Fences is about a man named Troy and his family who are trying to survive with only the money that he makes from his job as a garbage man. Throughout the story, there is a constant theme involving Troy trying to maintain his masculinity. While he does care about others, he really only understands and focuses on his own feelings. He wants to be in charge. In the Their Eyes Were Watching God, the character Jody has a very similar view of the surrounding world. Both Jody and Troy mistreat their wives and try to control everyone around them. They use their manliness as a way to state that they are above anyone who is younger, weaker or a female. They both have this idea of what they think true a real man is, and what true manliness should look