Racism In Fences And Fences

Decades ago, African Americans were treated worse than domesticated animals, even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1873. Blacks struggled to retain even the simplest of rights, such as job equality. This is exhibited in the play Fences, by August Wilson. This play takes place in the 1950’s, just before the civil rights movement. The main character, Troy, discusses how the sanitation service he is employed through does not have a single black truck driver with his best friend Bono. Troy and Bono have been friends for countless years. Through those years, Bono has watched Troy get married to his wife, Rose, and have a child with her named Corey. The play talks about opportunity when Corey is given a chance to become a professional football

Once he lost his job on the airfield due to his overly racist boss, Easy was forced to come up with some money to pay for his house, and quick. Before he knew it, Easy was on the search for the notorious Daphne Monet, the fiance of a renowned wealthy man. Through this search, Easy is faced with racial prejudice around every corner. Comparable to the racial tensions in this novel are the racial tensions in A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest Gaines. The novel is about the both the educational growth of the accused murderer, Jefferson, and the personal growth of his teacher, Grant, until Jefferson’s last day before death row. Being a black man in such a time period, Jefferson is accused for a crime that he may or may not have committed and is sentenced by capital punishment. These three novels all teach valuable moral lessons, some of which overlap. Amongst these overlapping lessons include prejudice, responsibility, and the American dream. These lessons are presented in several different ways by the main

In Fences, Troy provides his son, Corey, with the bare necessities of life. This is not because he loves his son unconditionally like any satisfactory parent, but because he feels a responsibility to him. In fact, Troy is astonished when Corey asks him why he never liked him. Troy explains that there is no rule that ever stated that a father had to like his child. In Devil In a Blue Dress, Easy feels a responsibility to his house and being able to keep his house because he not only likes his house, but he loves it. Easy takes great pride in his house, and for that he feels a responsibility to it. In A Lesson Before Dying, Grant feels a responsibility to Jefferson and his education. Much like Troy in Fences, “liking” the other person was not the source of responsibility, just doing what they felt was right. Dignity and morality are most certainly present in the lesson of responsibility. Responsibility is represented in society as a morally sound quality to