In August Wilson’s “Fences”, Troy is considered to be the protagonist in this story. Usually the protagonist will have some form of conflict either it being within themselves or something /someone. Troy Maxson characteristics and his circumstances can also classify him as being a tragic figure as well. Troy Maxson is the leading character here in this play, it is evident that there are many conflicts Troy faces throughout this play, from the time he wanted to become professional baseball player but society prohibited from doing so because of racial barriers, The disappointment Troy has in this situation impacts his judgment regarding Cory who is the son of Troy being recruited to play college football, creating tension between the two. Troy is portrayed as a hardworking dedicated man. Equipped with a strong work ethic and persistent Troy seeks to instill the same work ethic he has into his children. For every time a family member would mention a career that Troy doesn’t be is legitimate for example Cory wanting to be football player, Troy would constantly remind his family that’s he is the breadwinner, in Act 1, Scene 3 Cory asks Troy “How come you ain’t never liked me”. Offended Troy defends himself saying, “Don’t you eat every day? … Got a roof over your head …Got Clothes on your back...Why you think that is? ” (pg. 1075.) This one of many examples that displays Troy’s belief that his job is superior to any other career. The protagonist is the most important character. In fences Troy shapes the play and the play shapes him as well. If you were to remove the character from the story and the story happens the same way still; the person selected should not be considered as a protagonist. In this case almost everything in the... ... middle of paper ... ...laws. A tragic flaw Troy has is when cheats with a woman behind Rose's back. Another flaw would be Troy becoming both a victim and a victimizer. He is victimized by many factors such as by his race, the way his father treated him, growing up in poverty, as well as the society that surrounds him; Troy shows why he is considered as victimizer as well when controls or try to take advantage of Cory, and Rose. Wilson portrays Troy as a man worthy of respect and admiration because his intentions are well-meaning. He has overcome many trials in his life and is a father that may not be perfect but nevertheless is still there for his boys. In Wilson’s personal life he never had a fatherly experience. As a result he is sending a message to the reader that it is better to have a father there that is less than perfect than having a “rolling stone” for a father.
As a result of Troy being unable to find a place to live or a job he started stealing to get by. Eventually the situation escalated and he murdered someone in a robbery gone wrong; this led to him being sentenced to 15 years in prison. Prison is where he found his love for baseball. He became quite good with a bat and hoped that when he got out he could play professionally. Unfortunately due to the segregation of the MLB Troy was never able to pursue that career and he is resentful of the situation his whole life.This caused him to be a very bitter person for the remainder of his life and this also caused him to shoot down the hopes and dreams of his son Corey by telling him things like “...The white man ain’t gonna let you go nowhere with that football
...e he ruined his marriage by cheating on her. Rose takes care of Troy’s newborn baby Raynell because she believes that Raynell needs a mother figure in her life and not a worthless man; she then kicks Troy out of the house. After Troy dies, Rose forgives him. Rose married Troy after he was released from prison. Troy knows that he is unsuccessful in accomplishing what he wanted for him and his family. Troy is a garbage man who feels that the white man kept him from doing a lot of things that he wanted to do in life. Troy does not have many goals in life. Troy is in own little world and does not like to be judged.
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...
Weaving together allusions to Greek mythology and the American baseball legends, August Wilson in his play Fences tells the story of Troy Maxson, the tragic hero who falls victim to his misconceptions of his world. Tenaciously holding on to his experience of racism and hardship in the 1950s, Troy does not realize the present world around him has changed. As a result, Troy tries to protect his son Cory from following his footsteps, but Cory tries to break free of his father’s authority. However, by creating this metaphorical fence to protect Cory, Troy also prevents Cory from reaching his true potential. Indeed, through metaphors and allusions, August Wilson portrays Troy Maxson as the tragic hero unable to recognize the changing African American culture around him.
The way Troy’s father treats his family prompts Troy in leaving the house in attempt to escape. Despite his efforts to escape from his father, his father seems to have an everlasting effect on Troy. This is seen with the way Troy treats his family, which also drives his own family members to desert him. Due to Troy’s harsh personality that was developed from his father (and from the past), his relationships with his sons become complicated. Troy’s narrow-mindedness causes both Cory and Lyons to push him away from their lives; however, Troy seems to have a large impact on both sons’ lives, with them turning out very similar to Troy. This theme of father-son relationships throughout the play is a very significant one as it drives the whole storyline and leaves the audience mainly thinking about how the father can have such a strong effect on the
Wilson uses the character of Troy, his family, and his friends in Fences to pour out his life, his
Troy’s life was not easy. He had to stand alone fighting in a world that closed its doors of triumph in his face. In spite of his great talent for baseball, the barrier of racism did not let him succeed in this promising career. This event marked his life in such a way that his life became a reflection of his bitterness. One of the moments where we can see Troy’s position is when his own son Cory begins to trace its path as a football player. He refuses to accept that his son might succeed in his dream of becoming a professional, showing his over protection, and at the same time jealousy. He cannot stand the thought of Cory getting abused by the athletic industry, but most important, he also can’t stand the thought of Cory succeeding where he failed. The anger Troy has inside shows up when Cory asked a simple question: “How come you ain’t never liked me?” and Troy answered angry: “Like you? Who the hell say I got to like you? W...
