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Betrayal In The Play Fences

825 Words4 Pages

Sydney Deal
Amy Farrar
English 312
March 28 2023

Complexities of Relationships
Every relationship in life has different fences built around it and each person has their own boundaries, which make relationships very intricate and complex to navigate. The play Fences By August Wilson shows the relationships of a black family in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, during the 1950’s and revolves around the character of Troy Maxson, former baseball player turned garbage collector. Troy has a larger than life personality that August Wilson displays through Troy's relationships with his family and friends. The play shows Troy and his family's struggles in a time where they are not equally accepted in society and throughout the play there are several themes …show more content…

The first of many betrayals portrayed in the play is how Troy feels betrayed by the world. He believes that his dreams of playing major league baseball were thwarted because of his race, and he resents the fact that he has to settle for a life of manual labor. This betrayal starts the division of the Maxson family, especially between Troy and Cory. Troy's feeling of betrayal also leads him to deeply betray Cory and not allow him to play baseball just because he did not want Cory to do what he never got the chance to. There are other betrayals throughout the play as well but the biggest betrayal is Troy's betrayal of his wife. He is unfaithful to Rose which is made clear early on in the story but later Troy reveals to Rose, “I’m trying to find a way to tell you…I'm gonna be a daddy. I’m gonna be somebody's daddy” (Wilson 66). This information came as a shock to everyone, from then on Troy and Roses marriage is hanging on by a thread. Rose cannot believe what Troy did to her. Rose was always there for him and she gave up herself and the things she loved so she could be the best wife for Troy. Troy never respected that and gave nothing in return. His affair was the last straw for Rose, she will never look at him the same again though she does still look after Troy's baby because she feels it is her responsibility as a mother, but she can never forgive Troy for how he betrayed

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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.

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