fences character analysis essay

August Wilson

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Character and Setting Analysis of August Wilson's Play: "Fences"

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Arguably August Wilson's most renowned work, " Fences " explores the life and relationships of the Maxson family. This moving drama was written in 1983 and earned Wilson his first Pulitzer Prize.

" Fences " is part of  August Wilson's " Pittsburg Cycle ," a collection of ten plays. Each drama explores a different decade in the 20th century, and each examines the lives and struggles of African-Americans.

The protagonist, Troy Maxson is a restless trash-collector and former baseball athlete. Though deeply flawed, he represents the struggle for justice and fair treatment during the 1950s. Troy also represents human nature's reluctance to recognize and accept social change.

In the playwright 's setting description, symbols connected to his character can be found: the house, the incomplete fence, the porch, and the makeshift baseball tied to a tree branch.

Origins of Troy Maxson

According to Joseph Kelly, editor of " The Seagull Reader: Plays ," Troy Maxson is loosely based upon August Wilson's step-father, David Bedford. The following can be said about both men:

• Talented, young athletes.
• Unable to attend college.
• Turned to crime for income.
• Killed a man.
• Spent decades in prison.
• Married and settled down to a new life after a prison term.

The Setting Reveals the Man

The set description provides several clues to the heart of Troy Maxson's character. " Fences " takes place in the front yard of Troy's "ancient two-story brick house." The house is a source of both pride and shame for Troy.

He is proud to provide a home for his family. He is also ashamed because he realizes that the only way he could afford the house is through his brother (a mentally unstable WWII veteran) and the disability checks he receives because of it.

Building Fences

Also mentioned in the setting description, an incomplete fence borders part of the yard. Tools and lumber are off to the side. These set pieces will provide the literal and metaphoric activity of the play: building a fence around Troy's property.

Questions to consider in an essay about " Fences ":

• What does the act of building a fence symbolize?
• What is Troy Maxson trying to keep out?
• What is he trying to keep in?

Troy's Porch and Homelife

According to the playwright's description, "the wooden porch is badly in need of paint." Why does it need paint? Well, in practical terms, the porch is a recent addition to the house. Therefore, it could simply be seen as a task not quite finished.

However, the porch is not the only thing in dire need of attention. Troy's wife of eighteen years, Rose, has also been neglected. Troy has spent time and energy on both his wife and the porch. However, Troy ultimately does not commit to his marriage nor to the unpainted, unfinished porch, leaving each to the mercy of the elements.

Baseball and "Fences"

At the beginning of the script, August Wilson makes certain to mention an important prop placement. A baseball bat leans against the tree and a ball of rags is tied to a branch.

Both Troy and his teenage son Cory (a football star in the making - if it wasn't for his embittered father) practice swinging at the ball. Later on in the play, when the father and son argue, the bat will be turned on Troy - though Troy will ultimately win in that confrontation.

Troy Maxson was a great baseball player, at least according to his friend Bono. Although he played brilliantly for the "Negro Leagues," he was not allowed to on the "white" teams, unlike Jackie Robinson .

The success of Robinson and other Black players is a sore subject for Troy. Because he was "born at the wrong time," he never earned the recognition or the money which he felt he deserved and discussion of professional sports will often send him into a tirade.

Baseball serves as Troy's main way of explaining his actions. When he talks about facing death, he uses baseball terminology, comparing a face-off with the grim reaper to a duel between a pitcher and a batter. When he bullies his son Cory, he warns him:

TROY: You swung and you missed. That's strike one. Don't you strike out!

During Act Two of " Fences ," Troy confesses to Rose about his infidelity. He explains not only that he has a mistress, but that she is pregnant with his child. He uses a baseball metaphor to explain why he had an affair:

TROY: I fooled them, Rose. I bunted. When I found you and Cory and a halfway decent job . . . I was safe. Couldn't nothing touch me. I wasn't gonna strike out no more. I wasn't going back to the penitentiary. I wasn't gonna lay in the streets with a bottle of wine. I was safe. I had me a family. A job. I wasn't gonna get that last strike. I was on first looking for one of them boys to knock me in. To get me home.​

ROSE: You should have stayed in my bed, Troy.

TROY: Then when I saw that gal . . . she firmed up my backbone. And I got to thinking that if I tried . . . I just might be able to steal second. Do you understand after eighteen years I wanted to steal second.

