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Fences Research Paper

783 Words4 Pages

Throughout history many people have felt that their race affects the way they live and how they are going to live. In the play Fences by August Wilson, the main character Troy goes through his own race issues throughout the play. Furthermore, Troy’s beliefs never change and he runs into many different problems because of these beliefs. Troy believes his race plays a huge role in his life and that it affects his past and present. For instance, Troy feels his race affects many parts of his life like his past playing baseball, his son’s football career, and his own opinion of white people. Throughout the play Troy is repeatedly talks about how he could have played baseball in the Major Leagues, but didn’t have a chance because he was black. In …show more content…

This is because Troy believes that Cory has no chance at playing professional football because he is black. In fact, Troy begins to have a conversation with Rose about Cory’s football career and mentions “I decided . . . that boy wasn’t getting involved in no sports. Not after what they did to me in sports”(Wilson 1854). So, this shows how Troy created this belief that black people cannot play professional sports simply because they are black. Also, Troy believes that even if you are black and you do well in professionals that you will still no get very many chances to play in the game. For example, Cory argues with Troy that “They got some white guys on the team that don’t play every day”(Wilson 1852) but, Troy argues back saying “That’s why I don’t want you to get all tied up in them sports. Man on the team and what it get him? They got colored on the team and don’t use them. Same as not having them. All them teams the same”(Wilson !852). This scene tells us that Troy believes all the sports teams are racist and give players no chance at playing. Also, Troy just tries to make his son share his beliefs so that he can “avoid the pain of rejection that he himself experienced decades earlier”(Saunders 1). Troy’s belief that black people have no chance of playing sports is exactly why he refuses to sign Cory’s permission slip to play

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