During the Civil Rights Era, many African-American families took great precaution to avoid extra conflict between law enforcement in their societies. African- American families had their hands full during this era with fighting for equal rights, the stop to segregation, and discrimination. Eventually, most African- Americans had learned how to manage and not express their inner feelings or opinions. On top of all that took place during this time, issues within family households were still present and just as important. In one of his most famous plays titled “Fences,” August Wilson explains how certain issues would affect a particular African- American homes during era. According to Elam, “Wilson creates black characters who are displaced and …show more content…
Even though Troy knows that he is the blame of most of the problems that are taking place around him, he fails to admit so. Instead of thinking more positive about things and owning up to his faults, he rather instead blames his family. The relationship between Troy and his oldest son Lyons can be one of the many examples of how his stubborn ways influence his relationship with his family. Troy’s relationship with Lyons can quickly be viewed as a relationship based on guilt. It is obvious that Troy does feel sympathy for him not being there for Lyons when he was younger. Troy’s actions, although do not appear the same way. There are many ways Troy could have stepped up and became more of a father figure in Lyons life, but he decided not to. He instead show his love by telling Lyons what he was doing wrong with his life and what all he should have accomplished so far, instead of actually teaching him how to do so. Troy lacks understanding that he cannot expect Lyons to have certain mindset set nor ambitious, if he was never taught to do …show more content…
Instead of owning up to his past and current mistakes and actually try to work through them, he instead let them influence his decisions. Although Troy was not able to be there for his oldest son Lyons when he was growing up, he still showed guilt in his relationship with his son. However, instead of Troy trying to make up for lost lessons and teach his son important values of what manhood actually stood for, he took the easiest way to show his guilt. He found it best to lecture to Lyons before he would eventually loan money to him. Troy also, let his past influence the relationship he had with his younger son Cory. Because of problems that he ran into when he was trying to become a professional athlete, he assumed that Cory would not be successful either. Troy never showed nor pretended that he had faith in Cory becoming pro. Instead Troy only told his son what he would not be able to do. Troy also let his current mistakes influence his marriage. When he cheated on his wife Rose, he was only concerned about himself and did not take into consideration what all she had sacrificed throughout their marriage. Troy could never find it within his self to accept situations that occurred in his past and learn from them, but instead he held on to them. In his article about ways a person can be unknowingly self-centered, Duska Ronald stated,“Self-interest is not selfishness. Selfishness is
Throughout the play, pieces of Troy’s background are exposed to the reader. It quickly becomes clear that he was a talented baseball player who could have played professionally if not for the color of his skin. Instead of going on to a successful baseball career, Troy was forced to move on with his life and settle down as a garbage man. Although this is not what he truly wants in his life, it provides stability for him and his family. Similarly to his father, Troy’s son, Cory, is a talented football player who is being scouted for college. However, instead of encouraging him, Troy constantly scolds him, telling him he has to find a ‘real job;’ Troy even tells the scout to leave. This is ultimately because of his jealousy towards Cory’s success in sports, and the fact that Cory possesses the life Troy dreamed of. Many feuds and disagreements are born between the father and son because of their different views.
Though Troy's actions toward his children are harsh and unfair, but this is not all Troy's fault. He was raised in a time when jazz music and African-Americans playing on professional sports teams just didn't happen. He was a product of his era just as his father before him. Parents can only raise their children the best way they know how, and for Troy this was all he had. As Troy told Cory “Who the hell say I got to like you?”, parents aren't forced to like their children. Sadly, Cory resented his father even after his death. We are all children, and we must learn not to resent our parents because of their actions, but to accept them and understand why they are the way they are. (Wilson 1304).
...eless, he essentially lived his life in a constant low point. Troy’s anger is undoubtedly misguided, but entirely permissible considering his hardships. The story of Troy Maxon begs the question: is it ever justifiable to pass judgment on someone without understanding his or her life story? After analyzing Troy’s struggle and resulting attitude, it seems that passing judgment is exceptionally risky. 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.
He lacked those skills because he did not have an example of how to be a good husband and father. He didn’t want to support Lyons music at all Troy, “I don’t like that Chinese music. All that noise.” (Wilson Pg. 1212). It's almost the same exact way he was treated by his father, he never gave a compliment to his son and wish him the best. Hard love can cause emotional damage to a person, especially if it's close blood. Lyons, wife also left him because he was thinking about himself just like his father, but his addiction was music. Cory only wants to be acknowledged by his father, he was making good grades in school and he wanted to play football. Troy did not want him to play sports because of what happened to him with baseball his experiences destroy his son Cory experiences. Rose gave all she had for Troy just to please his ways of life, he never asked his wife for advice on anything personal that bother her. He also never knew what she wanted out of the marriage, Troy did things that could cause his wife to leave him just like his mother left his father. Marriage was rather difficult for African-American in the past, “Dr. Hunter actually identifies the 1960s as the era when marriage within the African-American community significantly declined.”
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 shaped 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.
