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This paper deals with the using of fences and borders, compare and contrast August Wilson’ s Fences with Cherrie Moraga’ s The Hungry Woman: A Mexican Medea in terms of depictions of boundaries relate to the issues of race and gender in America. By focusing on the themes of racism and sexism in both play, they will be compared and contrasted in terms of how they depict the limits of men or women in the American society and how the inequality blackouts the lives of the characters. In Fences, the borders which keep the characters away from acting how they wish to, are more visionary than The Hungry Woman that they think they are restrained by the whites even if there is no such a statement in the constitution, where as in The Hungry Woman it depicts that there are both mental and physical borders which make the characters …show more content…
This suggestion is reinforced by Rose’s comment that ‘‘ There’s a lot of people don’t know they can do no better than they doing now.’’ (Wilson. p. 110) . On the other hand, in Moraga’s play the play’s theme of hopelessness of the women’ s struggle for freedom is introduced, especially in the conversations of Jason and Medea, ‘‘ Free! You’re the slave, Medea. Not me. You will always be my woman…’’ . ( Moraga. p. 339) . However, both play have also similarities. For instance, Troy can cheat his wife, be with other women. And Medea cheats her husband. Only which gender does the cheating matters here. One another, the fence which represents Troy’s determination to live his life according to what he believes is right. One one level, Troy strives to keep the influences of the world out, including Cory’s football ambitions and Rose’s playing the lottery, the way a fence keeps things out. On another level, though, the way Troy keeps Cory, Rose, and later his daughter close to him, making them live their
...hand Rose wanted the fence built in order to keep the people she loved and cared about in it. These two different perspectives served to symbolize the difference between Troy and Rose in the story. At the end of the play you see Rose’s fence brings her family back together, showing that if you plants a seed, the idea of building the fence, and take care of it, building the fence, in time it will bear the fruit of your work and love, the family coming together.
As with most works of literature, the title Fences is more than just a title. It could be initially noted that there is only one physical fence being built by the characters onstage, but what are more important are the ideas that are being kept inside and outside of the fences that are being built by Troy and some of the other characters in Fences. The fence building becomes quite figurative, as Troy tries to fence in his own desires and infidelities. Through this act of trying to contain his desires and hypocrisies one might say, Troy finds himself fenced in, caught between his pragmatic and illusory ideals. On the one side of the fence, Troy creates illusions and embellishments on the truth, talking about how he wrestled with death, his encounters with the devil, later confronting the d...
Symbolism is the key to understanding Sandra Cisneros’ novel, “The House on Mango Street”. By unraveling the symbolism, the reader truly exposes the role of not only Latina women but women of any background. Esperanza, a girl from a Mexican background living in Chicago, writes down what she witnesses while growing up. As a result of her sheltered upbringing, Esperanza hardly comprehends the actions that take place around her, but what she did understand she wrote in her journal. Cisneros used this technique of the point of view of a child, to her advantage by giving the readers enough information of what is taking place on Mango Street so that they can gather the pieces of the puzzle a get the big picture.
August Wilson’s play, Fences, follows the formal conventions of its genre, which helps convey the story to the audience because he uses stage directions, theme, symbolism, and figurative language. Theme and symbolism are an important factor in the play. These two things are the main focus of the play because it gives us a message that the author wants to give us to secretly while we read. A theme that was given in Fences is that oppression does not choose to hurt people of color, but gender as well.
Fences and The Great Gatsby both have many characters that plays a significant role in the story. Both stories also have characters in the story that has changed due to the past or are changing throughout the story. There were many character changes in The Great Gatsby and Fences. For example, Troy leaving his family as a kid due to his father kicking him out the house at the age fourteen. This was a major change for Troy, because this act made Troy treat his family an unusual way people would usually treat their love ones. Troy is the protagonist in the book Fences. Troy is the father of Lyons and Cory, and husband of Rose. Switching to some examples from the Great Gatsby is when Daisy loved Gatsby during the war, then started to love someone
Fences, a low diction play by August Wilson, expresses the complex relationship between a father and his sons. Troy Maxson, once a baseball star on a Negro League, is now envious of his son Cory who dreams of having a successful football career. Troy also worries that Cory will be treated with the same disrespect that he (Troy) once was during his baseball career. Lyons, Troy's eldest son, is completely misunderstood by Troy, mostly because of his refusal to get a “real” job and his drive to become a musician. Wilson references stories from Troy's past to convey the reason behind Troy's frustration and actions toward his children.
