Fences by August Wilson
FENCES
BY AUGUST WILSON
Brief
background of the playwright
August Wilson whose Original name was Fredrick
August Kit tel was born on April 27, 1945 and died October 2, 2005. He was an American playwright, author of a
Cycle of plays, each set in a different decade of the 20th century,
and he wrote about black American life.
Wilson grew up in Pittsburgh, a lively poor
neighborhood which became the setting in most of his plays. The complexity of Wilson’s childhood
experience and race relation reflected in his writings. His mother was black, while his father was
white and his stepfather, David Bradford was black also. The suburb Hazelwood where they lived was
dominated by whites and Wilson and his families are the target of racial
threats. He quit school at age 15, also
being accused of plagiarizing a pepper. He resorted to self-education, where he read
expensively in a public library, in the late 1960, he embraced the black Arts
movement.
He
also published poetry in such Journeys of black world (1971), and his Notable
works include: Fences, Piano lesson,
Raido Golf, Seven Guitars, etc. Wilson
won a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award for his plays Fences, and earned a second
Pulitzer Prize for the piano Lesson August Wilson died of liver cancer in
Seattle, Washington.
Background/setting
of the play
The pay Fences which explores the lives and struggles of 20th century African-Americans is set in the dirt yard of the Maxson house. It is a two story brick house, set off a back alley. Two old chairs sit on a porch that is in bad need of a paint job. All these descriptions show that the Maxson are not quite the richest folks. The setting also shows that money is a constant problem for Troy and his family. They live on Troy’s garbage collection salary, but even the money, could barely feed the family. The play also sets in Pitsburgh, though not directly mentioned, some of its landmarks, like the strip district, a popular market area.
The setting of Pittsburgh is quite important because of what Northern industrial cities represented for many black people. During the decades of civil war, many African-Americans migrated north to escape the poverty and racial discrimination of the south and they hoped to find any gainful employment in the factories, but were completely disappointed. Troy comments bitterly on his inability to find work when he first came to Pittsburgh. He therefore resorts to living in slum and crime, Pittsburgh represents Promised Land and promises broken.
The play’s era is the 1950; a period of time
when racial discrimination or race relation was the order of the day. This seems to piss Troy off, because it robs
him of his dream of becoming a baseball player.
Troy is threatened with sack when he dared ask Mr. Rand, his boss why
the blacks are not allowed to drive truck but only lift. He therefore agitates for equal opportunities
for both black and white. Troy continues
to struggle through the entire play which eventually leads to his death at the
end.
Significance
of the Title Fences
Relationship between the Play’s Title and
the Incidence in the Play
The play’s title Fences is quite symbolic of protection and denial of freedom. Three of the most important occasions in fences are symbolized by protection, Rose Maxson and Troy Maxson’s relationship, and Troy against Mr. Death. Throughout the play, characters create ‘fences’ symbolically and physically to be protected or to protect. Rose is protecting herself from Troy and Troy is protecting himself from death. Earlier on, Rose protects herself by singing Jesus, “be a fence all around me every day, Jesus I want you to fence me as I travel on my way” (21). This shows her desire for protection. To Rose, a fence is a symbol of her love she desires from self centered Troy. Her longing for a fence also signifies that she represents love and nurturing with a safe environment that is free from poverty and racial discrimination. This fence of protection will help stamp out poverty from her family, importantly, the fence in the actual yard is unfinished and its Troy’s building.
However, Troy and Cory thinks that fence is a
burden and reluctantly works on completing Rose’s project instead. Bono explains to Troy that Rose wants the
fence built to protect her loved ones as he says “some people build fences to keep people out… and other people build
fences to keep people in Rose wants to hold onto you all. She loves you” (6). In building the fence, Troy prefers hard wood
to soft wood and this shows that Troy wants hard wood to protect him harder
from death and all his problems.
Although each character in the play interprets
the concept of fence differently, to Troy fence is a sign of fear and
discrimination. He is not afraid to die,
and he believes that whether you are afraid of death or not, death is inevitable
and there’s no need for fence or protection.
He also feels that his inability to pursue his dreams in baseball and
his menial job as a garbage collector is as a result of fence of discrimination
build by the white against the blacks.
Troy’s family cannot be anything meaningful. Cory, Troy’s son does not want to attend his
father’s funeral because he attributes or mistakes his father’s constant
protection on him to denial of freedom to life.
He sees his father as a stocker and a snitch, “Papa was like a shadow that followed you everywhere. It weighed on you and sunk into your flesh…
I’m saying I’ve got to find a way to get rid of that shadow”, (97) Cory
confesses to his mother. His inability
to find any job is also as a result of the fence built by the white folks to
frustrate the blacks. Troy who has been
engaged in a life-long sense of battle against his limitations, in sports, in
his profession, and in prison also sees America having a fence that keeps blacks
contained.
Apart from the
good life that whites enjoy, it is the fence that kept Troy from realizing his
dreams and the fence that makes blacks garbage collectors while they advance to
better positions in society. Rose’s
reasons for building a fence is metaphoric not a literal interpretation. Bono sees Rose’s fence as a defining symbol
of her qualities as a wife and mother.
Bono observes that the fence is symbolic of both the negative and
positive aspect of the Maxson family.
His reference to people, who build fences to push people away from them,
is directed to Troy who hurts his wife with his extramarital affair and also
hurts his son’s future career.
PLOT
ACCOUNT
August Wilson’s Fences explores the struggle
of African-American family, that is, The Maxsons Who lives in a white dominated
environment in the era of extreme race relation. The play addresses their dreams, aspirations,
struggles and their inability to realize this dream. This play can be likened to Lorraine
Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun.
