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Fences symbolism in fences
Fences symbolism in fences
Fences symbolism in fences
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Should a neglected, discriminated, and misplaced black man living in the mid 1900s possessing a spectacular, yet unfulfilled talent for baseball be satisfied or miserable? The play Fences, written by August Wilson, answers this question by depicting the challenging journey of the main character, Troy Maxon. Troy, an exceptional baseball player during his youth, cannot break the color barrier and is kept from playing in the big leagues. That being his major life setback, Troy has a pessimistic view on the world. His attitude is unpleasant, but not without justification. Troy has a right to be angry, but to whom he takes out his anger on is questionable. He regularly gets fed up with his sons, Lyons and Cory, for no good reason. Troy disapproves of Lyons’ musical goals and Cory’s football ambitions to the point where the reader can notice Troy’s illogical way of releasing his displeasures. Frank Rich’s 1985 review of Fences in the New York Times argues that Troy’s constant anger is not irrational, but expected. Although Troy’s antagonism in misdirected, Rich is correct when he observes that Troy’s endless anger is warranted because Troy experiences an extremely difficult life, facing racism, jail, and poverty. Troy Maxon experiences a tumultuous life, beginning with his departure from his parents’ home at the age of fourteen. Living on an impoverished farm in the Deep South, Troy describes his father, who beats him regularly and only cares about work, as the devil. In Troy’s dialogue with Bono and Lyons, Troy remarks, “My daddy turned to face me, I could see why the devil had never come to get him…cause he was the devil himself” (Wilson 52). The most influential person in Troy’s early life was, as Troy believes, the devil. His... ... middle of paper ... ...eless, he essentially lived his life in a constant low point. Troy’s anger is undoubtedly misguided, but entirely permissible considering his hardships. The story of Troy Maxon begs the question: is it ever justifiable to pass judgment on someone without understanding his or her life story? After analyzing Troy’s struggle and resulting attitude, it seems that passing judgment is exceptionally risky. Without recognizing the early hardships of Troy’s life, it is easy to dismiss him and his cynical outlook. What can be learned from his story is evident. Never judge someone for his or her seemingly unwarranted attitude because there is a good chance it is completely defensible. Works Cited: Rich, Frank. "Theater: Wilson's Fences." New York Times 7 May 1985: n. pag. Print. Wilson, August. Fences: A Play in Two Acts. New York, NY: New American Library, 1986. Print.
Troy was met with many hardships in his life that left him feeling like he needed to protect himself from the things that have hurt him and could hurt him. The fence that Rose told Troy to build symbolized the barrier that he puts up to protect himself from the things that have hurt him and could hurt him in the future. Troy uses the fence to symbolize the emotional separation and neglect he has towards his family; Rose and Cory in particular. The main reason why the fence took the whole play to complete is because Troy neglected it and spent his time with his mistress which symbolized his neglect towards his family. Cory brings this to attention when he tells Troy that he "don't never do nothing, but go down to Taylors'", which is obviously his mistress’s home (Henderson). This was Troy’s f...
Fences is a play that deals with boundaries that hold people back and the trials and tribulations of those who try or wish to cross them. The characters are African-Americans in a time before the civil rights movement, living in an industrial city. The main character, Troy Manxson, is a talented baseball player who never had the chance to let his talent shine, with restrictions on race and his time in jail as the main obstacles that held him back. He is now hard working and loves his family. However, he tends to exaggerate and has his faults, most prevalent a wandering eye when it comes to women. His wife, Rose, is younger than him and loyal, but she may not have known about all of his faults when she married him. At the beginning of the play, Troy has a son from a previous marriage, Lyons, and a son with Rose, Cory. Also appearing are Bono, Troy’s drinking buddy, and Gabriel, his brother.
Fences written by August Wilson and Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller are two plays that could be considered very different in terms of their plot. The plots of both plays contain two very different cultural backgrounds which affects each protagonist differently. If the reader or audience looks past the plot into the theme and symbolisms used they can see that the plays are more similar than they are different. In spite of the different cultural backgrounds of each protagonist they both are tragic heroes that are trying to achieve the American dream as it relates to each character; both of which fail in drastic yet similar ways. The American dream has always been an important factor in many American’s lives as it is to Troy Maxson the protagonists of Fences and to Willy Loman the protagonist of Death of a Salesman. Willy Loman and Troy Maxson are both hardworking men of different cultural backgrounds, with striking similarities in the way they try to achieve and fail to achieve the American dream of their era and die in the end without earning the respect they both feel they should have.
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.
This makes Troy the antagonist in the story because he is not only hitting up against everyone in the play, but he is also hitting up against himself and ultimately making his life more complicated. The discrimination that Troy faced while playing baseball and the torment he endures as a child shaped him into one of the most dynamic characters in literary history. The central conflict is the relationship between Troy and Cory. The two of them have conflicting views about Cory’s future and, as the play goes on, this rocky relationship crumbles because Troy will not let Cory play collegiate football. The relationship becomes even more destructive when Troy admits to his relationship with Alberta and he admits Gabriel to a mental institution by accident.
