Essay on August Wilsons Fences - 2481 Words

August Wilson’s: â€Å"Fences† In â€Å"Fences†, August Wilson tells the story of an ex-negro league baseball hero, Troy Maxon. Troy is a bitter man, withering away in his own hatred for the way things â€Å"are†, as well as his inability to see the world has changed. Troy has an â€Å"iron grip† on his family in the beginning, however as the story progresses the family breaks loose of the physical and emotional ties that are holding them down. Wilson uses character, setting, and symbolism to set the scene for Troy’s inner torment. Through characterization Wilson introduces Troy. Troy is a garbage collector. The year is 1957, which†¦show more content†¦Cory has a chance at a football scholarship, and yet Troy refuses to let him have his chance, stating, â€Å"The white man ain’t gonna let you get nowhere with that football noway† (1591; act I; scene 3). While Troy’s past experiences have shaped his opinions, there is definitely an element of jealousy there as well, for the opportunities not offered him, but are being offered to Cory. In â€Å"Fertile ground: August Wilson’s ‘Fences’†, Mollie Wilson O’Reilly adds, â€Å"Resentment over having come along ‘too early’ to build a career in baseball as a black man keeps Troy from acknowledging that conditions may ever be better for his son†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (O’Reilly). Troy is resistant to change. While a part of him is truly trying to help Cory get into a profession that â€Å"†¦nobody can take away†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1590; act I; scene 3), another par t of him is obviously secretly jealous, trying, essentially, to keep Cory down as he had been kept down for so many years. O’Reilly states, â€Å"Troy’s life has been shaped by racial discrimination, economic injustice, and an abusive upbringing† (O’Reilly). So, Troy is in fact trying to break the cycle of abuse andShow MoreRelatedThe Symbolic Importance of the Fence in August Wilson’s Fences1179 Words   |  5 Pages Alan Nadel argues that the object of the fence in August Wilson’s play, â€Å"Fences† symbolizes a great struggle between the literal and figurative definitions of humanity and blackness. The author summarizes the play and uses the character Troy to explain the characterization of black abilities, such as Troy’s baseball talents, as â€Å"metaphoric,† which does not enable Troy to play in the white leagues as the period is set during segregation (Nadel 92). The author is trying to use the charactersRead MoreEssay on August Wilsons Fences961 Words   |  4 Pages August Wilson’s Fences was centered on the life of Troy Maxson, an African American man full of bitterness towards the world because of the cards he was dealt in life amidst the 1950’s. In the play Troy was raised by an unloving and abusive father, when he wanted to become a Major League Baseball player he was rejected because of his race. Troy even served time in prison because he was impoverished and needed money so he robbed a bank and ended up killing a man. Troy’s life was anything but easyRead MoreSummary Of August Wilsons Fence1095 Words   |  5 PagesThe significance of play â€Å"Fence† by August Wilson’s start from the setting part partially he was trying to show the structure of troy family. â€Å"The yard is a small dirt yard, partially fenced, except for the last scene, with a wooden sawhorse, a pile of lumber, and other fenc e-building equipment set off to the side. Opposite is a tree from which hangs a ball made of rags. A baseball bat leans against the tree. Two oil drums serve as garbage receptacles and sit near the house at right to complete theRead More August Wilsons Fences - Building Fences Essay3028 Words   |  13 PagesAugust Wilsons Fences - Building Fences The first time I read August Wilsons Fences for english class, I was angry. I was angry at Troy Maxson, angry at him for having an affair, angry at him for denying his son, Cory, the opportunity for a football scholarship.I kept waiting for Troy to redeem himself in the end of the play, to change his mind about Cory, or to make up with Ruth somehow. I wanted to know why, and I didnt, couldnt understand. I had no intention of writing my research paperRead MoreFeminist Criticism In August Wilsons Fences732 Words   |  3 PagesWithin August Wilson’s Fences, the conflict between the authority figures within the Maxson household was prevalent. At this time in history, misogyny was widespread, and men typically held a large majority of the authority positions in society. Some scenes from Wilson’s Fences would include times in which Troy Maxson would depict seemingly oppressive authority over his family members. Troy often acted in a rather arrogant manner, which contribu ted to the strong sense of patriarchy that was presentRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of August Wilsons Fences758 Words   |  4 PagesRhetorical Analysis Paper August Wilson’s play, â€Å"Fences†, is a play about a father who is trying to make do to support his family as well as come to terms with his boisterous upbringing and the collapse of his Major League Baseball career. The Father, Troy Maxson, resents his son’s painless childhood and chances to pursue a college level football career. In multiple excerpts from the play, Troy brutally lectures his son Cory about life and adulthood. He uses short and incomplete sentences, rhetoricalRead MoreSpirituality Religion in August Wilsons Fences1072 Words   |  5 PagesFen Spirituality amp; Religion | In August Wilson’s â€Å"Fences† | | Mia Savage ENG 102 Essay #3 | 11/11/2011 | Introduction: â€Å"Fences† is one of ten plays written by August Wilson that document historic periods in Black American life. It is a colorful and thoughtfully written piece that tells the story of one family’s struggle in Civil Rights Era America, an empowering and complicated time for lower and middle class blacks struggling to attain an ideal of the â€Å"American Dream†. TroyRead MoreAnalysis of August Wilsons Fences706 Words   |  3 PagesHow would you feel if you witness that your life has been a complete failure? This is the question that Troy Maxson, the leading character in the drama Fences written by August Wilson, had to live with for the rest of his existence. It is the year of 1957 in Pittsburgh, where African descendants escaped from the savage conditions they had in the south. They were living in a world without freedom. While the play develops, the author shows the 1950s as a time when a new world of opportunities forRead MoreCharacter Analy sis of August Wilsons Fences879 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play Fences, by August Wilson, the main character, Troy Maxson is involved in numerous relationships with family members throughout the entire eight years that the story takes place. Troy is a father, husband, and brother to other characters in the play. Unfortunately for Troy, a strong-minded and aggressive man, he constantly complicates the relationships with his family members. Troys hurtful actions and words make it nearly impossible for him to sustain healthy relationships with not onlyRead MoreThe Interpretation Of August Wilsons Fences By Denzel Wilson724 Words   |  3 PagesAugust Wilsons’ play â€Å"Fences† gave the American stage one of the most renowned characters. As Wilson originally writes in the play, Troy Maxson, who is an uneducated sanitation worker and a former Negro League Baseball player is depicted as a multi-faceted tragic figure from the mid-1950s Pittsburgh of Wilson’s childh ood. This being the case, in the adaptation of this play, Denzel Washington understands the kind of ‘largeness’ portrayed in Wilson’s play and is hence portrayed a shadow that Troy casts