The play opens on a Friday in 1957, that is,
Troy’s and Bono’s payday. Troy is fifty three years old while Bono is his
friend and follower. His commitment for their
friendship of thirty-odd years is noted in Bono’s admiration of Troy’s honesty,
capacity for work, and his strength which Bono seeks to emulate. They are dressed in clothes suitable for
their jobs as garbage collectors. They
both go to Troy’s house to do their ritual of drinking and talking. In their conversation. Troy reveals to Bono how he has asked Mr.
Rand, their boss, why the black employees are not allowed to drive the garbage
trucks, only to lift the garbage. He
complains that they might fire him for asking such question. Troy wants a change in job description where
everyone will be entitled to equal job opportunity.
Bono accuses Troy of eyeing a girl and cheating on his wife for buying a drink for a lady. Troy denies Bono’s claim and admits that he has never cheated on his wife, Rose who is about forty-three years old, Cory, Troy’s son has just be recruited by a college football team. Troy laments that the whites will not allow him to succeed as a footballer. “The white man ain’t gonna let him get anywhere with that football… He ought to go and get recruited on how to fix cars or something where he can make a living” (8) Bono insists that there are a lots of black boys playing ball now, Troy tells his own story how he got frustrated when he was in Negro leagues, but never got a chance to play in the major leagues because he was too old (40 years) to play just as the major leagues began accepting blacks players.
Troy casts his mind back in long epic story
about his struggle in July 1943 with death when Rose cautions him not to drink
himself to death. Lyons, Troy’s oldest son
by previous marriage who is thirty-four years old enters because he knows it is
Troy’s pay day. He has come to borrow ten dollars from Troy and he wants to
become a musician. Troy has agreed to give him money and will payback with
interest, Rose then reminds Troy about the fence she’s asked him to finish
building. While Cory and Troy are
working on the fence, Cory breaks the news to the local grocery store that he
has given away his job at the local grocery stores, the A&P, during the
football season. Cory begs Troy to let
him platy because a Coach from North Carolina is coming all the way to
Pittsburgh to see Cory play. Troy
refuses and demands Cory to get his job back
“fir… you gonna get your buff down there to the A & P and get your Job
back” (36) Cory then insists that, his boss,
Mr. Stawicki has already hired somebody
else when he told him he wanted to play football.
This act one, scene four takes place on Friday. Troy has won his case and has been assigned as the first colored garbage truck driver in the city. Bono and Troy remember their father and their childhood experience of leaving home in the south and moving north. Cory comes home enraged after finding out that Troy told the football coach that Cory may not play on the team. It seems that the main conflict of the play will involve Troy’s son Cory. Cory has the chance to go to college on a football scholarship, but Troy refuses to sign the permission paper. Troy says he does not want his son to suffer from the same racial discrimination that kept Troy from being a pro baseball player. This tension comes to an end when Troy tells Cory’s high school football coach that Cory can’t play football anymore, which destroys Cory’s hopes of going to college.
However
things begin to fall apart in the second act, for Troy when Alberta becomes
pregnant. He feels bad that he has
messed his affair with Rose, especially when Alberta dies during child
birth. Rose agrees to raise the baby
girl, Raynell, but says she no longer considers herself as Troy’s woman. Troy not only lose his mistress and his wife,
but also his best friend Bono; for they no longer hangout together. Rose takes in Raynell as her own child but
refuses to be dutiful as Troy’s wife.
Gabriel, Troy’s brother has been taken away to the asylum because Troy
couldn’t read the papers and sign him away.
On Troy’s payday, Bono shows up uninvited, both Troy and Bono acknowledge the fence and the refrigerator Bono bought for his wife, Lucille as a promise for a long time. Another argument between Troy and Cory spring up. Troy insists that Cory leave the house to cater for himself. Cory spring up. Troy insists that Cory leave the house to cater for himself. Cory exposes Troy’s secret relent disgrace on Rose when Cory points out that the house and property from which Troy is occupying belongs to Gabriel whose government checks paid for most of the mortgage payment. “You took Uncle Gabe's money he got from the army to buy this house and then you put him out… I aint going nowhere! Come on… put me out I aint scared of you” (88) Cory rants. Troy physically attacks Cory. Troy succeeds in throwing Cory out of the house for good, and Troy swings the baseball bar in the air and begins to taunt death.
The final act two, scene five opens in 1965
with Raynell who is already seven years old, she is playing in her newly
planted garden. Meanwhile, Troy has died
of heart attack, Cory returns home from marines, but refuses to attend Troy’s
funeral. “I’m not going to papa’s funeral… The whole
time I was growing up… living in this house… papa was like a shadow that
followed you everywhere. It weighed on
you and sunk into your flesh I don’t want to be Troy Maxson. I want to be me” (96) Cory lament
bitterly. Rose raises eye brown on
Cory’s inability to pay his father’s final respect. She says that not attending Troy’s funeral
does not make Cory a man Cory is on the path to becoming his own man and
forgiving his father when he and young Raynell sing one of Troy’s father’s
blues songs. Gabriel turns up released
or escaped from the mental hospital. He
tries to blow his trumpet to open the gates of heaven for Troy, and when no
sound comes out, he embarks on a ritualistic dance and chant. He finally cries out and the heavens open as
wide as God’s closet. “That’s the way that go” Gabe screams.
ACT BY ACT SUMMARY
The play begins with the introduction of its
central character, Troy Maxson, a black man of 53 years and his long time
friend Bono. The year is 1952 and the
two are garbage collectors that have come to Troy’s yard on Friday pay day, to
talk and drink. Troy is said to be a
hard worker and that he used to be a talented baseball player.
