I owe a responsibility to you!” ( Fences page 38). Troy shows his authority and strength as a parent when his son Cory asked him why he never showed affection towards him. Troy shows responsibility by telling Cory he is living under his house because it’s his job as a parent not because he has to like him. Rose arguably tells Troy he has done the right thing with Gabe’s money, the book states “Rose:
This characteristic shows that he wants to be a better man than his father was. He wants to fix things and work things out. When he tells rose about the other woman he also mentions to her that he is fathering a child with her. She of course is shocked to hear that as any sane woman would be. It took a tremendous amount of courage for Troy to confess the mistake he made.
In August Wilson’s Fences, Troy is the main character, or protagonist, and demonstrates his life and how he treats the people in it. Troy is an older man, who can not accept how times and people are changing, impulsive, and shows tough love to his children. Troy once tried to play professional baseball, but they rejected him due to his skin color. His younger son, Cory, is trying to play college football but his father denies his ability to play. Troy believes since they didn’t allow him to play because of his skin, they wouldn’t allow his son to play either.
She makes him forget the endless repetition of his life for a few moments. Troy portrays masculinity in the manner that since he is the head of the household, he needs to protect and provide for his family and nothing more. He has become indulged in a bottomless pit of self-pride; he has withheld his emotions from his family. To him nothing else matters as long as there is food on the table for his family. This proves Troy’s only concern is for his family’s wellbeing even if he doesn’t show his love; he only cares for their success.
From his experience in the Negro League and discrimination, to running away from home and his prison time, to his life with Rose and his son Cory, Troy has learned some hard lessons, lessons that, as time goes on and become less true, he still feels responsible to his children to teach them. I believe Troy feels a constant, crushing responsibility to his family, and that what he sees as his “duty” to them leads him to make bad decisions. The first and foremost thing anyone thinks of when they hear the name “Troy Maxson” is along the lines of: Oh I know him, he cheated on his wife, but as we look deeper we can understand, if not agree with, his reasons for doing so. In Act Two, Scene One, when Troy is explaining why he cheated on her, he says: “I can step out of this house and get away from the pressures and problems… be a different man. I ain’t gotta worry about how I’m gonna pay the bills or get the roof fixed.” (Wilson page 68-69).
The only difference, however, is that Rose stays loyal to her family even when things are not going great, while on the other hand Troy looks out for himself for his own benefit, at the expense of his family. Troy puts himself above his family, as he was well aware that having an affair like he had would most certainly break up his family. Despite trying to defend his actions with the hardship he’s gone through, his whole family has gone through the same difficulties aswell– but he only looks out for himself. Troy’s selfish decision to make a baby with Alberta causes harm on his entire family because of the loyalty shown to him by Rose, despite not being happy at all
Early colonial men were to be to be educated. Education during this time period was only open to those who could afford to pay for grammar school. Only the rich who could afford this luxury attended. Often times children whose family could not afford attending school would take up trades or often work from an early age. Another factor that would consider being a male is part taking the local government.
His oldest son Lyons is thirty-four years old and has a wife, but constantly asks his father for money. In Act one, Troy mentions how it’s not pay day and doesn’t have enough money to loan him. I would think his father, saying that he doesn’t have enough money would stop his son from asking, so Troy gives his wife his whole check which is only seventy-six dollars and forty- two cents. Then he lets her distribute the money however. In Act One, Troy said “You see this Bono?
In an exert from Man Enough, author Frank Pittman declares “The children of this generation may grow up with the idea that a father’s life is his work…” This view of a father is exactly the opposite of how the Land children view their dad. The sacrifices Jeremiah make for his children are the evidence that they are his life. Enger writes both major and minor examples of Jeremiah’s sacrifices into Peace like a River. Throughout the story, Jeremiah’s sacrifices grow larger and larger. As the family packs up their Airstream trailer in preparation for their trip, Swede smartly attempts to persuade her father to let her bring three bulky but beloved possessions of hers.
The group is called Black Fathers, which were founded after the founder’s divorce in 2009, and now it has gained 30,000 members. A member of the group shared that the stereotypes of neglectful black fathers was still strong in people’s mind, and whenever he took his children out he was met with amazed and awed look from others. Therefore, the founder of the group wanted to break the stereotypes to show that black fathers were loving and involved in their children’s lives. They also refuted the stereotypes that black men don’t support each other by saying that they received a lot of support from the fellow fathers in the groups whenever they needed help or if they felt discouraged. The article confirmed that the stereotypes of absent and neglectful black fathers are not true.