Symbols In August Wilson's Fences

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Fences, a play written by August Wilson, is a dramatic master piece revealing the outrageous reality of an African American around the 1950s. Within this American play, we are confronted essentially to how happiness, love, friendship but also grief, conflict and misery can exists among a family. In fact, one could wonder, how the title of the play is actually related to all the previous themes. In August Wilson’s Fences, the significance of fences represents the importance of keeping a family together. This is shown through symbol and stage directions.
Wilson’s play demonstrates how the significance of fences represents the value of keeping a family together through its use of symbol. As a matter of fact, Rose is definitively the symbol …show more content…

She keeps Raynell in but exclude Troy from her life because he is the reason why the family couldn’t be entirely close. Indeed, his selfish decisions build the bridge between him and his relatives. On the positive side, those decisions help some characters to bound even more. As a matter of fact, the relationship between Cory and Rose is stronger due to the similar situation they both live; trying to stand up against Troy. In fact, Cory will firmly defend his mother, when she and Troy were fighting over the Alberta incident, by pushing Troy away from her: "(CORY comes up behind TROY and grabs him. TROY, surprised, is thrown off balance just as CORY throws a glancing blow that catches him on the chest and knocks him down)" (2,1). Thus, Rose carries Raynell within the yard, where the fences surround them, but rejects Troy’s presence around her family. It is evident that this symbol illustrates the relation between the proximity of the Maxson family and the significance of the fences surrounding their yard. Hence, through the use of symbol, this play shows how the significance of fences represents the importance of preserving members of a family …show more content…

Every conversation, physical interaction or report of important stories between the characters happens in the yard of the Maxson family, where the fences surround them: "The setting is the yard which fronts the only entrance to the MAXSON household" (Setting). Then, it is possible to conclude from the previous passage that the family members are always interacting in the yard. There is no dialogue in the house or outside on the streets. With this in mind, the playwright wants to put the emphasis on this particular location to make the readers understand the significance of the fences around the yard. In fact, there is a general belief that the house is commonly the symbol that keeps the members of a family together. Consequently, the house is usually taking care of to make sure it is a safe place for the relatives: "An ancient two-story brick house set back off a small alley in a big-city neighborhood. The entrance to the house is gained by two or three steps leading to a wooden porch badly in need of paint" (Setting). However, in this case, it is the fences that play this gathering and protective role. This is the place where the family laugh, argue and fight together. It is evident that those stage directions illustrates how the fences are crucial for the well-being of the MAXSON family. Hence, through the use of stage

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