Troy reveals a story about a co-worker named
Brownie who lied to their boss, Mr. Rand about having water melon in his hands,
and hide, also Troy recounts what happened at work when he asked his boss, Mr.
Rand why the black employees aren’t allowed to drive the garbage trucks, but only
lift the garbage. Troy says that
Mr. Rand hold him to take the complaint
to the union the following Friday, and Troy is not even afraid of getting
fired. Their conversation shift from Troy’s complaint at work to subject of
Alberta, a lady who hangs out at Taylor’s bar, Troy and Bono often visit. Bono indirectly asks whether Troy is having
an affair with her at all. Troy insists
that he has not “eyed” women since he met his wife, Rose. Bono agrees to disagree that he has once seen
Troy walking around Alberta’s house when Troy is supposed to be at Tailor’s
Troy tells Bono that Alberta is from Tallahassee.
Rose enters and reveal to Bono and others that Troy’s
son, Cory has been recruited by a college football team and the college coach
is coming to visit. Troy was a baseball player in the Negro leagues but never
got a chance to play in the major leagues because he got too old to play just
as the major leagues begin accepting black players. Troy does not want Cory to play ball but to
learn, a trade. Troy exclaims that it is
unfair to prohibit anyone who is good at playing from playing in the
majors. Rose warns him saying, “You gonna drink yourself to death”. Troy casts his mind back to a long epic story
about his struggle in July 1943 with death.
Lyons, a son Troy had before he met Rose shows
up at the house on Troy’s payday. He is
a jazz musician. He asks Troy to borrow
him ten dollars. Troy continue his saga
about death changing the time and situation in which he met death and the
devil, Troy remembers how Lyons was
raised, for he was in jail for most of Lyons’ childhood. Lyons and Rose convince Troy to give Lyons
the ten dollars. Troy embarrasses Rose,
by bragging to Bono that he loves his wife and he will make love to her on
Monday morning.
ACT
ONE: SCENE TWO
The scene opens with Rose singing about Jesus as a fence that protects her while hanging her laundry in the yard on Saturday morning. Troy tells Rose at work that everyone thinks he is going to be fired, but he does not think it will happen. Gabriel, Troy’s brother shows up with a basket. He sings a song about telling plums. Troy explains to Gabe that he is not mad at him for leaving their home.
Gabe is brain-damaged from a war (World War 2) and sometimes thinks he is the angel Gabriel. Gabe often refers to St. Peter as if he knows him personally. He tells Troy that he has once seen St. Peter’s book for judgment day and Troy’s name appeared inside and Rose’s name too but not the way Troy’s name appeared. Gabe sings warning song, warning Troy to get ready for Judgment day.
Rose and Troy deliberate on what to do to
help Gabe now that he has moved to Miss Pearls’. Meanwhile, Troy is feeling some guilt for
mismanaging Gabe’s money he received from the government. Rose reminds Troy about the fence she’s asked
him to finish building. Troy opines that
he is watching baseball game and he will work on it when he comes back.
ACT
ONE: SCENE THREE
Cory comes home from football training and Rose quarries him from leaving the house without doing his house chores or helping Troy with the fence. Cory disagrees that Troy never works on the fence, but prefers to play games and drink at Tailor’s. Troy suddenly arrives home and then yells at Cory to help him with the fence and he warns Cory for going out to play football instead of chores. While working on the fence. Cory asks Troy if they can buy television so as to watch the World Series on TV, and it will cost two hundred Dollars, Troy strikes a deal with Cory to come up with one hundred dollars and he will make it up, after Troy argues that buying a new roof would be better with insured future security. Both engage in a friendly argument about the status of black players in the major leagues. Troy will not admit that Hank Aaron is changing the game and that Roberto Clement's coaches give him plenty of chances to bat. Unfortunately, Troy disappoints Cory by not agreeing to sign the permission papers for Cory to play college football, even a coach is coming from North Carolina to recruit Cory, but even with the knowledge of how far the coach is traveling to see his son, Troy will not change his mind,
Troy wants Cory to work at the A & P supermarket instead of going to play football Cory then reveals to Troy that I… has quit his job at A & P during the football season and his boss, Mr, Stawicki is keeping Cory’s Job till the end of the season. Cory pleads with Troy to change his mind but Troy refuses on the condition that Cory gets his job back.
Now that Cory and Troy’s relationship is bleak,
Cory demands to know why Troy hates him that much. Troy responds by explaining his belief that
his role as a father is to provide shelter and food and the gift of life to a
son and nothing more. Troy also demands
a military-like respect from Cory as a father.
Rose who wades into the matter concurs that Troy should allow Cory play
football since the boy is taking his father’s footsteps. Troy explains that when Cory was born, he
personally decided that he would not allow Cory pursue a career in sports in
order for him not to end up like himself.
Rose, tries to get Troy to admit that he was rather too old to play for
the major leagues at 40 and that time has changed since the year Troy was
prohibited, from playing because of the color of his skin. Troy vows never to rescind his decision and
claims that he is trying to give everything he has to his family. This scene marks the end to Troy and Cory’s
blissful relationship. The blow to their relationship is not yet a physical
affront but an irreconcilable one.
ACT
ONE SCENE FOUR
It is Friday once again on a payday. As usual, Troy and Bono are in Troy’s house drinking and talking. Troy has won his case against the commissioner’s office. He has been given promotion that will make him the first black garbage truck driver in the city. Lyon shows up and asks if Troy wants to hear him play jazz that night. Troy calls jazz, a Chinese music” because it is foreign and unfamiliar to his ears and he does not understand it. Lyons and Bono case Troy because he does not know how to drive and read. Lyons surprises Troy when he pays back the ten dollars he borrowed
Gabriel also appears in this scene and
continues to talk about how he was responsible for opening the gates of heaven
on Judgment Day, Bono and Troy remember their dead fathers and their childhood
experiences of becoming men. Cory comes
home very furious and angry after finding out that Troy went to the high school
football coach, Zellman and told him that Cory may not play on the team
anymore.
