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Symbolism In The Play Fences

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Fences
A fence in metaphorical terms can either mean keeping something in or keeping something out. In the play fences, it meant character Troy keeping his freedom and what belongs to him. The fence could also represent a wall that Troy, his sons, or even his wife have put up in front of each other. Troy has a younger son that he had with his wife Rose. They do not have a strong relationship and are constantly arguing throughout the play. Cory and Troy both share an interest in sports. Cory has a passion for football whereas Troy has a passion for baseball. Troy has always wanted to be on a baseball team but couldn’t because of his skin color and it’s too late for him to pursue his dream, for he is too old. However, his son Cory was offered …show more content…

Although Rose disagrees with Troy from time to time she shows unconditional love and tries to be understanding. However, later in the play Troy betrays her by being unfaithful and this makes rose put up her own fence. She tries to communicate with troy but is also very cautious because she knows how much he hurt her and would most likely not hesitate to do it again. Rose wants to keep the marriage between them because they have been together for so long and it is her only source of shelter. Rose is then stuck with the responsibility of caring for Troys daughter that he had with another woman after she passed away during birth. Rose finds it within the goodness of her heart to take on that responsibility; however it does not change her view on Troy. The play ends seven years later after Troy’s daughter Raynell is born and she is getting ready to leave to attend his funeral. Cory arrives at the house for the first time in years to tell Rose that he will not be attending the funeral. Cory soon has a change of heart after he meets Raynell for the first time and they both know the song their father use to sing to them “Ol’ Blue”. Despite the fences put up by troy, his sons, and his wife Rose they all attend his funeral knowing that he always meant good and just made some

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August Wilson’s play Fences was written in 1983. Fences is the sixth play in Wilson’s Pittsburgh cycle. Pittsburgh is important because it represents a better life for blacks; it provides them with jobs and helped them to escape the poverty and racism of the south after the civil war. It represents promises and promises that were broken. I feel like Fences represents the struggles Troy and his family faced because of their complexion and their constant disappointments as black people.

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The dynamic between a father and son is never a simple journey, but instead, comes with curveballs thrown left and right. In Fences, by August Wilson, he writes of the hardships between a father and son relationship and the difficulties a father has over trying to shield his son from life’s cruelties, to the salvation found between being fenced in and finally being placed outside of the fence—both literally and metaphorically. Through out the play, there are numerous confrontations between Troy and Cory—whether it be when Cory asks Troy whether or not he loves him or when Cory throws his football helmet towards the direction of Troy—which show the difficult and complicated relationship between father and son. Also prevalent in the play, was the lack of a father and male figure in Troy’s own life, during his most influential and important years. Troy recognizes that and the way he was/is treated by society in general and wanted to “help” his son by showing Cory the difficult lessons Troy learned during his youth, as a way to lessen the pain that would be inflicted on his son later on.

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“A lot of parents will do anything for their kids except let them be themselves" -Banksy. In the play “Fences” ,Troy, Cory’s father does exactly this. He doesn’t allow his son to achieve what make him happy, which is playing college football. He thinks by doing this, he's doing what’s best for him. Because of this, Cory begins to bear a grudge towards his father.

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