Comparing The Struggle In Fences, The Piano Lesson And Black Bottom

August Wilson, a famous playwright during the twentieth century, wrote several plays that displayed life for African-Americans throughout that time period. The Pulitzer Prize winner has many plays that are still performed on Broadway today: Fences, The Piano Lesson, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Fences, specifically, expresses the struggle that the Maxson’s face to keep their family together through the many negative situations that they encounter. In the beginning, Troy Maxson and his friend, Bono, are sitting on the front porch drinking. Bono is aware about Troy’s affair with Alberta, warning him that he should stop before he ruins his marriage. When Troy’s wife, Rose, enters the porch from inside the house, Troy treats her with disrespect;

At times, Troy treats Rose with disrespect by commanding her to follow his orders to no avail. Rose states, “Man, hush your mouth. I ain’t no dog. . . talk about ‘come here when you call me’”(1.4.36). Each time that Troy tries to treat her as inferior, she refuses to allow his masculine personality to take over her self worth. When Rose discovers that Troy is cheating on her with Alberta, she does not take the situation lightly. Instantly, she confronts Troy about how he is “always talking about what you give. . . and what you don't have to give. But you take too. You take. . . and don't even know nobody's giving!" (2.1.250-253). Rose informs Troy that he destroys the family that they have by choosing to sleep with another woman. Although Rose does not agree with Troy’s predicament, she agrees to take care of the child; however, she excludes the existence of Troy from her life: “I'll take care of your baby for you. . . cause. . . like you say. . . she 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”(2.3.8). In order to keep the family together, Rose chooses to take care of Troy’s child; meanwhile, instead of getting a divorce, she simply ignores that Troy exists in her life. Rose repeatedly stands up

Cory realizes that his father repeatedly criticizes each action that he takes; appropriately, Cory feels that his father does not care for him. Cory asks, “How come you ain’t never liked me”(1.3.156)? Because Troy always seems to either scold or ignore Cory, he feels that his father does not treat him fairly. In addition, Troy ends Cory’s dreams of playing football when he tells the coach that Cory cannot play. Enraged at his father, Cory claims that “you ain’t never gave me nothing! You ain’t ever done nothing but hold me back. Afraid I was gonna be better than you. All you ever did was try and make me scared of you”(2.4.130-133). Upset with his father, Cory explains that Troy continuously asserts unfair ruling that cause issues in Cory pursuing his dreams. Moreover, Cory fears the very thought of his father in his life. Each task that Cory takes on, he fears that his father will criticize the way that he lives; as a result, Cory holds an ambition to break