ACT
TWO SCENE ONE
Cory still stands his ground that he is not
quitting the football team, Rose agrees to convince Troy on his behalf as soon
as Troy comes home from bailing Gabriel out of jail who was arrested for
disturbing the peace. This cost Troy fifty dollars. Troy and Bono believe that the police
arrested Gabriel and others because it is easy for them to make money out of
him. While making the fence, Bono complains that the wood is too hard and
difficult. Cory and Troy are still
wondering about the essence of the fence.
Bono them declares to Cory and Troy that people build
fences to keep people out… and other build fences to keep people in Bono is
indirectly referring to Troy’s extramarital affair, not wanting to state it
directly in the presence of Cory, but shares his opinion on what Troy should do
through his explanation of the fence. Bono implies that Troy should respect
Rose’s love and be loyal to her love instead of pushing her and Cory away from
him.
Troy finally admits to Bono that he is indeed having an affair with Alberta. Bono wants Troy to stop the affair before Rose finds out. Bono bets with Troy that as soon as he finished building fence for Rose, Bono will buy his wife, Lucille the refrigerator he has promised her for a long time. Argument ensues between Troy and Rose as to whether Gabriel needs supervision or not.
Troy discloses Rose that he is going to be a father to a child of another woman. Gabe shows up and interrupts their conversation. Rose who becomes very disappointed and upset, laments that she can’t believe that Troy could do this after she has been this loyal to him for eighteen year.
Rose opines that she has been a good wife and mother,
and so Troy should have stayed with her Troy confesses to Rose that he does
what he did to get away from the pains of his unstable career and life’s
frustration. Rose who feels totally hurt
accuses Troy of being selfish and not giving, but always takes from her. This infuriates Troy and consequently grabs
Rose’s arm and she yells loudly when she couldn’t bear the pains. Cory rushes in and punches Troy in the
chest. Both of them are surprised at the
actions.
ACT
TWO SCENE TWO
Rose and Troy have not been in talking terms for the past six months because of Troy’s affair outside, and Troy has been going to Alberta’s house every Friday after work. He wants to have sometime to himself to relax and enjoy his life. Troy is off to hospital to see Alberta who is in labor.
Troy
is hit by worse news about Gabriel who has been taken away to the asylum. Troy has made a mistake in sending Gabe away
because he could not read the papers that he signed. Troy denies having signed the paper, but Rose
recognizes his signature, and this makes Rose angry at Troy for not signing the
papers so that Cory could go to college to play football and then sign the
papers for Gabe to be locked up in a mental hospital. A call comes in to inform Rose that Alberta
has delivered of a baby but died during childbirth. This news weakens Troy who calls for a duel
with death. He challenges death to
confront him “man to man”.
ACT
TWO: SCENE THREE
Troy comes home with the motherless baby,
called Raynell. He sit on the porch
singing a blue song about a man begging train engineer to let him ride the
train in hiding for free. “Train” in Oral traction in African
American represents a crossroads in a person’s life or life changing
experiences, or a ride to heaven and a ticket away from the troubles of life on
earth. Rose therefore decides to welcome the baby home since the baby is
innocent and shouldn’t be blamed for Troy’s sins. “You
can’t visit the sins of the father upon the child. This child got a mother but you’re a
“woman-less man”. Rose takes in
Troy’s baby, Raynell as her own child, but refuses to accept Troy back. Rose rejects Troy as her partner.
ACT
TWO: SCENE FOUR
Rose is preparing for a church when Lyons arrives to return the twenty dollars he borrowed from Troy as loan. This time Cory has graduated, and is currently looking for a job since jobs are scarce. Lyons suggests to Cory that he asks Troy to help him find a job. Troy who now lives life of isolation and loneliness drinks without Bono and sings a blue song to himself. Bono and himself are no longer friends and they don’t work in the same trash route anymore every since Troy gained promotion as Truck driver in a white neighborhood. When Troy and Bono finally meet, they discuss their hopes for an early retirement and their wives. We also learn that Rose is more religious now and more dedicated to her church.
Cory comes home and steps over Troy on the
porch without saying excuse me. Troy
picks up a fight with Cory as a result of Cory’s inability to respect Troy as
the father of the house. Troy insists
that Cory leave the house and provide for himself since he does not respect him
as the man of the house and the breadwinner who provide for Cory. To defend his actions, Cory points out Troy’s
recent shortcomings and failings as a role model, and the house Troy is
claiming belongs to Gabriel. Troy
physically attacks Cory on account of this revelation, and Cory swings at Troy
with a baseball but does not hit Troy because he would probably kill him. Troy taunts death and ready for death.
ACT
TWO SCENE FIVE
It is 1965, and Troy is dead. Raynell who is already seven year old plays in the midst of her newly planted garden. Troy died of a heart attack when he was swinging a bat at the baseball that hangs from a tree in their yard. Cory returns home from the marines in his uniform. He is engaged to marry a woman after he broke up with Bonnie. Cory confesses to Rose on his refusal to attend Troy’s funeral, because he wants to rebel against Troy. After much persuasion and Rose’s teaches, Cory explains to Rose why he has mixed feelings for Troy. “Papa was like a shadow that followed you everywhere” (98) Cory therefore sees Troy is a stockier who never allows him to be what he wants to become in life.
Gabriel shows up lastly, having been released
or escaped from the asylum. He informs
everyone that it is time to tell St. Peter to open the gates of heaven for
Troy. Gabe blows his trumpet but no sound.
