Symbolism In Fences

Mainly set in 1957, and later in 1965, Fences covers a variety of themes from everyday life at that time. The play depicts hardships that African American people faced after the abolition of slavery and shows that racism was still vastly present even though many years have passed. Symbols in this play are numerous and they are essential in surfacing the internal drama the characters endure throughout their lives. These symbols serve to bring closer main themes of the play through the dialogues infused with metaphors, and even through the setting that is entirely made of symbolic objects that further expand the allegory.
The main symbol of this play is in its very title. For different characters the fence has a different meaning, instrumental in understanding those characters. Troy has the most profound connection with this symbol. In the beginning, Troy refuses to build a fence when his wife asks him to; he puts the work off using different excuses and even blaming his son, saying that he is “scared of work.” Troy’s reluctance to build a fence represents his negligence and

At the time of the Great Migration trains became an important symbol that portrays the wandering, homelessness and poverty of African Americans at that time. Troy singing “Please, Mr. Engineer let a man ride the line” when he brings his child with Alberta to Rose is a powerful symbol that shows that he has nothing left in this world except for Rose. He begs for forgiveness, asking her to let him “ride the line” without the ticket, to take him back when he has nothing left to give. He remains a “womanless man” in the eyes of his wife and his own, metaphorically homeless and poor once again. Trains also represent change. This is the climax of the story, and it shows that the life Troy knew before that moment was over, and a new one was taking its place. This is another theme, a change in life of African Americans at that