August Wilson’s ‘Fences’ August Wilson’s play ‘Fences’ captures the evolving African-American experience and evaluates the relations between the races among other themes. Set in the 1950’s, ‘Fences’ is a story of how a tragic character assists in paving the way for other African- Americans to possess opportunities amid circumstances in which they are not at liberty to experience, but they nevertheless, make sacrifices and apply their talents (Shannon 3). Baseball and racism, being two of the major themes in the play, are used to bring out the predicament of the struggles of the black people. Although there are many struggles that African-Americans continue to endure, after reading …show more content…
John Thorn, baseballs official historian, is of the opinion that baseball encompasses national models such as fair play, the rule of law, equal opportunity and brotherhood among others and a former president of Yale University, Bart Giamatti, is of the opinion that baseball is the remaining unadulterated space where an American can dream (Koprice). The mythology and history behind baseball have been used to contest the validity of the American dream. Troy is full of resentment and is of the opinion that is one is a black person, “you born with two strikes on you before you come to the plate,” (Wilson 744) while referring to the limited opportunity and persecution of the black people. The author deconstructs the meaning of baseball as a symbol of the American dream and instead uses it as a mark of defiance by the protagonist. ‘Fences’ is filled with imagery regarding baseball, which have varying symbolic meanings. Troy was denied a chance at professional baseball because he was black. The disappointment of this injustice stayed with him for many years, essentially turning him into a bitter man. …show more content…
Although it was about 70 years ever since slavery was abolished, there were still remnants of this institution. All characters in the play are black and encounter differing forms of racism. The play is set in a time just before the 1960s Civil Rights Movement (Schmoop Editorial Team). It is very apparent that racism is one of the things preventing Troy from his destiny. At the opening of the play, we see Troy speaking to Bono about his complaints to Mr. Rand about how was it that only white males were permitted to drive the trucks that collected the garbage while the black people were only tasked with handling the garbage. “I went to Mr. Rand and asked him, ‘Why? Why you got the white mens driving and the colored lifting? Told him, ‘What’s the matter, don’t I count?’” (Wilson 725). This type of exclusion was typical of the time. Bono’s reply to this was that as long as he had filed the complaint, he could not be dismissed as he had been told that by a white man. By these sentiments, Bono can be said to see the white man as a figure of authority. Just by the fact that that was a statement made by a white man, it qualified as truth. This notion is reflective of the power that the white people were thought to have during the time. By making this complaint, however,
August Wilson’s Fences was centered on the life of Troy Maxson, an African American man full of bitterness towards the world because of the cards he was dealt in life amidst the 1950’s. In the play Troy was raised by an unloving and abusive father, when he wanted to become a Major League Baseball player he was rejected because of his race. Troy even served time in prison because he was impoverished and needed money so he robbed a bank and ended up killing a man. Troy’s life was anything but easy. In the play Troy and his son Cory were told to build a fence around their home by Rose. It is common knowledge that fences are used in one of two ways: to keep things outside or to keep things inside. In the same way that fences are used to keep things inside or outside Troy used the fence he was building to keep out death, his family, and his disappointments in life while Rose used the fence to keep those she cared about inside and help them bond.
Luis Valdez and August Wilson transformed the reflecting of multicultural in two plays through characters. Fences is the picture of the conflict culture for African-American in USA in 1957 and Zoot Suit is the picture of Mexican-American in USA in 1942. Different culture, Different people in the time period. That is affected by the racism and discrimination. The picture of the poor life and poor colors from characters on the stage in Fences. The poor languages, and the biggest fear come from by Troy Maxson. That is the lowest stream in American society. The Zoot Suit is the conflict reflecting between Mexican and American. They do not accept in the America society in 1942. El Pachuco is standing for the justice revolution and the equally rights
Just two days earlier at a banquet at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, many people had paid $25 a plate to show their admiration for Jackie as both a ballplayer and a representative of the Negro race as well. Some of the most distinguished figures in the nation were present this day and their praise was loud and long (Mann 187). Jackie accepted without hesitation a challenge to break a prevailing color barrier in the national sport of America with complete knowledge of how much he depended on him. Few men had ever faced such competitive odds when becoming a player in organized baseball. Despite criticism and opposition, Jack Roosevelt Robinson has truly come a long way from his poor beginnings as the grandson of slaves in Cairo, Georgia, to breaking the racial barriers in major league baseball by becoming its first black athlete and achieving hall of fame status.
“You’ve got to be right with yourself before you can be right with anyone else.” This is a quote that August Wilson knows all too well. In America’s beginning, there has been somewhat of a lack of a voice for the world that African-Americans live in. Whether it is in literature or in media, there is usually misrepresentation or some type of stereotype being shown to the public’s eyes about their culture. To rectify this situation, a numerous amount of African-American authors, poets, and playwrights write about their experiences throughout America’s inception. In his time period, Wilson was one of these voices who wrote out how he felt on the issues. His Pulitzer Prize winning play, The Piano Lesson, is an example of the literary depth he wanted to accomplish. However, with many things in the world changing how well does this man’s word resonate with today’s audience? How powerful are Wilson’s works and how do they teach his audience and be criticized by others?
