Mistakes In Fences By August Wilson

Everyone makes mistakes and deserves a second chance, except those that never learn from their mistakes constantly repeating the same mistakes. In the play, “Fences” by August Wilson, the main character Troy Maxson grew up in a harsh environment full of racism and with no family. All these factors contributed to Troy’s personality, which is full of resentment for the world around him. Later in his life, he meets Rose, who shines a light onto Troy’s dark path and guides him to a new life. Troy and Rose get married and have a son named Cory. Fast forward 18 years, during his 50s, Troy lets his past affect his actions in the present and repeatedly makes many mistakes that are constantly dismissed by his loved ones, but eventually Troy reaches

Throughout the play, Troy makes many attempts at preventing his son, Cory to advance in his football career by sabotaging Cory’s chances and kicking him out of the house. The stage is set when Cory comes home in his football uniform and accuses Troy of interfering with his chances of playing football and getting him kicked out of the team. Troy responds to Cory’s accusation, “Troy: The boy lied to me. I told the n*gger if he wanna play football… to keep up his chores and hold down that job at the A&P. That was the conditions. Stopped down there to see Mr.Stawicki…”… “Troy: I ain’t done nothing to you. You done it to yourself.” (Wilson, 57). Troy uses the excuse of Cory acquiring a job over football because he does not want to see Cory succeed where he could not himself in the Major Leagues. Additionally, Troy claims the white man will not let Cory advance in football, which is really

Troy’s best friend, Bono has an intervention with Troy about Troy’s affair and tells him that Rose is the best thing that has ever happened to Troy. Bono warns Troy that if he were to continues his affair, he will lose her. Troy builds up the courage to tell Rose the truth and when Rose asks Troy if he is going to continue his affair, he said, “I can sit up in her house and laugh. Do you understand what I’m saying. I can laugh out loud… and it feels so good. It reaches all the way down to the bottom of my shoes. (Pause.) Rose, I can’t give that up.” (Wilson, 69). Although Troy constantly compliments Rose and tells her that she is the best thing that has ever happened to him, he still chooses to betray her, because Rose cannot fill those desires he has. Additionally, not only did Troy say he will not stop his affair, he still wants to keep his relationship with Rose. He is selfishly suggesting he deserves both women in his life and can just put in half the effort into each relationship while expecting Rose to stay completely loyal to him. Corroborating this, when Alberta, the woman Troy had an affair with gave birth to a baby girl and passed away, Troy asks Rose to help him raise the child, “Troy: … You and them boys is my family. You and them and this child is all I got in the