Troy the Garbage Man

The final details mentioned in the setting description reflect Troy's later years as a hard-working garbage man. August Wilson writes, "Two oil drums serve as garbage receptacles and sit near the house."

For nearly two decades, Troy worked from the back of the garbage truck alongside his friend Bono. Together, they hauled junk throughout the neighborhoods and alleyways of Pittsburg. But Troy wanted more. So, he finally sought a promotion - not an easy task due to the white, racist employers and union members.

Ultimately, Troy earns the promotion, allowing him to drive the garbage truck. However, this creates a solitary occupation, distancing himself from Bono and other friends (and perhaps symbolically separating himself from his African-American community).

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“Fences” by August Wilson Literature Analysis Essay

Introduction, dramatic structure of the play, troy – the modern hero, metaphors and symbols – direct messages to the audience, works cited.

Reputedly, Fences is one of the most famous dramas in American literature. In 1983 August Wilson wrote a story of a man who built fences around himself. The play is full of metaphors concerning fences which reveal the major theme and idea, building fences. Depicting the life of the average African American family Wilson articulates the universal truth that if “someone builds a fence, the builder is at once fencing in and fencing out” (Bloom 139).

It is important to point out that Wilson portrays negative outcomes of such building in a very lively manner. The dramatic structure of the play, use of numerous metaphors, and, of course, depiction of such a modern hero as Troy make Wilson’s ideas obtain physical form.

Admittedly, drama “is not flexible as other forms of literature” (McMahan et al. 736). The playwright is limited in time and space, so it is essential to be precise when writing a play. Wilson manages to reveal his ideas within the necessary limits. The story is told in two major parts. The first part is revealed in the very beginning of the play, more so, in the very setting of the play: “a small dirt yard, partially fenced” (Wilson 788).

In this first part of the play Wilson portrays the process of building fences. Troy’s memories, Troy’s dialogues with the members of his family make the viewer see how Troy is building his fences, and why he is doing that. The image of the incomplete fence enhances the idea of building fences.

The second part of the play is its very ending. This part reveals the outcomes of fences building. Troy is buried. Now he is completely fenced from the rest of the world. The fence around the yard is completed. This part of the play is concerned with the outcomes of fence building. Wilson draws a conclusion in this part: a man, who is trying to build a fence around himself, manages to do it, but he fences himself in, and makes this person absolutely lonely.

This specific structure makes the play really appealing since the playwright ends his story with a strong and evocative scene when insane brother of Troy, Gabriel, opens the heavenly gates to his brother and makes him free from the fences Troy was building during his life. Of course, the viewer understands that the fences are destroyed too late.

This makes the end very strong, since the viewer starts thinking about his/her own fences. It goes without saying that such a dramatic structure serves the major aim of the play: to reveal the negative outcomes of building fences.

Admittedly, to reveal his ideas Wilson uses one more tool. He creates a lively modern character. It is necessary to point out that Wilson’s Troy is one of the brightest examples of the modern hero since he is not only bad or good, only tragic or comic (McMahan et al. 786). Troy is a living man who is characterized by myriads of good and bad features.

Sometimes he is too distant from his wife and children. For instance, in his talk with his friend Troy confesses about his love affair, but at the same time it is possible to feel that he loves his wife and sometime can express his affection (Wilson 790-791). Troy can be characterized as a stern father, but he still loves his children. Even in his disapproval of his son’s longing to enter big sport it is possible to feel care.

Troy simply does not want his son, Cory, to experience the same disappointment: “I decided seventeen years ago that boy wasn’t getting involved in no sports. Not after what they did to me in the sports” (Wilson 806).

Of course, times has changed and Cory has a real chance to become a famous and successful player, but Troy does not see the changes because the fence he built in his mind is too high to see it (Wilson 805). Thus, Wilson creates a hero who is, so to speak, multifaceted. This characteristic feature of the modern hero Troy makes it possible to understand why he built the fence around him.

It goes without saying that the image of the main character and his fences is enhanced by the use of metaphors and symbols which play essential role in revealing the playwright’s ideas. Admittedly, the major symbol of the play is physical representation of the fence, which is incomplete in the first part of the play and is finished in the second, culmination part of the play.

The viewer is exposed to the major idea of the play all the time. Troy is building a fence around his yard in the real world and around himself in his mind. He wants to defend himself from the hostile world, but instead he isolates himself. Troy’s fences do not let him see numerous opportunities which appear in a rapidly changing world.

