ipl-logo

The Importance Of Family In August Wilson's Fences

2057 Words9 Pages

The Pulitzer prize winning play Fences by August Wilson follows the ups and downs of a single family in 1950s Pittsburg. Lead by Troy Maxson, father, husband, and brother, the play shows the struggles and triumphs of the family relating to his choices and actions. The job of a man is to be well rounded in the workplace and in the home. Men are responsible to be there for their children and to be loyal to their spouse. They should not cheat, lie, or make irrational decisions. Troy disobeys almost everything it means to be a man and more. Throughout the text we see him do all of the above at one time or another. Troy does not fill his responsibilities as a man, husband, father, or brother because he doesn 't act like the father figure to his kids, treat his wife, Rose, with any respect, and aid his brother, Gabriel, enough. Troy does not fill his …show more content…

Some might argue that even though he wasn 't the warmest gentleman, he still provided as best he could for his family. Where the play leave off everything seems peaceful and serene but once you look underneath that layer there is chaos. Corey gave up dream of college football and even college altogether. Rose has another child that she has to raise on her own despite it not being her own. Gabe is now in a hospital with more supervision but still doesn 't have the funds to fall back on like he once had before Troy took them. Lyons is serving a three year jail sentence for stealing and his wife left him all because Troy was being so stingy with giving money. And poor Raynell has to grow up wondering what her father and real mother were like. The story might seem resolved in the end but no one ever really knows if he got into heaven after all. All in all, Troy does not fill his responsibilities as a man, husband, father, or brother because he doesn 't act like the father figure to his kids, treat his wife, Rose, with any respect, and aid his brother, Gabriel,

Show More
Related

  • An Analysis Of August Wilson's Play Fences

    353 Words  | 2 Pages

    August Wilson’s play Fences was written in 1983. Fences is the sixth play in Wilson’s Pittsburgh cycle. Pittsburgh is important because it represents a better life for blacks; it provides them with jobs and helped them to escape the poverty and racism of the south after the civil war. It represents promises and promises that were broken. I feel like Fences represents the struggles Troy and his family faced because of their complexion and their constant disappointments as black people.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Bond Between Father And Son In August Wilson's Fences

    672 Words  | 3 Pages

    The dynamic between a father and son is never a simple journey, but instead, comes with curveballs thrown left and right. In Fences, by August Wilson, he writes of the hardships between a father and son relationship and the difficulties a father has over trying to shield his son from life’s cruelties, to the salvation found between being fenced in and finally being placed outside of the fence—both literally and metaphorically. Through out the play, there are numerous confrontations between Troy and Cory—whether it be when Cory asks Troy whether or not he loves him or when Cory throws his football helmet towards the direction of Troy—which show the difficult and complicated relationship between father and son. Also prevalent in the play, was the lack of a father and male figure in Troy’s own life, during his most influential and important years. Troy recognizes that and the way he was/is treated by society in general and wanted to “help” his son by showing Cory the difficult lessons Troy learned during his youth, as a way to lessen the pain that would be inflicted on his son later on.

    Read More

  • Black Fathers In African-American Men In The 1950's

    705 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, his use of tough love and lack of approval towards his children creates conflict in the play, which suggests the importance of a father’s emotional role in a family. The role as a breadwinner: In Troy’s mind, he has done everything right as a father because he has provided his family with basic needs for survival: a place to live, food on the table, and clothes on their backs. His strong work ethic has made him the man he is today; but he often burns all his fuel at work and, at the expense of his family, copes with his pain by drinking.

    Read More

  • Troy Maxson Flaws In Fences

    811 Words  | 4 Pages

    Therefore he starts drinking more, being that he cannot stand not being the center of everyone’s attention. But all the problems he has originated from, and worse than that, he does nothing productive to try and fix any of them. This once again proves that Troy is unsuitable to be a proper father for Cory and a respectable husband for Rose. Troy loses the dignity, respect and even love that was once given to him by his friends and family. His own selfish needs are fuel for the destruction of the life he once knew.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis Of Troy In Fence By August Wilson

    884 Words  | 4 Pages

    August Wilson faces a lot of difficulties in his life. He begins writing Fences in the twentieth century, and he portrays the African American experience between the 1900s to 2000 (Wilson 11). In Fence August Wilson tells the story of a father, Troy Maxson’s lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Troy was a very talented baseball perspective with hopes to play in the major leagues. Maxson’s had the bad luck of having to grow up when racism was the biggest part of America.