He tries several times but the trumpet wouldn’t play. He turns his frustration into an improvised
African song and sings for heaven to open wide.
“That’s the way that goes“ Gabriel bellows.
CHARACTERIZATION
TROY
MANSON
Troy
is the central characters or protagonist of August Wilson’s Fences. He is a years old father of Lyons and Cory and Rose’s husband, a garbage collector by
profession. The story revolves around
him as an African American man who works for the sanitation department, lifting
garbage into trucks. He is also a former
baseball player in the Negro leagues, and he is unable to play for major
leagues, not until the major league started to accept blacks.
Troy is hardworking, strong, disciplined and
fond of telling imaginative and compelling stories about death. Troy’s year of hard work which only yields
meager and fruitless progress demoralizes him.
He often fails to provide the needed love, care and support that could
mean the whole world for his family as the family’s breadwinner. Troy is also narrow minded and his parochial views
about life create conflicts with every character in the play. This results to his inability to accept
others choices in life when they differ from Troy’s philosophy.
Troy rules his household with iron hand; for
he aggressively disagrees with Lyons’ decision to be a musician and Cory’s
decision to play football in college as well as Rose’s habit of playing the
numbers. Troy lives in dual existence;
with two opposing ideas. His life’s
history is half of hope and half filled with disappointment. He once lived at the top of his career
opportunity as a baseball player and later ended up as a garbage
collector. He does the opposite of what
he preaches and that is why he could hide his extramarital affairs with Alberta
who died during childbirth.
ROSE
MAXSON
Rose
is Troy’s devoted wife and mother of his second son, Cory. She is a forty three years-old
African-American house wife who volunteers to attend church regularly. She is ten years younger than Troy. Her devotion to him stem from her recognition
of the possibilities of her life without him.
She is a woman with excellent spirit and great
understanding. She recognizes Troy’s
spirit as a fine and illuminating one and she either ignores or forgives his
faults, only some of which she recognizes, Rose’s request that Troy and Cory
build a fence in their small dirt backyard comes to represent her desire to
keep her loved ones close to her with tender care while she is doing everything
to unit her family; Troy is busy destroying the family’s dreams and aspiration.
She is a compassionate mother in all of
her relationship with the members of her family, unlike Troy who
discriminates. She is a fair Judge of
character, and she sincerely hopes for a better future for her husband and son
by not begrudging the stagnant situation at the moment. She is also kind, peaceful and ever willing
to forgive those who wrong her. Rose’s
acceptance of Troy’s illegitimate daughter, Reynell, as her own child
demonstrates this attribute of hers “I’ll
take care of your baby for you… she’s innocent… and you can’t visit the sins of
the father upon the child. A motherless
child has got a hard time”, Rose submits
CORY
MAXSON
Cory is Troy and Rose’s teenage son. He is an ambitious young man who has the talent and determination to realize his dreams. He is a very respectful and compassionate nephew to his disabled uncle Gabriel. He is quite passionate and optimistic about great future to become a footballer and he needs to actualize it through his father’s support and love, but contrarily unmet by the pessimism of his father. His father, Troy believes that he can’t excel as a result of racism. He prefers him to read more books to get promoted in his A & P Job, or learn how to fix cars or build houses or learn a trade. Troy views Cory’s career aspirations as idealistic and detached from the realities of a racist society where the white dominate world of sports will not support his son’s dream of becoming a footballer.
He is a dynamic and persistent person, for he
is undaunted by Troy’s bully and this makes Cory hate him vehemently. He refuses to attend Troy’s funeral because
of his father’s hard handedness. “I’m not going to papa’s funeral… the whole
time… living in his house… papa was like a shadow that followed you
everywhere. It weighed on you and sunk
into your flesh” (96) Cory bursts out with rage. He does not want to be Troy Maxson, he wants
to be himself. He says this to stand up
to his father who is not willing to support his dreams.
August Wilson uses Cory as an opposing force
to Troy’s views and values for which Troy stands for and the clash before both
is the central conflict in the play.
Cory undergoes transformation when she leaves home to join the marines
in the end.
GABRIEL
MAXSON
Gabriel
or Gabe is Troy’s brother who is mentally imbalance. He was injured in the Second World War, where
he received a head injury that required a metal plate to be surgically
implanted into his head. He’s given a
cheque from the government, the part which Troy used to buy the Maxson’s home
which is the setting of the play.
Gabriel wanders around the neighborhood carrying a basket and
singing. He sees himself as angel
Gabriel who opens the gates of heaven with his trumpet for Saint Peter on
Judgment Day.
However, just before the play begins, Gabriel
has moved out to live with a lady named Miss.
Pearl, Troy who is afraid that he will no longer get Gabe’s disability
cheque commits him to a mental hospital and continues to receive half of Gabe’s
cheque.
BONO
Jim Bono is Troy’s friend of over thirty years and
fellow garbage collector. They met while serving in prison. Between both of then, Bono is a follower
while Troy’s is the leader. Bono admires
Troy’s attitude and he attempts to mimic his behaviours, and Troy’s affair with
Alberta and the resultant pregnancy lead to disharmony and bridge in their
relationship. Bono feels disappointed of
his friend’s and feels that such affair will burn his marriage with Rose.
In
contrast to Troy, Bono remains a loving and faithful husband to his wife,
Lucille, whom he proudly talks about with passionate attention. He also claims that Lucille has made him a
better man.
At the beginning before Bono and Troy’s clash,
Bono used to spend every Friday after work drinking beers and telling stories
with Troy on the Maxson family’s backyard.
