She gave up everything nearly everything of herself in order to achieve that perfect household. Her sacrifice would cost her the family she was trying to protect, as Troy became unfaithful, she is left to raise his illegitimate daughter as her own. Rose is transformed from the subservient housewife trying to maintain peace and order in her home, to the cornerstone of her family after Troy’s infidelity, keeping the family together even though the marriage had fallen apart. Her journey to being a strong, independent woman is filled with heartache and disappointment, but she enjoys the new opportunity for redemption provided with raising Raynell. Rose begins “Fences” as a typical African American housewife in the 1950s. Throughout the story, she develops into the typical African American family cornerstone: a strong willed, independent, loving mother figure, trying to instill the best into future

generations.