Symbolism In August Wilson's Fences

In August Wilson's play Fences, the fence symbol can be understood through a philosophical lens as a representation of the problems inherent to the emotional barriers within the Maxson family and, by extension, in relationships founded on and driven by duty rather than genuine love, which is a major theme in the story. The fence that Troy builds serves as a tangible manifestation of his emotional barriers, which result in him imposing control over his loved ones to protect them without fully understanding what they need from him. He believes he is doing right by his family by giving them "[his] sweat and [his] blood" (Wilson 40) so that they can have a roof over their heads and food on their plates. He neglects to realize that what Rose and Cory

Troy believes in tough love, which means treating his son harshly whenever he strays from the path he thinks is best for him. He justifies his harshness by claiming that Cory would never succeed in a white man's game, no matter his natural talent and hard work. Troy wants to protect Cory from disappointment. However, his justification doesn't matter to Cory, who feels unheard and unwelcome at home and even goes so far as to question whether or not his father likes him. If Troy had been more open emotionally, he and Cory could have discussed their issues, and Troy could have learned how his misguided attempt at protecting his son had caused more harm than good. At the same time, if Troy were willing to discuss these things, he would understand baseball's significance to Cory and wouldn't have threatened to tear him apart from it entirely, even if he had taken an issue with Cory's pursuit. Troy is so busy providing for his family that he has neglected to form a genuine connection with his son. His friend Bono recognizes this when he notes that "some people build fences to keep people out" (Wilson