At the beginning, Bono seems to admire Troy’s honesty, capacity for hard
work and his strength.
LYONS
MAXSON
Lyons
is Troy’s thirty-four years old son by a previous marriage. He wants to be a musician and he’s more
interested in the rituals and idea of being a musician than in actual practice
of the music. Lyons was born before
Troy’s time in jail with a woman Troy met before he became a baseball prayer.
Lyons is an ambitious and talented Jazz
musician. He grew up without Troy who
was still in prison much of his childhood Lyons, like most musicians is finding
it difficult to make a living because he only depends on his girlfriend, Bonnie
whom we never see on stage for money, Lyons does not live with Troy, Rose and
Cory, but comes to the house frequently on Troy’s payday to ask for money. He cares little or nothing about his father,
Lyons only visits when he needs money.
Troy on the other hand often ridicules Lyons for his lifestyle and for
the fact that he is unemployed and financially supported by his wife, Bonnie.
Lyon’s choice of Jazz music playing appears
as an unconventional and foolish occupation to Troy who calls such music
“Chinese music” because he perceives the music is foreign and impractical.
At the end of the play, Lyons and Bonnie
divorce and Lyons is sentenced to Jail for “cashing other people’s checks.
RAYNELL MAXSON
Raynell is Troy’s illegitimate child by his
mistress Alberta. Troy brings Raynell to
Rose to take care of her when she is just three days old when her mother died
shortly after the delivery of the baby and Rose complies because she feels the
child is innocent and does not deserve any harm. “I’ll take care of your baby for
you… she is innocent and you can’t visit the sins of the father upon the child (79)
Rose declares to Troy.
Raynell has grown into a sweet seven-year’s
old girl by the time of her father’s Troy funeral in 1961. She sings Troy’s favorite song at his funeral which helps to ease Cory’s pain and anguish.
Raynell’s innocence and youth represents the Maxson family’s hopes for a better
future. She is very pretty and precious
and Lyons perceives that her beauty is capable of breaking a whole lot of
hearts.
ALBERTA
Alberta
is Troy’s illegitimate wife and mistress and the mother of Raynell who is never
seen in the play. She dies while giving
birth to her daughter Raynell, whom Rose brings up. Alberta’s adulterous relationship and the
ensuring birth of Raynell cause the Maxson family to fall apart. She symbolizes an escape route for Troy to
escape real problems of life.
Minor Characters
Bonnie: Lyons’ girlfriend who works in the laundry at Mercy Hospital
Mr. Stawicki -Cory’s boss at the A&P
Coach Zellman - Cory’s high school football coach who encourgages recruiters
to come to see Cory play football.
Mr. Rand: Bono and Troy’s boss at the sanitation Department who doubted that
Troy would win his discrimation case.
Miss pearl -Gabe’s landlady at his new apartment.
THEMES
Dreams,
Individual Choices and their Shortcomings
Just like Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun,
August Wilson’s Fences is essentially about dreams. Some of the characters in the play have
different dreams of bright future. The
play’s central conflict is about how the damaged dreams of one generation can affect
the dreams of the next. Rose dreams of a
united and responsible family, Troy wants to be the first African American to
be a garbage truck driver rather than Just lifting cans. Cory wants to go to college on a football
scholarship. Lyons wants to be a
musician as well.
The dreams of some of these characters have
one way or the other encounter delay or absolute denial. Troy for instance, wanted to become a
professional baseball player in the Negro leagues, and he is unable to play for
major leagues. His dream is therefore
deferred by racism which was the other of the day at that time. Troy who is also condemned to a mere garbage
lifter aspires and dreams of becoming the first African-American to drive
garbage truck… “How come you got all whites driving and the colored lifting? … Give everybody a chance to drive the truck
(90) Troy demands to know. This case is
taken to court, Judged and part of Troy’s dream is realized here. Note that Troy always wants more than he
could actually achieve which leaves him a bitter man.
Rose
however, is interested in building a united family with an enduring legacy and
that is why she keeps talking about building fences which is symbolic of
protection, oneness and unity. Her dream
is to unite Troy, Cory and Lyons as one family.
The more she thrives to attain that the more circumstances beyond her
immediate control pull her down her dream of a monogamous family with rebirth
is shattered by Troy’s adulterous act which results to the birth of
Raynell. She compromises her dreams for
Troy when he dies by accepting to bring up and train Raynell.
However, Cory is another dreamer who is
dreaming to become a footballer. But Troy who does not want him to end up like
himself refuses to let him play football, and this destroys Cory’s chances of
going to college. “I told that boy that
football staff, the white man ain’t gonna let him get nowhere with that
football… he ought to go and get recruited in how to fix cars or something
where he can make a living” (8) Troy advises Cory. Troy does not want his son to be hurt and
barred from sports the same way he was and he remarks, “I don’t want him to be like me” (10).
At the end of the play, Troy and Cory have not
been able to actualize their dreams.
Troy, who is promoted to be a driver, feels lonely in his new position
and also the previous affair with Alberta and his separation, from Bono. Cory
has left his dream career in football to become a marine in the label before
the escalation of the Vietnam War.
Lyons who is a talented young man aspires to
become a Jazz musician, but does not have money to kick start his dreams. He goes to Troy’s home to ask or borrow money
from him and also depends on her girlfriend, Bonnie for money. He could not realize his dream because his
girlfriend divorces him before he’s sent to Jail for fraud and devious
manipulation.
Racial
Discrimination
Race
relation which ravaged our 20th century society is also seen in
August Wilson’s Fences. All the
characters in the play are African-Americans, and they must deal with racism
today. Keep in mind that the play takes
place before the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's. Some of the characters such as Rose and Cory
seem to sense that progress is in the air, while others are still trapped in
America’s troubled past.