Interestingly, Troy also uses numerous metaphors dreaming about “swinging for the fences” (Bloom 139). Wilson’s main character does not admit he has built fences (does not see new opportunities and does not always let somebody in), but he still wants to escape from the metaphorical fences. Troy wants to go beyond his own fences. These metaphors also enhance the idea of being imprisoned in one’s own fences.

One of the most evocative symbols of the play is the final performance of Gabriel who is breaking the fences for his brother and sets him free. Notably, Wilson articulates an idea that in many cases only insane can ruin fences whereas “normal” people build new ones.

This idea is articulated by the scene when Lyons is trying to stop Gabriel when he is “opening” the gates for Troy (Wilson 834). Admittedly, these are only some of the brightest metaphors used in the play. And the whole scope of these metaphors reveals the major idea of the play.

In conclusion, it is possible to note that Wilson made his idea of the negative outcomes of building fences absolutely explicit in his famous play. More so, specific structure of the play, numerous metaphors and symbols create a complete picture of fences which can exist in human life.

Moreover, Wilson’s modern hero, Troy, is a kind of illustration of a fenced individual. Wilson reveals his sorrows and his happy moments, but apart from all this Wilson claims that any fences lead to loneliness. Notable, Wilson’s expressive and emotional play makes people think of their own fences and their own ways in the world.

Bloom, Harold. August Wilson. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing, 2009.

McMahan, Elizabeth, Susan Day, Robert Funk. Literature and the Writing Process. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007.

Wilson, August. “Fences.” Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan Day, Robert Funk. Literature and the Writing Process. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. 788-834.

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IvyPanda. (2020, April 23). "Fences" by August Wilson Literature Analysis. https://ivypanda.com/essays/fences-by-august-wilson-literature-analysis/

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . ""Fences" by August Wilson Literature Analysis." April 23, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/fences-by-august-wilson-literature-analysis/.

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by August Wilson

Fences essay questions.

Why does Gabriel carry a trumpet around his neck?

Because of a head injury, Gabriel believes that he is the angel Gabriel and that he is able to open the gates of heaven with his trumpet. While the audience knows that this is not literally true, the final scene shows that Gabe becomes the play's figure of redemption. He unsuccessfully tries to blow his trumpet and when that does not work, dances his brother into heaven. Troy does not have the play's last word; instead, it is the fool, the representation of innocence, that finally offers Troy deliverance.

Why is the setting of the play important?

The setting of the play is important because the 1950's represents a time of great upheaval in race relations in the United States. Troy Maxson represents a previous generation that now watches the world move on around them. They have been maligned by white transgression in the past and yet have been able to procure a small portion of the country's booming wealth for themselves. Troy dies, however, in 1965, the year of the greatest legislative triumph of the Civil Rights era. He is not able to enjoy the victory that he helped bring about.

Why is Troy Maxson considered an "everyman" character?

Troy Maxson is a character of universal type. Though his life is dictated by the particulars of the African American experience of the early twentieth century, his failings as a man as well as his small measures of redemption are applicable to all people. Wilson deftly creates a character who is a flawed and identifiable hero, through his responsibilities to family and his inabilities to live up to his own high expectations. His battles with his sons resonate across racial and cultural lines as universal human experiences.

Explain the play's principal metaphor of the fence.

Jim Bono best sums up the play's overarching metaphor by explaining to Troy, "Some people build fences to keep people out…and other people build fences to keep people in.” Both Troy and Rose Maxson attempt to build emotional fences throughout the play. Rose attempts to keep her family within her fence by being a good and faithful wife. Troy is more concerned with an emotional fence that never permits his sons to understand his love for them.

Is Rose's character an example of feminism or an example of the repressed role of women in society?

Scholars have been divided on Rose's role in the play. Some have seen Rose as the prototypical 1950s housewife, disappearing into her husband and leaving no room for her own self to flourish. Others, however, have seen Rose as occupying a feminist position; she does remain a housewife and mother but only because she makes the choice for herself. No one forces motherhood on her. She admits that when Troy takes pieces of her, it is because she gives those pieces out of her own choice. But then, what other choice does she have?

Discuss the role of the blues in Fences .

Troy's blues song for his dog, Old Blue, is an example of Wilson's use of blues music in the play. Troy takes on the role of an archetypal blues character who has seen his world taken away from him for his transgressions. The blues also acts as a form of aural tradition. Cory and Raynell sing Troy's blues song as they bury him, representing pieces of Troy that pass down through generations.

