Troy Maxon Analysis

Fences and Cultural Studies

In this story Troy Maxon is a fifty-three year old big black man who is has been consumed with distrust and resentment. Troy has been married twice. His present wife is Rose and they have a son named Cory. Troy’s son Lyons is his oldest son by a previous marriage.
Troy’s wife Rose is a dedicated wife and mother who takes care of her family to the best of her ability. Troy’s brother Gabriel was injured in War World II and has mental problems.
Troy’s line of work is a garbage man. He was disturbed that only the black men did the heavy work. He asked his boss Mr. Rand, “Why you got the white mens driving and the colored lifting” (2)?
Rose explains to Troy that their son Cory has been recruited by a college
football team. Troy said he told Cory, the whites are not going to let him go anywhere with football” (8). Troy feels that his son Cory should get recruited fixing cars or anything he can make a living” (8). Troy is very upset about his son being recruited by a college football team and feels he won’t get anywhere because he is black. Troy can’t accept the fact that things for black athletes have changed and is determined that is son is not going to make a mistake by choosing to be a football player. Rose tries to convince Troy that things are different now. She said, times have changed since you were playing baseball, Troy, that was before the war” (9). No matter what anyone says Troy is convinced that no black man will be accepted like a white man in baseball or basketball. Troy wants his son to forget about football and work at the A&P,
Troy’s father had no parental feelings for Troy. “A kid to him wasn’t nothing” (50). Troy’s mother deserted her son Troy when was eight years old. Although, she told him she would return to get him. He never heard from her again” (51). Troy was traumatized that his mother never came back for him. His dad beat him up. He said “both my eyes were swollen shut” (52). He left home at the age of 14. Troy’s father had no love or words of encouragement to give to his son Troy.
Growing up in a loveless environment and leaving home at fourteen years old contributed to Troy becoming a thief. The only way for survival for Troy is by robbing people. Although, Troy was wrong for robbing people sooner or later you he was arrested for robbing man and went to jail. He was told that he killed the man and was put in the penitentiary and locked him up for fifteen years “ (55). While in jail is where Troy met his good friend Bono. They have been friends every since then. Troy learned how to play baseball while incarcerated.
So many things happened in Troy’s life was filled with not accomplishing anything. He felt that he could play baseball better than baseball player Jackie Robinson. Troy saw a lot of black men who could play baseball better than Jackie Robinson” (10). Troy is jealous of Jackie Robinson’s success this is why he is so critical of his accomplishments. Troy can’t see past the forest for the trees that Jackie Robinson had open doors for other black athletes then and present.
Troy was a very unhappy man. He felt that he was giving all of himself to his family. He worked every day and on pay day gave his pay check to his wife Rose. He felt he was the perfect husband and father. He never felt that his wife was giving herself in the marriage to by being there for him and their son. She was the matriarch of the family trying to keep the family together. She listened to Troy complain about any and everything.
When Bono found out that Troy was having an affair with another woman, he tried to convince him to end the affair.
Troy continued to have an affair with the woman. Troy cheated on his wife Rose and got another woman pregnant. When he told his wife Rose about the pregnancy, she was devastated. He tried to give logical reasons for committing adultery. Troy felt he needed a life outside for his happiness. Troy did not consider his wife feelings or her happiness. He was only concerned about his own happiness He did not think he did anything wrong. He felt he was always giving and everyone was taking from him. Troy was a very selfish man.
Rose had dreams outside of their marriage too, but never crossed that line. Don’t you think it every crossed her mind to want to know other men” (70)? She also wanted to be happy and feel appreciated too. Rose had thoughts too! When Rose advised Troy, the he takes too and don’t know anyone is giving” (71)! Troy got very angry with Rose. He grabbed Rose’s arm. He told Rose “don’t you tell a lie on me” (71). When their son Corey came home and tried to defend his mother.
After work, Troy no longer goes directly home after work anymore. He did not have any consideration for his wife Rose’s feelings. He was a confused man with no consideration for his family just like his father. He only cared about
himself.
Rose tells Troy she is fed up and refused to live like this anymore. Troy can’t discuss anything because he is going to the hospital to see the woman Alberta who is in the hospital in labor. The hospital calls and informs them that Alberta had a healthy baby girl and died through childbirth.
Three days later Troy comes to the house holding his baby daughter. “Rose….I am standing here with my daughter in my arms” (78). Rose doesn’t hold anything against the baby who is innocent and takes care of the baby Raynell like her own child. Troy finally builds the fence that he has been claiming to build for years. Troy kicks Cory out. Troy passes away. Cory returns home. He is “a Corporal in the United States Marine” (92). Troy was swinging the bat in the yard and died. Cory refused to go to his dad’s funeral. Rose talked to Cory about her life with his father. Cory attended his Dad’s funeral.

I chose Cultural Studies because Fences was written in the era when prejudice was more popular.
Troy grew up in an unstable environment. He had everything against him. His father could care less if he lived or died. What kind of a mother leaves her eight year old son behind? She never looked back. He was born during the time of prejudice. It was harder for black men. Black men were given the worst jobs. I have black male friends that told me they applied for job and did not get hired because they are black, but the company hired a white person that wasn’t even as qualified as my black male friends. In that era white people was more prejudice then especially towards black males. My grandmother is from Alabama and whites beat one of her brothers to death because he was black. My thoughts on writing about cultural studies are I wish everyone one day will be treated equally and I think it hits home because I have been in racist situations and I know a lot of people that been in racist situations as well. I feel like it is really unfair that the minority are not treated fairly like whites. There is still racism going on today in this world and it is 2013. It’s not as popular as it was 20-30 years ago, but it still exists. For example I believe if Trayvon Martin was white and George Zimmerman was black, Zimmerman would have been found guilty and no trial would be needed. I have also noticed some white people 60 years old and older are still racist, they are still stuck in the
segregated era when blacks wasn’t allowed to do certain things like whites. I also chose cultural studies because it fit Fences better than the other methods. As a black woman I can relate to cultural studies. I have been in racist situations before and it was very uncomfortable. I can only imagine how racism was in the era of when Fences was written. All I can do is hope and pray the world change for the better and all races will be treated equally.

Works Cited
Wilson, August. Fences. New York: Plume Penguin Books, 1986. Print.
Gardner, Janet E. Writing About Literature. Boston: Bedford, 2009. Print