In the play, racism tends to interferes with
the characters’ dreams hopes and aspiration.
Troy while growing up nurses the idea of becoming a successful baseball
player, but the dream did not materialize because the Negroes were not allow to
play in the team. He therefore settles
down for a menial job such as garbage collection. There is another tinge of discrimination in
his garbage collecting job as the black are not allowed to drive the truck; an
exclusive preserve for the white. The
blacks only lift the garbage. As a
result of racial hatred, Troy is scared to ask his boss Mr. Rand a question,
for fear of being fired. “I aint worried about them firing me. They
gonna fire me cos I asked a question… I went to Mr. Rand and asked him. “Why?”
why you got the white men driving and the colored lifting? You think only white
fellows got sense enough to drive a truck… How come you got all whites driving
and the colored lifting? (3) Troy therefore challenges Mr. Rand to give
everybody a chance to drive the truck without fear of losing one’s job. Mr. Rand who can not explain the reason dares
Troy to take the matter to the union or go to hell.
Cory,
that is, Troy’s son is also nursing hope of going to college on a football
scholarship in order to become a professional footballer. He had to even quit his job in A & P
Company to concentrate on his footballing career, but his high hope is soon
truncated by Troy’s experience of racism.
Troy puts an end to such dream because he does not want his son to end
up like himself. “The white man ain’t gonna to let him get nowhere with that football” (9)
Troy insists that Cory, instead learn a trade so that he can have a job to rely’
on.
Family
Disintegration and Rebirth
There is a serious case of one who is
building an enduring family reputation and unity and there is another who is
destroying it and bringing it to disrepute.
Rose
who is positive minded does everything possible to reposition the Maxson’s
family by giving moral and financial support to the members in her household,
while Troy whose income cannot even settle his family’s need is busying
dragging the family name on the mire.
So, Troy struggles to fulfill his role as a
father to his son and husband to his wife.
He does not do much before his demise.
The family he ruled with Iron hand or hard-handedness is torn apart, as
his son; Cory turns against him and also becomes a rebel. After leveling serious criticism on how Troy
tormented his life and dreams for a better future, he vows not to attend his
funeral. “I’m not going to papa’s
funeral… the whole time I was growing up… living in his house… papa was like a
shadow that followed you everywhere. It
weighted on you and sunk into your flesh” (96) Cory laments bitterly,
Troy’s adulterous act with Alberta also contributes to Troy’s backwardness and
family disintegration. The nature of
trust between Rose and Troy is broken here, because Rose has vowed never to
have anything to do with Troy, especially when the news about Alberta’s
pregnancy for “Troy filters in.
To further demonstrate that Rose is an
embodiment of unity and family’s rebirth, she tries to convince Cory not to
speak despicably against his dead father and to assure him that Troy means well
for the family, “Your daddy wanted you to
be everything he wasn’t… and at the same time he tried to make you everything
he was… he meant to do more good than he meant to do harm” (97) Rose
cautions Cory. Troy also sees Rose as a
good woman capable of uniting the family when he says… “I know she’s a good woman I have been married to her for eighteen
years” (6). Bono also confirms this
in his words. “Some people build fences to keep people out… and other people build
fence to keep people in. Rose wants to
hold on to you all She loves you”. (61).
Also,
Rose forgives Troy and accepts to bring up Raynell, that is, the illegitimate
daughter of Troy and Alberta who died shortly after child birth in order to
promote peace harmony and family integration in Maxsons.
Theme
of Betrayal and Forgiveness
Theme of betrayal of trust is evident in the
actions of Troy towards almost everyone in the play. To Rose, Troy breaks their marital vow which
spells out one man, one wife, and also kicks against adulterous act he
committed with Alberta which result to the birth of Raynell. Rose being a kind-hearted woman ostensibly
refuses to return evil for evil, and she forgives Troy and opts to bring up
Raynell. “She’s innocent… and you can’t visit the sins of the father upon the
child. A motherless child has got a hard
time… from right now… this child got a mother? (80) Rose assures Troy of
her commitment to keep supporting the family.
Also, Troy betrays Gabriel, his own brother when
he offer him to be taken to psychiatric hospital in order for him to have part
of the money that was paid to Gabe as compensation he got from the army, Troy
uses the money to buy a house and push Gabe out. Cory is not also left out of the long list of
persons betrayed by Troy without realizing it.
Troy betrays Gabriel when he signs him into mental hospital also. Cory feels betrayed by Troy because of
high-handedness with which he handles his life and his future career. Troy uses his past failures to Judge Cory’s
future by his (Troy) refusal to allow him choose football as his career. The thought of how the white failed to allow
him play baseball professionally makes Troy place a stop to Cory’s football
career without realizing the implications.
This causes enmity between Troy and his son.
Bono also feels betrayed by Troy’s act of
adultery with Alberta and he deserts troy in the end. Though many of the characters are hurt or
betrayed by Troy’s actions, the final scene shows that they also have respect
for him. Though they are disappointed by the things he did. Troy always does what he thinks is right and
that is why he never apologize for anything he does in the play.
Rose further demonstrates that forgiveness is
the key to life as she forgives Troy and charges others especially Cory to
forgive his dad. She agrees to bring up
Raynell in spite of all that Troy did to her.
Theme
of Mortality and Death
Mortality is predominant in the play. It is a
form of foreshadow where Troy Maxson claims that he literally wrestled with
death and won. We see several monologues
throughout the play where he taunts and challenges death, almost daring it to
try and take him again. Troy’s attitude
towards death is relaxed, clam and peaceful.
