Symbols In The Play Fences

Fences are used in sports, like baseball, to keep in players and emphasize the achievement of hitting the ball over the fence. In the play Fences by August Wilson, physical and metaphoric fences prevent the Maxson family from fulfilling dreams by boxing ideas in or boxing them out. Each character has built or knocked down their own fences, whether they be physical or metaphorical fences. These barricades affect Troy, Rose, and Cory differently, but each one has a unique barrier of their own. Furthermore, their fences are keeping them from happiness and personal achievement. Each character’s fence is preventing them from fulfilling their dream. Troy’s physical fence is the one he is building in his own yard. This not only separates him from his neighbors physically, but it forces him to stay in his stressful situation. He broke that metaphorical fence by cheating on his wife and, consequently, having a child out of wedlock. The fence did not keep him with his family because he did not finish building it yet. Another metaphorical fence that Troy faces is built strong with racial stigmas. His childhood dream was to become a professional baseball player, but he could not make it to the big leagues due to his race and

His dream was to play football in college, and was even being sought by a recruiter at the time for a full ride. Troy is in denial about the times changing, so he prevents Cory from fulfilling his dream. Troy builds a wall by telling Cory’s coach to send the recruiter back as well as take him off the team. Cory is unable to knock the fence down, so he joined the marines as his last option. Once his is kicked out, the fence around his house was finished to keep him out. Cory only came home when Troy, his father, died. When he died, the symbol of the physical fence broke, thus turning into a regular fence for Cory. Therefore, Cory’s fence crushed his dream as well as completely changed his