Cory was recruited by a college football team, but Troy was strongly opposed to the idea. Rose even tries to change Troy’s mind by saying, “Why don’t you let the boy go ahead and play football, Troy? Aint no harm in that. He’s just trying to be like you with the sports” (Wilson 1736). Troy responds with, “I don’t want him to be like me! I want him to move as far away from my life as he can get (Wilson 1736). However, Troy was never given an opportunity like Cory was, it was possible for him to make it big in football. Troy quickly ruined Cory’s chances by telling the coach that he couldn’t play football anymore. The college recruiter was told not to come. It seems that Troy is jealous of Cory because he wanted nothing more then to play baseball in the major leagues. Myles Webber confirms Troy’s jealousy by saying, “But in Fences, amid a chorus of voices instructing Troy that times have changed—and among mounting evidence confirming as much—Troy appears to be a petty tyrant made irrational by envy for his son’s opportunities (670). It was wrong of Troy to keep Cory from a great opportunity just because he wasn’t given the same opportunity. Troy’s dissatisfaction with his life was taken out on
Troy Maxson is portrayed as a big man with a very big personality and a lot of dignity. He is a bitter guy who believes that he owes his family absolutely everything, from his money down to even his own soul. He is the type of man who wants more than what he can get and that is what drives him but it is also that very “want” that leads him into a very tragic life. Writing on the idea of Troy being a tragic hero, Martin says “Troy’s strengths are found in his willingness to fulfill his duty at all times. He also speaks directly to his dignity regarding his position of work and his career in baseball) Martin, 2) “Fences” Troy has many
The theme of August Wilson’s play “Fences” is the coming of age in the life of a broken black man. Wilson wrote about the black experience in different decades and the struggle that many blacks faced, and that is seen in “Fences” because there are two different generations portrayed in Troy and Cory. Troy plays the part of the protagonist who has been disillusioned throughout his life by everyone he has been close to. He was forced to leave home at an early age because his father beat him so dramatically. Troy never learned how to treat people close to him and he never gave any one a chance to prove themselves because he was selfish. This makes Troy the antagonist in the story because he is not only hitting up against everyone in the play, but he is also hitting up against himself and ultimately making his life more complicated. The discrimination that Troy faced while playing baseball and the torment he endures as a child shape him into one of the most dynamic characters in literary history. The central conflict is the relationship between Troy and Cory. The two of them have conflicting views about Cory’s future and, as the play goes on, this rocky relationship crumbles because Troy will not let Cory play collegiate football. The relationship becomes even more destructive when Troy admits to his relationship with Alberta and he admits Gabriel to a mental institution by accident. The complication begins in Troy’s youth, when his father beat him unconscious. At that moment, Troy leaves home and begins a troubled life on his own, and gaining a self-destructive outlook on life. “Fences” has many instances that can be considered the climax, but the one point in the story where the highest point of tension occurs, insight is gained and...
In conclusion, I believe Shannon makes her points strongly about Troy's aversion to Christianity. She sums up her assertions by stating, "When African American men like Troy did fall into the pits of depression, they did not reach for the Bible. They created their own convenient laws of behavior," (384). This is indicative of Troy in every way he deals with work, family, and death. I agree with Shannon in that Christianity knocks at Troy's door just like death, and he rearranges it to fit into his philosophies.
time I see him.? The source of this conflict lies in Troy?s experiences and attitude
In the end Troy died living behind a trail of animosity between him and his family. In my opinion his story is that of a tragic hero. He began being loved and praised by his family but eventually and gradually, he began to succumb to the weight of racism. It can be said that the effects of racism finally took the better of Troy, and consequentially it ruled his life. Like his fictional stories, death finally took him.
Troy and Bono both acquire similar attributes throughout the play, the similarities they share introduce a small sense of equality in their characterization, however Bono is characterized as a lenient person and Troy as a furious person. Troy’s previous experiences made it hard for him to become a better person, Joseph H. Wessling states in his article “Wilson’s Fences” “What should a realist expect of Troy Maxson, who was abandoned by his mother at age eight, fled a brutal, lustful father at age fourteen, began to steal for a living, and served fifteen years on a murder charge? One can only hope for some measure of good, and Troy exceeds a realist's expectations. He holds a steady but disagreeable job as a garbage collector, supports a wife and son, stays sober six days a week, wins his own private civil-rights battle to become a driver, and remains faithful to Rose for eighteen years before he falls” (Wessling 1), Bono probably had a similar negative experience, however he accumulated to the change in a much more uniform way than Troy. One of the main aspects that Troy and Bono share is having a similar past experience that was the main reason to result in the meeting of each other. In the past, Troy was a robber that committed a crime and was punished fifteen years in prison for it. As mentioned in the play “Troy: …Went out one day looking for somebody to rob…that’s what I was, a robber… Went to rob this fellow…pulled out my knife…and he pulled out a gun.
3. Shipley, Joseph T. The Crown Guide to the World's Great Plays. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1984. 332 - 333.
Even though it took Troy forever to finish the fence it, “becomes a gauge for his life, during which he experiences both literal and figurative incarceration. He is fenced off from society during a lengthy prison term; he is fenced out of the Major Leagues because of racial segregation; and after he initiates the breakup of his family, he is fenced out of his own home as well as out of the hearts of Rose and Cory” (Shannon 203-04). A fence usually means protection, but Troy got the negative connotation related to being shut out. He was so set in his ways, that his family didn’t see eye to eye and by society not accepting him, and proving he is worthy wasn’t enough he just stops fighting eventually but leaves with a legacy. He never gave up and spread his word of wisdom, even though people didn’t want to listen. He gave in to death, giving his power to turn his property into the visible recognition of his human properties, such that his responsibilities to his family, his athletic prowess, and his physical presence confirm his ability to confront Death- and hence construct his life- on his own terms. (210) Troy never had anyone tell him what to do after his father’s strict ways. He shaped his life based off how he was treated. He didn’t want to be walked on anymore; by setting standards for yourself keeps you centered. Troy isnt perfect, no one is but we show