The Relationship Between Fences By August Wilson

Fences, a low diction play by August Wilson, expresses the complex relationship between a father and his sons. Troy Maxson, once a baseball star on a Negro League, is now envious of his son Cory who dreams of having a successful football career. Troy also worries that Cory will be treated with the same disrespect that he (Troy) once was during his baseball career. Lyons, Troy's eldest son, is completely misunderstood by Troy, mostly because of his refusal to get a “real” job and his drive to become a musician. Wilson references stories from Troy's past to convey the reason behind Troy's frustration and actions toward his children.

To begin to understand Troy, we must observe the tumultuous relationship between Troy and his father. Troy's father was most likely born into slavery, or at least slavery-like conditions. This means that his father probably never had a true family of his own, as his brothers, sisters, and parents would not have lived together. Troy's father had little experience in having and maintaining a family like atmosphere in their home, and this reflects greatly upon Troy. Unfortunately this was often the case in early African-American culture as the Reconstruction failed to help them from becoming homeless and impoverished. In Act One, Scene Four Troy and Bono begin discussing their fathers “ Sometimes I wish I hadn't known my daddy. He ain't cared nothing about no kids. A kid to him wasn't nothing. All he wanted was for you to learn how to walk so he could start you working. When it come time for eating... he ate first. If there was anything left over, that's what you got. Man would sit down and eat two chickens and give you the wing.” He goes on saying that his father only cared about his job, but he did fe...

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...ol almost every day, especially if one is looking into being recruited. Troy likely knows this, and it is just one more way he can keep his son from football (Wilson 1303).

Though Troy's actions toward his children are harsh and unfair, but this is not all Troy's fault. He was raised in a time when jazz music and African-Americans playing on professional sports teams just didn't happen. He was a product of his era just as his father before him. Parents can only raise their children the best way they know how, and for Troy this was all he had. As Troy told Cory “Who the hell say I got to like you?”, parents aren't forced to like their children. Sadly, Cory resented his father even after his death. We are all children, and we must learn not to resent our parents because of their actions, but to accept them and understand why they are the way they are. (Wilson 1304).