Answer: When I hear the word fence I imagine a farm gridded using white wooden fences. The fences are separating the animals that inhabit the farm. In literature, a fence reminds me of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Similarly to a fence on a farm, the fence surrounding the concentration camp separates things - people this time, not animals. What’s the writer doing with this object? I believe she's using it to show the difference between the fortunate and unfortunate. A fence in literature is a barrier between things. It symbolizes differences and enhances the meaning of the things on either side of the fence. Bruno, the free boy, is used to show the ignorant and lucky. The other boy, Shmuel, is used to show the minority and less fortunate. Their parts in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas are only enhanced by the presence of a
In today's world it is difficult for young people to get a good handle on the past. This is especially the case when talking about the history of African-Americans in the United States and the "consequences of racial injustice" which they faced. Toni Morrison shares her thoughts on this topic in her novel The Bluest Eye through the use of the metaphor, " the hem of life." This idea of marginalizing African-Americans was used well to describe the hardships of most African-Americans throughout history. A more effective metaphor was utilized in August Wilson's play Fences, where the same hardships discussed by Morrison were related back to the title of the play. The idea of the separation that the fence metaphor presents seemed to apply to African-Americans in the sixties, when his book was set, the characters in The Bluest Eye, as well as slaves. When reading the narrative by Frederick Douglass or even "Swing Low, Sweet Chariots," the fences metaphor stood out and was clearly very effective in describing racial injustice.
For example, Rose reinforces the central theme by showing love for the ones she cares about most. In a conversation between Cory, Troy and another character named Bono, it is explained that Rose is longing to keep Troy and the memories that they have built together, “Cory: ‘I don't see why Mama want a fence around the yard noways.’ Troy: ‘Damn if I know either. What the hell she keeping out with it? She ain't got nothing nobody want.’ Bono: ‘Some people build fences to keep people out . . . and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you,’” (Act 2, Scene 1). Even when Rose could see her marriage slipping away, she still is not ready to let go of anything because of the love she has for him. Rose was a devoted wife and mother and in this play Wilson uses her character to show that love exists even during a difficult situation. At this moment, Rose supports the central theme by expressing the positive perspective of what love consists of at times; forgiveness. Even after Troy has a child with his mistress, and she dies from child birth, Rose’s decision to take in the child as her own shows that she has the capacity of showing unconditional love even during an adulterous situation. Not only does she support the theme of love through her
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
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.
Elena Poniatowska escrita durante una epoca de cambio en Mexico. Antes de sus obras las mujeres mexicanas eran sometidos, docil, y pasivo. En la tiempo de sus obras las mujeres estaba tratando salir de los estereotipos de antes. Esta problema social tomo un afecto en Elena. Aunque ella no viene de un movimiento literatura directamente, ella escrita con el concepto de compremetido. En su narrative El Recado ella crea un mujer estereotipical que no puede controlar sus emociones. La titula es eso porque ella viene a ver su amante, pero el no esta, asi ella escribe las cosas que sentia. La perspectiva es de un personaje y ella nunca interacta con otros personajes. En facto la unica descripcion de un personaje otro de la protagonista es de su amante Martin. Habla de otros personajes, pero solamente de sus acciones. Porque ellas es la unica perspectiva que tenemos es sencillo a sentar compasion para una protagonista de quien nombre no aun sabemos. Ella da la descripcion de toda que vea, y mas importante todo que se sienta. Tambien tropos y figuras retoricas dan un tono significante al poema. Estos sentimientos de la portagonista y el tono emocional de la narrativa transporta una tema de una mujer estereotipical y debil quien quiere ser reconocido.
Writing in the 20th century was great deal harder for a Chicano then it was for a typical American at this time. Although that did not stop this author, Sandra Cisneros. One of her famous novels, Woman Hollering Creek was a prime example of how a combined culture: Mexican-Americans, could show their pride and identity in this century. In conjunction, gave the opportunity for women to speak their voice and forever change the culture of Latino/a markets. Not only did it express identity/gender roles of women and relationships, but using these relationships to combine the cultures of Mexican and American into a hybrid breed. This novel, should have been a view-point for the future to show that there is more to life than just gender and race. Concluding this, the articles that helps define this is “The Latino/a Canon and the Emergence of Post-Sixties Literature” and “What is called Heaven”.
Even in today’s society, gender roles play a part in how people view the world. Although more important than the gender roles are the emotions that antagonize the psyche of the human. Medea shows how jealousy can lead to revenge and influence bad decisions and ruin or even end lives. Ironically, the decisions she makes to kill her children, leaves Jason helpless much like a Greek wife during this time. She removes the opportunity for him to voice his opinions, needs, and desires. This flip of traditional gender roles shows how gender roles are not a reliable way to view a society.
This mutual suffering between Medea and the Chorus raises issues such as the treatment of women at the time when this play was written. When Medea married Jason, she married herself to him for life. She was expected to be totally obedient and to accept whatever her husband willed. For her to look upon another man other than her husband would have been totally unacceptable. Whereas Jason marries another woman while he...