Fences Literary Analysis
Fences
Name: Jondrea Williams
Date: 03/12/2012
English 1102
Drama Essay “We black men have a hard enough time in our own struggle for justice, and already have enough enemies as it is, to make the drastic mistake of attacking each other and adding more weight to an already unbearable load.” (Malcolm X) African American men through time have struggled for a power that is out of their reach because others hold the power. August Wilson’s Fences displays a Psychological/Psychoanalytic approach by illuminating the inherent injustice in America’s treatment of African American males and the ways in which this racism affects and invades the societal units – the family. The conventional husband-wife and father-son conflicts …show more content…
Troy has a low expectation of what black men can do with their lives, and is holding his sons back from obtaining successes that Troy could only dream about obtaining. Lyons is ambitious talented jazz musician. Lyons jazz playing appears to Troy as an unconventional and foolish occupation. In the beginning of Fences, Lyons comes to Troy to borrow ten dollars because he girlfriend Bonnie has a job working at the hospital. In Troy’s mind, Lyon is failing in his duty as a man by not taking care of his woman. Troy lectures Lyons, “I done learned my mistakes and learned to do what’s right it. You still trying to get something for nothing. Life don’t owe you nothing. You owe it to yourself.” (1.1.145). The quotation is an example of how Troy feels the black man will never amount to anything in the “white man’s world”. He also tries to control his son, Cory’s future because he see that he is going down the same road the Troy was on and was rejected from. Troy tells his wife Rose “The white man ain’t gonna let him get nowhere with the football.” (1.1.65). Through racial discrimination is still a huge problem in America during the 50s, things have gotten more equal, especially in the world of sports. Troy however is too stubborn and bitter to admit there has been some
Name: Jondrea Williams
Date: 03/12/2012
English 1102
Drama Essay “We black men have a hard enough time in our own struggle for justice, and already have enough enemies as it is, to make the drastic mistake of attacking each other and adding more weight to an already unbearable load.” (Malcolm X) African American men through time have struggled for a power that is out of their reach because others hold the power. August Wilson’s Fences displays a Psychological/Psychoanalytic approach by illuminating the inherent injustice in America’s treatment of African American males and the ways in which this racism affects and invades the societal units – the family. The conventional husband-wife and father-son conflicts …show more content…
Troy has a low expectation of what black men can do with their lives, and is holding his sons back from obtaining successes that Troy could only dream about obtaining. Lyons is ambitious talented jazz musician. Lyons jazz playing appears to Troy as an unconventional and foolish occupation. In the beginning of Fences, Lyons comes to Troy to borrow ten dollars because he girlfriend Bonnie has a job working at the hospital. In Troy’s mind, Lyon is failing in his duty as a man by not taking care of his woman. Troy lectures Lyons, “I done learned my mistakes and learned to do what’s right it. You still trying to get something for nothing. Life don’t owe you nothing. You owe it to yourself.” (1.1.145). The quotation is an example of how Troy feels the black man will never amount to anything in the “white man’s world”. He also tries to control his son, Cory’s future because he see that he is going down the same road the Troy was on and was rejected from. Troy tells his wife Rose “The white man ain’t gonna let him get nowhere with the football.” (1.1.65). Through racial discrimination is still a huge problem in America during the 50s, things have gotten more equal, especially in the world of sports. Troy however is too stubborn and bitter to admit there has been some