Troy is the son of an abusive father. His father was hardly around to raise him. When he was around, he made him do chores and if he didn’t do them he would beat him. One time, after Troy tied up the mule, just as his father told him to, he went off to the creek with a girl to “enjoy himself.” The mule got loose, and his father found out. His father came looking for him. When he found them at the creek, he had the leather mule straps; he started to beat Troy. Troy was naturally scared so he ran away. He looked back at his father and realized that his father didn’t care about beating him, he just wanted the girl. Troy came back; he ripped the straps out of his father’s hand. He then started to beat his father with them. His father, not afraid of Troy, beat up Troy. Troy was left there, his eyes were swelled shut. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t go back to his father’s house, so he went to another town 200 miles away. This is when Troy became a man at the age of 14.
One scene that really exemplifies the reader’s empathy towards Rose is when her and Troy get into a fight while in the backyard. This argument occurs when Troy first tells Rose that he got another woman pregnant. Wilson uses a strong metaphor here to aid him in getting Rose’s point
...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.
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 a country born from rebellion and proven on the racial genocide that is the American Civil War, it is no mystery as to why cross-cultural conflict remains a festering wound for the people of America. As a major topic of discussion, many books, plays, and even movies are produced, focusing on the hate and prejudice experienced by minorities. This conflict occurs and perpetuates itself between two groups with different cultural ideals. The play Fences written by August Wilson focuses on a brief period in the life of the Maxson family that stresses the racial inequality they experience in the town of Pittsburgh. Likewise, Walter Mosley writes his crime novel Devil in a Blue Dress from
... does tell the truth. He talks truthfully about his father and how he is a lot like him. He also admits that the only difference with him and his father is that he does not beat his children. Troy provided for his family. Additionally, even though he was very tough on Cory, he admitted that he was responsible for taking care of him and the rest of the family. In Act One, scene three, Troy explains to Cory why he treats him the way he does. Cory asks, “How come you ain’t never liked me?” (1346). Troy can’t admit to like his own son, so points out that he doesn’t have to like him in order to provide for him. “[…] ‘Cause it’s my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you! […] I ain’t got to like you” (1347). Deep down, somewhere in the dark abyss that is Troy’s heart, he sincerely cares about his family. He just has a very different way of articulating it.
Troy?s relationship with his father was one, which produced much tension, and had a strong influence on Troy?s relationships with his loved ones as an adult. He had very little respect for his father because his father did not, in Troy?s mind, make his family a priority. At an early age, Troy?s father beat him ?like there was no tomorrow? because he caught Troy getting ?cozy? with a girl (549; I,4). Troy said that ?right there is where [he became] a man? (549; I,4). It was at that moment that Troy made the decision to free himself from his father?s power. Despite the fact that he did eventually escape his father?s wrath, the struggle with his father?s aggressive behavior and lack of love resulted in a coldness that resided in Troy?s heart toward life and love. His father did not care about his children; children were there to work for the food that he ate first. Troy describes his feelings toward his father by saying, ?Sometimes I wish I hadn?t known my daddy. He ain?t cared nothing about no kids. A kid to him wasn?t nothing. All he wanted was for you to learn how to walk so he could start you to working? (548; I,4). Although Troy had very little respect for his father and vowed to be nothing like him, many of his father?s harsh personality traits show up in his own personality. Despite Troy?s continuous attempts to push himself away from anything he had ever known about his father, the inheritance of such irrational behavior was inevitable because it was all he had ever known. The inheritance of this angry behavior was, in turn, the cause of his damaging relationships with his own family. Just as Troy endured his father?s cruel ways, Troy?s family is left with no choice but to try to learn to live with his similar ways.
time I see him.? The source of this conflict lies in Troy?s experiences and attitude
Looking at Troy's relationship with his eldest son, Lyons, you can immediately see that their relationship is strained from the minute that Lyons makes his first appearance. During the time when the audience first meets Lyons, Troy rudely greets him by asking "What you come 'Hey, Popping' me for?" (13). You soon learn that Lyons is a struggling musician who often asks to borrow money from his father. You also learn that Troy is not at all supportive of Lyons' dreams of being a musician, even though that is what makes Lyons' happy. Troy constantly insults Lyons' by telling him that he is lazy because he would rather pursue his dreams than get a job similar to the one that Troy holds as a garbage man. Although Troy's relationship with Lyons is the least complicated of all of his relationships, the strain...
Troy is the type of person that only cares about himself and will only do things that benefit him. He does not care about who hurts while doing it as long as he benefits he is satisfied. When Troy was telling Rose about getting Alberta pregnant his excuse was that he, “just might be able to steal second”(2.1.118). Troy was unsatisfied with still being on “first”. He was tired of Rose and the way his life was he just wanted something different. Troy just wanted to steal second. He did not care about how his actions may affect Rose and his family he just did what would make him happy. Troy has no sympathy for anyone in his life. He knows his actions affect everyone around him negativity but he does not care because it is beneficial to him. Being unsympathetic to the people he supposedly loves also proves why Troy is the villain of this