Alexander Stewart
Fences Essay
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Fences by August Wilson explores Troy’s life and his struggles with his family. Troy's abusive father often beat him when he was younger and he never had a mother to go to since she left Troy’s father. Troy finally decided to move on from his father and start his own life. Troy ended up becoming a professional baseball player who played in the all-black baseball league because at that time, the leagues were still all segregated. This is where we begin to see Troy's relationship with baseball, which becomes a large part of his character, but it also causes some problems communicating with the people around him. Troy’s unique way of using baseball terminology to express himself leads to struggles with
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When Troy was discussing his affair with Rose he says,
You can’t afford a call strike. If you going down… you going down swinging. Everything lined up against you. What you gonna do. I fooled them, Rose. I bunted. When I found you and Cory and a halfway decent job I was safe. Couldn’t nothing touch me. I wasn’t gonna strike out no more.”(page 69-70)
Troy talks about his life saying that he did what no one expected him to do. What Troy was saying in this passage was that he made it against the odds, found Rose and Cory, and was able to get a decent job for himself. Cory uses baseball to express himself because baseball is what has been most profound and meaningful to his life. Baseball is his passion in life and is what got him through many struggles. But while he is talking to Rose, she does not understand what he is trying to convey saying, “We’re not talking about baseball! We’re talking… about you going off to lay in bed with another woman.” (page 70) This lack of understanding in Troy's way of communicating leaves a bad impression on him Rose. Troy then responds to Rose saying, “I’m trying the best I can to explain it to you.”(page 70) Troy’s only way of really expressing himself is through baseball as a metaphor in order to try and explain what is on his mind. Baseball is his way of expressing what's on his mind, but the people around him do not understand what he is trying to say. This causes there to be a lack of understanding and communication and it leads to Troy damaging connections with the people around