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Character Analysis: Fences By August Wilson

726 Words3 Pages

Family Matters Family is vital to each of us, but betrayal from one can deter the entire structure. A stable bond of members characterizes a family. Family is the key to success in life; it lays the foundation for future relationships. In Fences by August Wilson, the author describes a feeling of discouragement about his life because of his inability to reach certain heights due to racism and segregation. The book is interesting; it illustrates the protagonist's arrogance toward his son and defines their unstable relationship. The value of change is essential; it teaches lessons and brings more opportunities to improve one's quality of life. Troy learns a fundamental lesson about his life changes and how his environment has shaped him. According …show more content…

Troy states in Act 1, Scene 3, "The white man ain't going to let you get nowhere with that football noway. You go on and get your book-learning so you can work yourself up in that A&P or learn how to fix cars or build houses or something, get you a trade. That way you will have something no one can take away from you. You go and learn how to put your hands to some good use. " Troy explains to Cory that racism is present in sports despite the greatness of a player. Playing baseball was a major downfall in Troy's life. Furthermore, he states in Act 1, Scene 3, "I don't wish him a thing else from my life. I decided seventeen years ago that boy shouldn't get involved in any sports. Not after what they did to me in sports." He wishes for Cory to be better than him, to find himself, and not depend on sports as a future …show more content…

According to Act 2, Scene 4, Cory states " You ain't never gave me nothing! You ain't never done nothing but hold me back. Afraid I was gonna be better than you. All you ever did was try and make me scared of you." Cory felt that Troy envied him and that he disciplined him to hurt him; he did not realize the bigger picture. Cory and Troy fought, resulting in Cory moving away to find a new life. Cory believed that he shadowed his father; he wanted to be himself. However, Cory returns for the funeral of Troy and opens up about his feelings inside. Following Act 2, Scene 5, Rose states, "You can't be nobody but who you are, Cory. That shadow was nothing but you growing into yourself. You either have to grow into it or cut it down to fit you. But that's all you got to make life with." Troy wanted Cory to be a man, a strong independent one. Troy understood the negro life, and he did his best to teach Cory what was acceptable and unacceptable to society. Cory wanted to change, and he was destined to receive

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Summary Of Troy Wilson's Troy

271 Words | 2 Pages

He doesn't want Corry be mislead or mistreated by that dream. Troy is right that his son not guaranteed to become professional, but the way he approach him seems unfair. He sometimes act he superior than everyone. Similar situation with Willy and Biff don't under each other perspectives about this vision

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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.

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Metaphors In Fences By Thomson

1353 Words | 6 Pages

Troy believes in the firm foundation that one must work hard in order to get somewhere in life. When his second eldest son Cory comes to his father about a potential scholarship offer to play D1 football, Troy immediately turns down the boy and goes on a lecture about how the white man will never give the black man a chance. Troy repeats to his son over and over that if he wants to make a living from himself, he should forget about this dream of football, and find himself a job. Cory does not obey this rule, so Troy takes matters into his own hands and pulls Cory’s recruiting papers and his one chance to possibly make a name for himself with a future in football. In the second act, Troy and Cory continue to resent each other, and Cory attempts to actually confront his father by saying that he is an old man

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Examples Of Eulogy Of Troy Maxson

730 Words | 3 Pages

And although he shut down the dreams the dreams of poor Cory he had his reasons for doing so such as racism being the center point as he said paraphrasingly ‘’As a black man you need to be twice as better just to get on the plate and have a chance and even that may not be half as good for the white man who does four times less work is four times less bad but gets nine time the oppurunity and three time the damn pay’’. Racism is stil prevalent even today though lynching, racist groups, segregation, and just general hatred towards blacks has decreased by a factor it still plagues us today and even blacks are still surviving and dealing with this on a daily basis with no clear sign or stoppage. But although he has many good qualities and personality traits that make him shine those are very limited and almost repititive. For example although he has high ambitions for Troy it seems like he is ambitiously limiting than actually having high hope for Cory and his abilities to go pro and play

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Paternal Abuse In The Play Fences

1497 Words | 6 Pages

Paternal Psychological Barriers around the Maxson Men in August Wilson’s, Fences August Wilson’s play, Fences, displays an African-American Pittsburgh family as they build around their individual adversaries. Troy Maxson, the father of the family, is a former baseball player in the Negro League but never made it to the Majors due to old age. He continues as an adult, establishing a broken relationship with his children and wife, Rose. Lyons, Troy’s oldest son from a previous marriage, constantly seeks both financial and emotional support from Troy. The most highlighted portion of the play is Troy's conflicting relationship with his youngest son, Cory.

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How Does The Character Of Fences Change Throughout The Play

524 Words | 3 Pages

The hardships that people face, coming from racial and gender injustice, can sometimes affect not just those directly concerned, but their families as well. These injustices, such as the treatment to Troy in Fences during his younger years, change the ways he acts to his sons and the rest of the characters and is the source of much of the conflict they face. Many of the conflicts in the play arise because the characters disagree with the way they see the past and what they want to do in their respective futures. For example, Troy and Cory see Cory's future differently because of the ways they have been treated in their pasts.

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Conflict In August Wilson's Fences

969 Words | 4 Pages

In August Wilson’s Fences, Troy, the black father figure lives in a dilapidated house, and throughout the play is always attempting to build a fence. The fence is a metaphor for his family, in that he wants to keep his family behind the fence to prevent them from the society that he views as racist. At first glance, the fence seems synonymous for complication within the family. However, the racial and class status of Troy becomes the source point of conflict between Troy and Cory, leading to a lack of love in the family. On the surface, Troy is originally angry at Cory because Cory is lazy and doesn’t want to find a job, but a deeper analysis into Troy’s background as an ex-baseball player and a garbage man suggests that the anger is sourced by Troy’s status in society as a relatively poor black man.

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The Importance Of The Father In August Wilson's Fences

1457 Words | 6 Pages

Troy 's hatred of his father acts as a catalyst for many moments in Troy 's life, in negative and positive ways alike. Unlike most fathers, Troy 's father didn 't leave him with a material possession such as a house but instead left him with emotional baggage that crippled the earlier and later parts of Troy 's life. From the beginning, Troy 's father was abusive to his mother and all of his siblings. Troy and his family worked hard on their father 's farm and endured his bitterness towards being a sharecropper. Troy states that his father was greedy and would put his own personal needs above the needs of the family.

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Troy Maxson Character Analysis

1222 Words | 5 Pages

Troy believes that is better for Cory if he had a real job, something that no one can take form him and to provide a stable economic security for him. In Troy’s mind if Cory goes for the football thing, which is controlled by the whites, his dreams might be destroyed and he doesn’t want that for his son. Of course that resulted in disturbed relationship between Troy and Cory. Troy’s way in protecting or caring for his son might be harsh, that can be refers for Troy’s relationship with his father as the plays shows. Troy refuses to acknowledge that times have changed and Cory can be something if he plays, instead he ruined his son’s

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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.

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The Symbolism Of The Fence In Troy's Fences

645 Words | 3 Pages

Troy believes that Cory would being throwing his future away by playing football due to his race. In an argument with Cory, Troy said “I thought we had an understanding about this football stuff ? You suppose to keep up with your chores and hold that job down at the A&P.” Cory ignores Troy’s rules and plays football. ”Cory faces his first major adolescent battle to forge a unique identity

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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.

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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.  

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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

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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.

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