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The Importance Of Family Conflict In August Wilson's Fences

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August Wilson’s play Fences has a plot centered on family conflict and values. He accompanies this family centered plot with the ongoing metaphor that is the unfinished fence surrounding the Maxson household. Fences uses conflict between members of the Maxson family and metaphors such as the fence to show the decrepitude of their “deferred dream”s. The center of this plot is based on family conflict this conflict experienced within the family unit is caused by jealousy and lack of fulfillment. Troy’s constant conflict with his sons is caused by his jealousy of the better opportunities Cory and Lyons have as adults. The lack of fulfillment in Troy’s dreams caused him to still feel bitter because his career in baseball never took off, “Troy: …show more content…

Troy’s procrastination of finishing the fence is a representation of his family neglect. Such neglect is the reason why a happy family is hardly possible for the Maxson’s. The fence also represents the condition of the family, for most of the play the fence in incomplete and unstable much like the Maxson’s. August Wilson creates this metaphor when bono says “Some people build fences to keep people out… and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you.”(61) Upon the completion of the fence and the death of Troy the Maxson family makes their last stretch to reach their dream of being happy. The mood on the day of the funeral is joyful with the return of Gabe and Cory symbolizing the fulfillment of their family’s “deferred dream”. Gabe was able to fulfill his dream of seeing his brother off into death at his funeral “…like a man who has been waiting some twenty-odd years for this single moment.” (101) Cory had straightened himself out with a successful Marine career which replaced his dream to play college football. Paired with the completion of the fence the dream of happiness within the Maxson Family was salvaged and

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