Chiaia

Nicholas Chiaia

Richard Mace

Eng 214

11/09/22

Fences

The play “Fences” by August Wilson in 1985 was a brilliant work of art. Wilson touched

on many issues within this play, such as relationship issues, racial issues, and infidelity. After

reading this play the main protagonist Troy Maxson stood out to me. It was clear that he was the

main character but what was most interesting was the way he carried himself and acted toward

his family and friends. A part of me felt bad for what was happening to Troy but the choices he

made resulted in those problems he faced. Troy was going through some tough times, and a part

of me wanted to sympathize with him, but his troubles were caused by the decisions he made.

“Fences” is set in the 1950’s, a time when segregation and racism was an everyday

occurrence. Wilson portrays this within the play using Troy Maxson. Troy has his own

experiences of racism which caused him to have a permanent view of that issue that he refuses to

change. I wondered why Troy made the decisions he did while reading this play. In the 1950s,

when race was the deciding factor in every facet of life, I came to understand how challenging it

was for a black man to thrive in a world dominated by white men.

I came across a book by Sandra G. Shannon called “The Dramatic Vision of August

Wilson”. Within this fascinating book it shed light on Wilson’s life growing up. Especially about

his relationship with his stepfather. Wilson’s stepfather David, was a great football player in the

thirties and because of his race, was unable to make it to the next level. This then led to his
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stepfather being arrested and locked up for a while. Shannon states “For Wilson the drama of

Fences is very much his own drama. The central conflict between father and son mirrors the

difficult relationship between him and his stepfather..." (Shannon 91). This is a crazy

coincidence considering that these events are also portrayed within Wilson’s “Fences”. Racism

shows itself again because if Wilson’s stepfather David Bedford were not black, he would have

received a scholarship and been able to pursue his career. Having this background is what

influenced Wilson to present the issue of racism throughout the world along with relationship

problems. It is truly a work of art.

Being an athlete myself, I was terribly upset when Troy denied Cory the chance to play

football for a scholarship. If my father had told me, I couldn’t compete so I could gain money to

attend a good school so I can further my education and future, then I would have walked right

out of the door. I was mad at Troy for doing this and was hoping he would redeem himself but

never did. Throughout the play there is constant tension between Troy and his son Cory. Cory is

a rising-star athlete who can receive a scholarship for college, but his father, Troy, would rather

him work his normal job and make a living that way. This also happened to Troy when he was

younger and was denied playing baseball because he was black. Troy feared the same for his son,

Cory. Troy states to Rose, “I decided seventeen years ago that boy wasn't getting involved in no

sports. Not after what they did to me in the sports” (Wilson 39). Troy keeps bringing his past

fears into the present. He is preventing his son from chasing a football scholarship because of

Troys own past. Father-Son relationship plays a huge role in this play. Troy puts too much

pressure on Cory, “Troy knows the world to be a hostile, racist and unwelcoming place for black

people and attempts to prepare Cory for such a world by behaving toward his son without

tenderness or softness, as he will be treated in society.” (Wattley 6). Unable to change with the
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times, Troy tries to brand this philosophy into his son’s brain without considering anything other

than what he knows or experienced.

Wilson utilizes Fences, a play about life, as an extended metaphor to illustrate the

breakdown of Troy and Rose's and Troy and Cory's relationships. Troy Maxson is the symbol of

dreams for black people in a dominantly white society. These dreams are not obtainable because

of the prejudice and racism surrounding. Troy is at blame for most of the play's issues because he

refuses to change and his “refusal to accept the fact that social conditions are changing for the

black man..." (Pereria 37). As time goes on things change and we sometimes have no other

choice but to adapt to that change. Refusing to change can be toxic and harmful to yourself. Rose

being the beautiful, loving wife she is said to Troy, “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). Rose tried to make Troy realize that he can’t keep living how he is living, it is

damaging the people around him without him realizing it.

When Rose finds out about Troys affair she feels betrayed and crushed. A marriage of

eighteen years is ruined because of Troy. Since Rose and Troy have been together for eighteen

years, the family was severely affected, especially Rose. Troy says " I can sit up in her house

and laugh. Do you understand what I’m saying. I can laugh out loud...and it feels good. It

reaches all the way down to the bottom of my shoes.” (Wilson 69). This was tough for Rose to

hear especially because he got the other woman pregnant and told Rose that he is going to

continue to see her. This was a tragic incident and once Cory found out about his father's affair,

he lost all respect for Troy because of the way he treated his mother. This is another example of

relationship issues between Troy and Rose, Cory and Troy. Cory says to Troy, “I ain’t got to say

excuse me to you. You don’t count around here no more.” (Wilson 85). Cory is driven to
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challenge Troy's authority, “refusing the courtesy of saying “excuse me” to his father when he

wants to get by him into the house.” (Wattley 12).

Troy Maxson certainly had good intentions but refused to be open to others’ opinions and

grow along with the future. He let himself settle for what he was and did not try to exceed any

further. When Troy passed away at the end of the play, Cory did not attend his father’s funeral.

Sometimes the relationship between a father and son has problems that memories cannot fix.

Cory explaining to Rose why he was not going to attend the funeral, “Papa was like a shadow

that followed you everywhere...” (Wilson 96). Cory felt like Troy was always trying to make

sure he did the ‘right’ thing, or what Troy himself would do. Troy truly was trying to form Cory

into himself and ruined his relationship with his son as a product.

The play “Fences” by August Wilson was truly a work of art. It presented so many issues

within the aspect of life. Wilson addressed a wide range of topics in this drama, including

dishonesty, racial issues, and relationship problems. It is a play about Troy Maxson, who

succeeds in isolating himself from everyone he cares about and from the world that is constantly

changing around him by creating so many "fences" around himself. Wilson illustrates this

through the breakdown of Troy's relationship with his son Cory, and his wife Rose. If Troy had

not been so strung up on his past experiences his relationship with his son and wife would have

been extremely better. I wish he had realized his mistake with his son Cory and the football

scholarship, but he never realized his wrongdoings. I would recommend this play to everyone. It

presents so many aspects of the black man living in a predominately white world as well as

challenges with family and relationships. Wilson wrote this piece with astounding creativity,

shocking the audience. Bono stated, "Some people build fences to keep people out...and other

people build fences to keep people in" (Wilson 61). Troy Maxson made them to protect himself

and keep the people he cared about the most out.

Works Cited

Wilson, August. Fences. Penguin Books U.S.A. Inc., New York:1986.

JSTOR: Access Check.

[Link]/stable/pdf/[Link]?refreqid=excelsior:5f3869b07df32144feb6362232a6f37

3.

Shannon, Sandra G. The Dramatic Vision of August Wilson. Howard University Press,

Washington D.C.:1995.

Pereira, Kim. August Wilson and the African American Odyssey. University Of Illinois

Press, Chicago:1995.