He sees death as inevitable end – a compulsory journey that everyone
must embark on. “Ain’t anything wrong with talking about death? That’s part of life. Everybody gonna die. You gonna die, I’m gonna die. Bono’s gonna die. Hell, we all gonna die” (10). Troy
bellows. Troy also sees death as being
weak and powerless, because one can choose whether to allow it kill one or
not. He also recounts how he fought with
death in the middle of July, 1941. “It seems like death himself reached out and
touched me on the shoulder. He touched
me just like I touch you. I got cold as
ice and death standing there grinning at me” (11). Troy admits that while fighting with death
and death throws off his attempt to fight and defeat death. Troy still believes that death will come
after him someday because it is not easy to conquer death. “Death
ain’t anything to play with. And I know…
he’s gonna have to fight to get me” (12).
Also, Gabriel on his part believes in
mortality and he admits that heaven and hell are real and “The devil’s
strong. The devil aint no pushover… But
I got my trumpet waiting on the Judgment time” (47). The fact that Gabe is partially sane, his
words foreshadows death that later visits Troy in the end. Death therefore is
seen as an ultimate chance for peace.
Troy triumphs over death because he never lets fear of it control his
life. Wilson seems to speak against
Troy’s view of death, and how this view informs his approach to life and the
people around him.
DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES IN FENCES
Use of Symbolism: There is a
number of incidence and actions that are symbolic and metaphoric in the
play. They include:
Fences
The play’s title Fences is symbolic of racial discrimination that ruled the 1950
society which involves the segregation between the black and white. The whites
build wall or fence of hatred and keep the blacks out of it. For instance, it is this wall of
discrimination that prevents Troy, a black man from finding success as a
baseball player; his dream of becoming a professional baseball player and that
of his son. Cory who wants to become a
footballer could not materialize because of the literary fence built against
the blacks.
The
second fence mentioned in the play is the physical fence built by Troy and his
son, Cory around Troy’s yard. It
represents both the metaphorical fences that Troy builds around himself to keep
people from getting too close to him, and he end up building a fence that keeps
his entire family out. The meaning of
the fences to keep people out and other people built fences to keep people
in. Troy persistently criticizes and
neglects his two sons, Cory and Lyons,
which thus draws them away from him.
Troy pushes Lyons away by refusing to hear him play his Chinese music”
(48) Troy is also said to neglect to build the fence that Rose ordered
him. His negligence to build the fence
stands for his negligence or irresponsibility towards his family. For Bono, the fence is symbolic of betrayal
of Troy to his wife.
2. Raynell’s Garden
Raynell’s garden we see towards the ending of the play
is symbolic of hope growth, renewal, positive change and transformation of
Maxson’s family. The family that is destroyed by Troy is hoping to experience
another re surging future that will be spearheaded by the new born baby,
Raynell. It is also a promise of new
life in the face of death. Raynell
herself is the flower that has sprung from Troy’s seeds.
3. Irony:
Two Situational Ironies
Situational
Irony refers to a situation in which actions have the opposite effect of what
is intended or expected. One example of
such Irony in Fences is that Troy builds a fence around his yard to prevent
death from entering and taking him. He
confirms this while addressing death. “I’m gonna build me a fence around what
belongs to me”. At the end of the
play death crosses over and takes him despite the bragging.
Another example of situational Irony is when
Troy wants to be a driver on garbage truck, not just a worker who lifts the
garbage. He wants to be first
African-American driver, and his wish is granted, and rather than making him
happy, his new Job makes him more isolated, depressed and miserable, He say, “Ain’t got nobody to talk to…”
4 Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is often used to give advance
information that will occur in the later part of the play or novel. It helps the reader develop an expectation
about upcoming events. In this play, in
act one, Troy speaks extensively about death, initially, he admits that death
is inevitable and no respecter of persons, but he also brags about how he
wrestled seriously with death. This
foresees his physical death at the end of the play. Also, Gabriel’s talks about songs and strange
stories about his friendship with St. Peter, foreshadows Troy’s eventual
demise, “Better get ready for the
Judgment; Gabe sings to Troy. Bono’s
series of questions about an affair with a certain woman foreshadows Troy’s
inability to hide his secret which later blows open to the general public.
LIKELY WAEC AND NECO 2021-2025 EXAMINATION
QUESTIONS
1.
Discuss the title of the play and how it
relates to the events in the play,
Fences.
2.
“Rose is the backbone of the Maxson”. Examine the assertion in Fences.
3.
Discuss the theme of dreams and aspiration
in the play
4.
Examine how Troy rule his household with
iron hand in Fences,
5.
Assess the setting of the play and bring out
how history inform the world
of the play.
6.
What is the role of race in Fences? How would the story be different if the characters
were not African-Americans?
7.
“Rose’s sacrifice for the family is a positive
and admirable one, which is worthy of emulation”. Discuss.
8.
Discuss any two themes in the play
9.
Examine the role and character of Troy
Maxson in the play
10.
Discuss the dreams of any three (3) members
of Maxson’s family and bring out their shortcomings.
11.
Discuss how Troy’s past contribute to his
present life
12.
Examine the character of Cory as an
ambitious young man?
13.
Write short notes on the following
characters; (I) Raynell (II) Gabriel
(III) Bono
14.
Examine the effects of disintegrated family
in the Fences.
15.
Examine the use of symbolism in the play,
Fences.
16.
Explain any three dramatic techniques
deployed in this play, Fences.
17.
How are Troy, Rose and Cory portrayed in the
play?
18.
Comment on the theme of offence and
forgiveness in the play.
19.
Consider the importance of the fence to
Rose and Troy in the play.
20.
What impression do you form from Rose’s
character?
21.
Discuss the relationship between Troy and
his son, Cory in the play.
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