Fences

Upon reading Fences in full, I feel that Troy is an utterly deplorable character. Early on, I believed that he was merely a victim of circumstance, living in a time when people of his race were treated as though they were less than the white citizens of the same towns. As I read further, I found a man who cheated on his wife, capitalized on his own brother’s misfortune, and not only denied his own son the opportunity to have a better life, he denied him love. Ultimately, I realized that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
In the first couple of scenes, I thought Troy was a reasonable character. He complained about the black man’s lack of a place at the grown-ups table, but seemed somewhat good natured. He told stories about encounters with the devil and death, and treated his wife like she mattered. When his friend implied that he might be cozying up to another woman, he played it off as simple flirting, and I was inclined to believe him. Troy was bold enough to stand up for himself at work, asking why only whites drove the rubbish trucks, and blacks had to haul the trash, which I thought was a sign that he was aware of and perhaps a part of the movement for equality.
As scene 2 closes, Troy leaves to go listen to a ball game, and somehow we realize what he’s really up to. In Act II, Troy makes his revelation to Rose and admits his infidelity, and that he’s fathered a child with his mistress. It’s awful enough that he’s fathered a child with another woman, but to add insult to injury he talks about how when he’s with her he can escape from the house and all of his responsibilities. He says that in her house he can laugh, as if Rose has somehow denied him the right to laughter and happiness. As he sa...

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...atches me study. It has always been her dream that at least one of her children would graduate from college, and at 38 years old, I’m the first to attend. I could not imagine her trying to sabotage one of her children because their life might be better than hers, she would rejoice in the idea. Gabriel, however, was the tragedy that struck me the hardest. I have a child with Autism, and it is my constant fear that someday, when I’m not around anymore to protect him, someone will take advantage of him in this way. For Gabriel alone, I hoped for an unpleasant end for Troy. Interesting as it was, I doubt that I would seek out a production of this play, I would leave the theater angry and it would not be a pleasant experience.

Works Cited

Wilson, August. "Fences." DiYanni, Robert. Literature: Approaches to Fiction, Poetry and Drama. McGraw Hill, n.d. 1467-1516.