    Read More

  • August Wilson Fences Symbolism

    1516 Words  | 7 Pages

    The play, Fences by August Wilson, is about Troy Maxson and his struggling family relationships. A recurring idea throughout the story is the construction of a fence around Troy's home. Troy's fence could symbolize two things, Troy is trying to protect his family from the outside world, or Troy is isolating himself from his own family. As the construction of the fence progresses, the more severely damaged Troy's relationships become. In this play, the underlying message is that, despite the fact that fences can both protect and isolate, Troy’s fence isolates him from his family rather than to protect his family.

    Read More

  • August Wilson Fences Literary Analysis

    883 Words  | 4 Pages

    August Wilson's play Fences addresses a great content of interpreting and inheriting history. Throughout Fences, much of the conflict emerge because the characters are at disparity with the way they see their foregoing and what they want to do with their forthcoming. Fences explores how the damaged aspirations of one generation can taint the dreams of the next generation on how they deal with the creation of their own identity when their role model is a full of dishonesty. Wilson illustrates his qualities primarily through his use of symbolism in the play Fences.  

    Read More

  • The Importance Of The Father In August Wilson's Fences

    1457 Words  | 6 Pages

    "When the sins of our fathers visit us, we do not have to play host. We can banish them with forgiveness; As God, in His Largeness and Laws"(Wilson X).This epigraph by August Wilson provides an insight into the importance of the topic in the play Fences. In Fences, the play depicts the relationships of the Maxson family and their friends. Troy Maxson, a middle-aged African American man, is happily married to his wife Rose and takes care of his son Cory whilst occasionally interacting with his other son from a previous relationship. However, the complexities of Troy 's past create issues for him and his family and their relationships begin to deteriorate.

    Read More

  • Troy's Unsympathetic Character In Fences By August Wilson

    970 Words  | 4 Pages

    but it also impacted the relationship he has with his children. As a child, his father never showed him affection, therefore he is unable to replicate. Although Troy is a protective and loving father, he is unable to show these emotions due to his past experience. Troy never learned how to treat others, especially those close to him. Instead, his past hinders his present, destroying every loving relationship he has

    Read More

  • Fences Troy And Cory's Relationship

    766 Words  | 4 Pages

    Once Cory attends Troy’s funeral, he takes a leap out of the fence they were in together & he leaves everything that has to with his father inside the fence. By doing this, he closes that chapter and he can move on with his life at

    Read More

  • Racism In Fences By August Wilson

    1220 Words  | 5 Pages

    Troy has a singular perspective on the world. He has a strict demeanor because of how society viewed African Americans back in the 1950s. Troy cares a lot about his family even if he doesn't show it. Throughout his life, Racism has been a barrier for him. He was once young and he chased his own dreams but because of his skin color, several "ideals" got in his way.

    Read More

  • African American Experience In Fences

    978 Words  | 4 Pages

    Fences is a play written by the playwright August Wilson, who dedicated himself to writing plays capturing what it was like to be an African American in the United States during every decade of the 20th century. Fences was a play that was specifically written to provide an outlook into the lives of African Americans in America during the 1950s, during the process of demarginalization. Each character of the novel provides a unique perspective to capture different aspects of the “African American Experience” during this time period. In Fences, it was very important to August Wilson to truly capture “The African American Experience” and he was able to do so through the portrayal of the Maxson family, with his representation of African Americans during the 1950s in Fences, and with the multiple perspectives of African Americans captured

    Read More

  • Racism In The Play Fences

    702 Words  | 3 Pages

    The play Fences is a drama written by August Wilson who was one of six children and also dealt with opeesrrions and racism when he dropped out of school due the struggles of racism. The play Fences presents the character Troy Maxson a person who has faced racism and discrimanation throughout his life. The Pulitzer Prize winning play is set in 1957-1965, a time when African-Amercians where hopeful for a better life. In Fences, racism haunts Troy Maxon’s life past and present. The play brings the view of racism in the world through Tory Maxson, family and friends.

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Love In 'Fences' By August Wilson

    985 Words  | 4 Pages

    The play “Fences” by August Wilson shows the dynamics in relationships and the multiple dramatic means by which they are established by using one pinnacle point. Wilson uses his main character Troy to stem of four other types of relationships. He shows the complexities of marriage and love in the relationship between Troy and Troy’s wife, Rose. He shows the commitment and betrayal of in the relationship between Troy and Troy’s

    Read More

  • How Does August Wilson Use Language In Fences

    1010 Words  | 5 Pages

    Fences by August Wilson is a play set in 1950s Pittsburgh which chronicles the life of an African American family. Language is a crucial component of the play, revealing the characters, conflicts, and meaning of the story. In Fences, Troy is a strong character who uses his language to assert his dominance, especially over his son, Cory. Troy treats Cory with a harsh exterior, which masks his deep hopes for a better future for his son.

    Read More

More about The Importance Of Family In August Wilson's Fences

Open Document