Discuss the meaning of baseball in the play.

Troy uses baseball as a metaphor for his own life, yet the audience comes to understand that the game Troy plays is not necessarily the one in which he sees himself. Troy remembers himself as a star in the Negro Leagues, but he was never given a chance to prove himself. His relationship with Alberta, and the selfishness that it inculcates in him, is his chance to please himself in a way that he never could while playing baseball. Troy, however, fails at his own game. His failures in his relationships with his wife and son represent two strikes in his life. The inevitability of his death is his third and final strike.

What traits make Troy Maxson an unlikable protagonist?

Troy is seen as an unsympathetic character for much of the play because of the emotional fence he builds to keep his sons and wife from seeing and accepting his underlying love for them. This is best observed when Cory asks Troy why Troy does not like him. Instead of offering a reassuring remark, Troy shames his son by telling him that there is no law that says he must like him. The fence that Troy puts up to keep his sons from accepting him also acts as a fence to keep the audience from sympathizing with Troy.

What traits make Troy Maxson a redeemed protagonist?

For all of his faults, Troy Maxson is ultimately redeemed. This is accomplished through the small glimpses of care and affection that his children remember in the play's final scene. Raynell tells Cory that Troy always called her room "Cory's room" and that he never threw out Cory's football equipment. They close the play by singing Troy's old blues song about his dog. It is inevitable that fathers pass on pieces of themselves to their children. Through this process, Troy becomes a redeemed character and a flawed hero, but a hero nevertheless.

Discuss the cycle of father-son relationships in the play.

In the play, sons become outraged at the actions of their fathers. This outrage turns into hate, and yet the sons cannot help but bear a resemblance to their fathers. For Troy, this happens when he assaults Cory and kicks him out of the house. Troy believes that he is protecting Cory from a life of failure in football, yet Troy has become the same man that his father had been. The final scene sees Cory struggling with this same dynamic. He seeks to reject his father, but he cannot completely leave Troy - he carries his memory, influence, and song with him.

Fences Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Fences is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Why does Troy refuse to accept Lyon's repayment of the loan?

Troy naturally assumes that Lyons will soon be back for another "loan", it's a bit of a habit for Lyons to come to his father for money. Thus, to prove his point, Troy tells Lyons to put the money in the bank, so he can just go and take it out...

Discuss your thoughts on Cory intial decision not to attend Troys funeral. Why did he feel this way ? Do you agree?

I was actually surprised that Cory traveled home for the funeral, and yet, he decided not to attend. On one hand, we can consider the fact that Cory's last fight with his father and the fact they never came to terms weighed heavily on Cory... it's...

What can you infer about Cory’s character based on his responses?

We can infer by Corey's responses that he respects his father.

Study Guide for Fences

Fences study guide contains a biography of August Wilson, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Fences
• Fences Summary
• Character List

Essays for Fences

Fences essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Fences by August Wilson.

• The Importance of Dreams
• The Significance of Songs in August Wilson's Fences
• Death and Baseball: August Wilson's Fences
• Rebuilding Relationships in Fences
• The Apple and the Tree: Family Ties in The Namesake and Fences

Lesson Plan for Fences

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Fences
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Fences Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Fences

• Introduction
• Productions
• Cast and characters
• Awards and nominations

photography, writing, and various thoughts

A Close Reading of Fences: Rose and the Cult of Domesticity

March 22, 2021 by Leah Rosenberger

As the sole woman throughout the majority of the play, Rose Maxson is August Wilson’s main character of Fences to represent the struggles of African American women.

When delivering her monologue in Act Two, Scene One to Troy upon hearing he has impregnated another woman, Rose showcases her feminine vulnerability and unconscious frustration towards the state of the patriarchy in 1957. In the context of mainstream womanhood in the 1950’s, Rose feels especially disgraced by Troy’s infidelity due to her loyalty as a wife conforming to the ‘Cult of Domesticity’ and the play’s transcending motif of disadvantage as an African American woman.

The Cult of Domesticity, or the Cult of True Womanhood, began its reign in the mid-nineteenth century. This movement has engaged circularly with the waves of feminism, waning as the first wave of feminists fought for the right to vote in 1920, and resurging after World War II “as Americans in particular sought a return to the idealized family life that they’d known before the war years” (Wigington). The cornerstones of true womanhood were characterized as domesticity, submissiveness, piety, and purity. Rose is intrinsically involved in this movement simply by societal pressures to become a faithful wife. