The Importance Of Family In August Wilson's Fences

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

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,