Troy Maxson's Relationship With His Father

“Fences”: Parentless
It is scientifically proven that people are affected by how they are treated in their childhood, mainly in the relationship with their parents. Children who have experienced abuse in their childhood tend to reflect that in their lives as adults. Troy Maxson grew up with an abusive father. He did not have a relationship with his mother because she left him and never came back. He basically lived the life of a slave and had to look out for himself. In the story, Troy did not mention going to school He only knew how to work the fields just like his father, which is why the audience can feel sympathy for Troy. His lack of love from his parents plays a major role in his life and in turn, it affects how he treats his family.

Troy would have been more successful in life if he had a better relationship with his parents, particularly his father, which would have given him a chance to become a better man for himself and his own family.
The thought of being without parents or a guide and life to help give life advice plays a huge factor in Troy’s life.

His father could have treated his children better, Troy, “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 to working. When it come time for eating. . . he ate first.” (Wilson Pg. 1213). Troy grew up with an abusive father, it made him have no feelings towards his own kids and it plays a huge role in why he acts the way he does. Joe Canewell’s daughter and Troy were about the same age when they were enjoying themselves. His father caught him a whupped him like a slave. That’s when Troy tries to fight his father because his father tries to mess with the young girl. He woke up battered and broken from being unconscious and that when left

home.
Troy came from a broken home and he was poor didn’t know what to do or how to make money to feed his self. “But in fact, abuse takes many forms, beyond the physical. Recent research finds that its impact is long-lasting. It extends far into adulthood, where it affects both physical and mental health.” (Psychology Today).
Troy’s life became a matter of survival and self-preservation. Stealing was his first choice to put food in his stomach, then he met his first wife and had a child ‘Lyons’. Troy was locked up for committing a murder and he was placed in a juvenile detention center, being jailed for a young teenager can be, “profound neurological and psychological damage causing depression, hallucinations, panic attacks, cognitive deficits, obsessive thinking, paranoia, anxiety, and anger.” (Theatlantic). He worked and try to do his best even though he was senile and narcissist.
Troy as a husband and father is flawed.

He lacked those skills because he did not have an example of how to be a good husband and father. He didn’t want to support Lyons music at all Troy, “I don’t like that Chinese music. All that noise.” (Wilson Pg. 1212). It's almost the same exact way he was treated by his father, he never gave a compliment to his son and wish him the best. Hard love can cause emotional damage to a person, especially if it's close blood. Lyons, wife also left him because he was thinking about himself just like his father, but his addiction was music. Cory only wants to be acknowledged by his father, he was making good grades in school and he wanted to play football. Troy did not want him to play sports because of what happened to him with baseball his experiences destroy his son Cory experiences. Rose gave all she had for Troy just to please his ways of life, he never asked his wife for advice on anything personal that bother her. He also never knew what she wanted out of the marriage, Troy did things that could cause his wife to leave him just like his mother left his father. Marriage was rather difficult for African-American in the past, “Dr. Hunter actually identifies the 1960s as the era when marriage within the African-American community significantly declined.”

(Essence).
The chain that carried on into Troy life invoked a ripple of effects into the loved ones in his life was what he knew from the experience for the first time and he thought everything was going to be same from the time he was born and until the time he passed away. The things that happen to him instill fear and paranoia, which he was always worried about death coming to get him in his heart he knew he was not right with some of the decisions that he made. He tries to make the best of it by hard work and giving all, he had to justify his cause. If Troy parents were around and had a good advice he could do things better with his loved ones. Growing up poor and with his parents made him who is the things he went through while growing up affected him mentally into his adult life.
The audience should feel sympathy for Troy upbringing in life because the story never really focuses on his problem mentally. Troy may have suffered from abuse and to be honest, he did not know how to deal with his problems. Even during the time of segregation Troy could not go anywhere for help, he manages to get all that he had accomplished by himself without learning how to read or write. If anyone went through that type abuse and growing up alone as a teenager and have their story written about it during this century. People would feel compiling and sorry about that person and what they went through and would recognize that person as a strong individual.