Fences: Black People and Wilson
Joseph Fernandez
Ms. Reilly
World Lit
27, January,2010
The Isolation and Alienation of Troy in Wilson's Fences August Wilson's Fences is a play about life, and an extended metaphor Wilson uses to show the crumbling relationships between Troy and Cory and Troy and Rose. Troy Maxson represents the dreams of black America in a majorly white world, a world where these dreams were not possible because of the racism and attitudes that prevailed. Troy Maxson is representative of many blacks and their "attitudes and behavior...within the social flux of the late fifties, in their individual and collective struggles to hew a niche for themselves in the rocky social terrain of postwar America" (Pereria, 37). Much of the tension in the play comes from Troy Maxson, and his inability to change, his, "refusal to accept the fact that social conditions are changing for the black man" (Pereria, 37). Troy's wife, Rose, recognizes this early on, saying to him, "Times have changed from when you was young, Troy. People change. The world's changing around you and you can't even see it" (Wilson, 40).
This inability to change diversely affects Troy's relationship with his second son, Cory, who is a promising athlete. Sports provide the arena for the continuing conflict and foreshadows the characteristic that will eventually lead to Troy's downfall. There is a constant struggle between Troy and Cory because Troy will not allow his son to pursue his athletic dreams, telling him instead to keep his after-school job. This comes from Troy's past, when he was a promising baseball player who was prevented from playing because he was black. Troy's fears carry into the new generation when he prevents his son from pursuing a football scholarship because of his past, even though the world was changing at this time, and colored people were expanding into new areas. Troy admits to Rose that his decision regarding Cory's future comes from his past
Ms. Reilly
World Lit
27, January,2010
The Isolation and Alienation of Troy in Wilson's Fences August Wilson's Fences is a play about life, and an extended metaphor Wilson uses to show the crumbling relationships between Troy and Cory and Troy and Rose. Troy Maxson represents the dreams of black America in a majorly white world, a world where these dreams were not possible because of the racism and attitudes that prevailed. Troy Maxson is representative of many blacks and their "attitudes and behavior...within the social flux of the late fifties, in their individual and collective struggles to hew a niche for themselves in the rocky social terrain of postwar America" (Pereria, 37). Much of the tension in the play comes from Troy Maxson, and his inability to change, his, "refusal to accept the fact that social conditions are changing for the black man" (Pereria, 37). Troy's wife, Rose, recognizes this early on, saying to him, "Times have changed from when you was young, Troy. People change. The world's changing around you and you can't even see it" (Wilson, 40).
This inability to change diversely affects Troy's relationship with his second son, Cory, who is a promising athlete. Sports provide the arena for the continuing conflict and foreshadows the characteristic that will eventually lead to Troy's downfall. There is a constant struggle between Troy and Cory because Troy will not allow his son to pursue his athletic dreams, telling him instead to keep his after-school job. This comes from Troy's past, when he was a promising baseball player who was prevented from playing because he was black. Troy's fears carry into the new generation when he prevents his son from pursuing a football scholarship because of his past, even though the world was changing at this time, and colored people were expanding into new areas. Troy admits to Rose that his decision regarding Cory's future comes from his past
Cited: Bogumil, Mary L. Understanding August Wilson. University of South Carolina Press, Colombia:1999. Elkins, Marilyn. August Wilson: A Casebook. Garland Publishing Inc., New York: 2000. Nadel, Alan. May All Your Fences Have Gates: Essays on the Drama of August Wilson. University of Iowa Press, U.S.:1994. Pereira, Kim. August Wilson and the African American Odyssey. University Of Illinois Press, Chicago:1995. Wilson, August. Fences. Penguin Books U.S.A. Inc., New York:1986. Wolfe, Peter. August Wilson: Twayne 's United States Authors Series. Ed. Frank Day. Twayne Publishers, New York:1999.