Challenging the Status Quo of Nature vs. Nurture (4) Nurturing children doesn’t necessarily show love; it shows discipline and responsibility that all of us have learned and know. Nature is always a controversial subject because it’s based off our DNA, but our personalities are developed by how we are raised. We are unique and form our own identities later on in life after being nurtured. Society’s views can limit our horizons because of race and having strict right and wrongs. In the play Fences by August Wilson, although Troy Maxon can be seen as controlling, this attribute came from his past, he shows growth and overcomes many obstacles because of the way he is. The conflicts created with his wife and children could be viewed as a disconnection …show more content…
Troy’s father made Troy respect him and others, and learn that when there are duties to be done they should be completed to the best of his ability. However, if these two standards plus others weren’t followed, Troy didn’t have limitations just needed to eventually learn the lessons. Without limitations Troy had the ability to keep making the same mistakes. Troy decided at a young age, that when he was disrespected there wasn’t any more lessons to learn from his father. The disrespect pushed Troy to passed his limits because it was against his girlfriend. Troy respects woman and when his father tried to rape his girlfriend, he was …show more content…
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
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...
The play wants the readers to judge Troy, as a bad husband, a bad brother, a bad father and a bad man. I feel this way, too. He cheated on Rose. Then he left her with the child he had with his mistress. He didn’t care at all about Gabriel. He stole money from him and he sent him to an institution. Troy never cared for Cory. He wouldn’t let him play football, the only thing Cory wanted to do. All of these examples show that Troy is an uncaring husband, a bad brother, a poor father and a generally an uncaring
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.
Confusion can often lead to clarity. Humans often feel a vast array of emotions at any given time that are more often than not, conflicting. These emotions lead to a healthy confusion of pleasure and disquietude. While these two emotions may be a confusing mixture, they often lead to clarity in regard to an underlying meaning or message. This same thought process can be applied to works of literature. A healthy confusion of pleasure and disquietude allows the reader to remain engaged and involved in a novel long enough to either learn a lesson or understand an underlying idea of the work. This healthy confusion is evident throughout the play Fences. Throughout August Wilson’s play, Fences, Wilson conveys a healthy confusion
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 anyone a chance to prove themselves because he was selfish.
Mark Twain expresses and displays the reality of the vigorous debate of nature versus nurture in his novel, Pudd’nhead Wilson, through the development of one of the main characters, Tom. In addition to tossing ideas around of nature versus nurture, Twain also does the same in terms of other societal issues that still exist even in modern society, such as gender roles and racism. Yet, through both Tom’s and Chamber’s upbringings and resulting attitudes shown towards the end of the novel, Twain shows that how a person is raised, their privilege, or lack thereof, and their surrounding environment affects their future personality and attitude towards others. Considering all these factors, it is obvious that a person grows up to be an adult that
Reading literature allows the reader to experience feelings of others through literary characters of largely differing backgrounds. This leads to an increased sensitivity and consideration of those around us, which is also called having empathy. August Wilson uses strong examples of metaphors, diction, personification, and various other devices to make the reader empathize with Rose in his play Fences by allowing us to dive deeper into her thoughts and feelings.
We all lead lives filled with anxiety over certain issues, and with dread of the inevitable day of our death. In this play, Fences which was written by the well known playwright, August Wilson, we have the story of Troy Maxson and his family. Fences is about Troy Maxson, an aggressive man who has on going, imaginary battle with death. His life is based on supporting his family well and making sure they have the comforts that he did not have in his own childhood. Also, influenced by his own abusive childhood, he becomes an abusive father who rules his younger son, Cory?s life based on his own past experiences. When the issue comes up of Cory having a bright future ahead of him if he joins the football team, Troy refuses to allow him. The root of this decision lies in his own experience of not being allowed to join the baseball team due to the racial prejudices of his time. He does not realize that times have changed and because of his own past, he ruins his son?s life too. His wife, Rose, also plays a big part in the way the story develops. Troy has an affair with another woman called Alberta. When Rose finds out about the affair, she is devastated. In this situation we find out what her own hopes and dreams were. All she wanted was a happy home and family life because of her unstable past. The theme of this story is how a black family, in the late fifties to early sixties, faces the problems that many families are faced with, but in their own...
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
In conclusion, Troy joke that baseball would always come first in his life; ironically, this comes true after considering, he tears his family apart being selfish, naïve and bitter due to the racial discrimination act done upon him. He puts baseball before his family, especially his wife and son. Troy is inconsiderate of his wife and kids when he thinks he is trying to help them by avoiding certain outcomes. However, death did take a toll of Troy, but did not go out without a fight; Troy actually struck out
In the play Fences, August Wilson uses symbolism throughout the story to emphasis the physical and emotional barrier between the protagonist, Troy Maxon, and everyone around him. Troy loses his career as a professional baseball player because of his race. This causes him to be a bitter man and he eventually loses his friends and family because of it. Wilson uses both literal and figurative symbolism to express the themes in this play.
Troy?s damaging relationship with his father had a dual effect in his life. It created a conscious awareness of how not to conduct his life and built fences, which inevitably recreated his father in his personality. These fences shaped and formed his relationships with his son. Due to his conscious efforts to not become what he did hold that were his father?s. The narrowness of his thoughts and ideas about life made him an almost impossible person with whom to have a relationship. These flaws permanently changed the lives of the people around him and built barriers which were too solid to ever be broken.
Literature is our ancient form of a hard drive where we can read something from the past and connect with our present. The more we read, the more literate we become. Therefore, we have the opportunity to open our minds to more ideas and try to understand the way other human beings think. From the beginning of time human beings have developed methods to communicate with each other. Our ability to develop these methods have allowed us to pass our knowledge from one generation to another. This development has given us the opportunity to expand our knowledge to higher standards. Literate work is beneficial to all of us by allowing us to understand others way of thinking, the ability to analyze characters, learn about the authors experiences and stimulate our mind.
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.
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.