Have you ever been protested and demonstrated against? Jackie Robinson felt the outcry of America during his baseball career. Fighting not only for his future, but also for the overall well-being of his sport, Robinson received death threats for his efforts. On a daily basis, this disciplined African man fought the pressures of hatred toward his entire race. As a segregated country, America saw major league baseball as a white man’s sport. Robinson was the outlier in an otherwise American “tradition.” Society observed Robinson’s play on the field with extremely bias eyes. No matter the achievement; no matter the obstacle; many still discredited his abilities due to the color of his skin. Over time skeptics gave in to their malice. Robinson broke the color barrier in American sports! Through perseverance and a stable mind, Jackie Robinson shattered the segregation of sports and started a revolution! Although,sport equality is not completely perfect in this world, Jackie Robinson’s contributions towards American sports, desegregation, and society will never be forgotten throughout the world.
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 of the world. His attitude is unpleasant, but not without justification.
In this paradigm, sports become not merely a game, but a symbol of the American Dream ethos. Writing in the introduction of Connie Mack’s autobiography, My 66 Years in the Big Leagues (1950), historian Francis Tevelyan Miller articulates the symbolic significance of baseball, which he believes to be, “democracy in action; in it all men are ‘free and equal,’ regardless of race, nationality, or creed. Every man is given the rightful opportunity to rise to the top on his own merits … It is the fullest expression of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly in our national life.” (qtd. in Orodenker 18) The democracy of sports was unwelcoming to women and people of color, and that is reflected in a sports literature that has been written almost exclusively by white
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
Wilson uses many symbols in the play to depict oppression. The primary symbol used is racism. Troy files a complaint to the Commissioner’s office against the Sanitation Department in reference to white men are the only men driving trucks. This complaint gets Troy promoted and he also becomes the first African American to drive a sanitation truck. Racism and segregation also play a major factor in Troy’s dream to be a professional baseball player in the Major Leagues. Since he is African American, he could only play in Negro League baseball. This defeat in his life now affects Troy’s son, Cory. Cory has an opportunity for a college education by be...
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...
Historical and sociological research has shown, through much evidence collection and analysis of primary documents that the American sporting industry can give an accurate reflection, to a certain extent, of racial struggles and discrimination into the larger context of American society. To understand this stance, a deep look into aspects of sport beyond simply playing the game must be a primary focus. Since the integration of baseball, followed shortly after by American football, why are the numbers of African American owners, coaches and managers so very low? What accounts for the absence of African American candidates from seeking front office and managerial roles? Is a conscious decision made by established members of each organization or is this matter a deeper reflection on society? Why does a certain image and persona exist amongst many African American athletes? Sports historians often take a look at sports and make a comparison to society. Beginning in the early 1980’s, historians began looking at the integration of baseball and how it preceded the civil rights movement. The common conclusion was that integration in baseball and other sports was indeed a reflection on American society. As African Americans began to play in sports, a short time later, Jim Crow laws and segregation formally came to an end in the south. Does racism and discrimination end with the elimination of Jim Crow and the onset of the civil rights movement and other instances of race awareness and equality? According to many modern sports historians and sociologists, they do not. This paper will focus on the writings of selected historians and sociologists who examine th...
Conflicts and tensions between family members and friends are key elements in August Wilson's play, Fences. The main character, Troy Maxon, has struggled his whole life to be a responsible person and fulfill his duties in any role that he is meant to play. In turn, however, he has created conflict through his forbidding manner. The author illustrates how the effects of Troy's stern upbringing cause him to pass along a legacy of bitterness and anger which creates tension and conflict in his relationships with his family.
Alan Nadel argues that the object of the fence in August Wilson’s play, “Fences” symbolizes a great struggle between the literal and figurative definitions of humanity and blackness. The author summarizes the play and uses the character Troy to explain the characterization of black abilities, such as Troy’s baseball talents, as “metaphoric,” which does not enable Troy to play in the white leagues as the period is set during segregation (Nadel 92). The author is trying to use the characters from the play as examples of black people during the segregation years to show how people of that time considered black people not as literal entities and more like figurative caricatures. Stating that these individuals were considered to be in a kind of limbo between human and object. Nadel’s thesis is easy to spot, and is actually pointed out directly on page 88 of the text. It reads that August Wilson’s play actually investigates the position of black persons as the metaphorical “fence” between humanity and property, arguing that the effects of this situation interacts within the “context of white [America]” so that a wider range of people are able to view the internal struggles of the black community.
The trials of Troy’s life are filled with racial discrimination which mentally scars him. His attitude and behavior towards others are governed by experiences and in most cases he uses the symbol of death in his fictional stories to represent the oppression of the white man. The play Fences, which is largely about Troy, begins with Troy entertaining Bono and Rose with an epic tale of his struggle with death or in other word...