His relationship with his son, Cory explains how he does not want his son to end up like him. Yet, he sabotages Cory’s dream of playing football and refuses to sign the permission slip. Troy was a coward who was all about showing his family what a real man is like but had an affair with Alberta and ended up ruining his family. In view of the fact that he ruined his family Cory lost all respect for his father and is overturned how Troy could do that to Rose. Having someone to look up to and having someone truly care about you is a great feeling especially if it’s your parent. Unfortunately, Cory only had one true parent which was his mother, Rose, she stuck through everything and thought positively throughout the bumps their family
As one reads the play, he or she starts to criticize Troy Maxson?s behavior as of a patronizing person. However, if a reader analyzes the situation he was in he or she wouldn?t be so stern in his judgements. In my view he is not a bad father, simply his life experiences have shaped his personality. Through his behavior and acts he wants to pass on to his family the right principles for living, which will guide them through their lives. Troy?s oldest son, Lyons who is thirty-four, fancies himself as a musician. Troy realizes that his son is becoming more and more caught up in the idea of being a musician and is in constant need of money. He is reluctant to loan his son money when he needs it because he wants him to be able to support himself by having a decent job. It is shown when he says, ?I don?t know why he don?t go and get him a decent job and take care of that woman he got.? Troy tries to be a good father but he uses an old-fashioned approach when he tries to explain to his sons how to make it in the real world. He doesn?t ...
Troy would be viewed as a tragic figure in the play because he tries to do good by teaching life lessons in the play, but he failed to demonstrate some of them that which tampers with his relationships throughout Fences .Troy teaches Lyons responsibility by showing him the influence his dad. Troy displays his idea of people should do right by you when he chooses to shop at Bella’s instead of the A and P which is cheaper. Also, he fails to demonstrate it by doing wrong by Bono and Rose when he had an affair with Alberta. Troy tries to teach Cory that he should focus on getting a real job because it is very likely that football won’t work out, that is why Troy gets mad that Cory lied about his job and tells Cory’s coach he can’t play anymore.
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...
This is the reason why Troy fights against his family and himself, because he feels like he is the only one who can protect them. To Cory and Rose, Troy is destroying the family because of his stubborn thoughts but to Troy he is saving the family from falling apart and this distrust causes the family to eventually fall apart. Troy really does try his hardest to be a good father and is bothered by the fact that Rose and Cory do not see it as him trying to protect them but more of him destroying the family. This hurts Troy because his family is his everything they are what he “fights” for he works day end and day out to put food on the table and try to give them a life he thinks the deserve. August Wilson in “fences” Troy says, “ I love this woman, so much it hurts. I love her so much… I done run out of ways to love her.”(1.1) Wilson uses to show how much Troy actually cares for his wife, to Troy Rose is his everything, she is the light in his darkness, she try’s to guide him back to a sane man. Another Way Wilson shows how much Troy loves his family is when Troy is talking to his family and says that “ You all line up at the door, with your hands out. I give you the lint from my pockets. I give you my sweat and my blood…”(1.3) Troy is saying that he will give them everything until he has absolutely nothing but the lint from his pockets. He will go out of his way to make
Perhaps the most important and fulfilling relationship a man can be involved in is one with his own flesh and blood. At the beginning of the play, we learn that Troy has two sons, Lyons and Cory. Lyons is Troy's son by a previous marriage and Cory is Troy's son by his current marriage. Neither Lyons nor Cory share a close relationship with their father and Troy is mostly to blame for that.
life in the mid to late twentieth century and the strains of society on African Americans. Set in a small neighborhood of a big city, this play holds much conflict between a father, Troy Maxson, and his two sons, Lyons and Cory. By analyzing the sources of this conflict, one can better appreciate and understand the way the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work.
Troy grew up in an unloving home with a father he wished he had never known or experienced. Troy attempted to play baseball in the major leagues, but was rejected because of his skin color, not necessarily because of his baseball ability. This painful and infuriating experience, along with the lack of preparation and training from his father, is the root cause of Troy’s intensity and intentionality in the way he raises Cory. His goals for Cory, while different from Okonkwo’s actual goals for his sons, are similarly shown through tough love and harsh treatment at times. Troy uses his dad as an example of what not to do in certain scenarios, as well as at time what to do in other situations. He admires the way his father “felt a responsibility towards [them]” because “without that responsibility he could have walked off and left [them]” (Wilson 51). Troy understands that sometimes you do something for your child because you have to, not because you want to. Other than that feeling of responsibility to raise his children, Troy views his father as an example of how he does not want to live, as well as how he does not want to raise his own children. Troy is adamant about not allowing Cory to act on the football scholarship offer he receives because of the experience he had with major league baseball. Troy tells Cory that “the white man ain’t gonna let you get nowhere with that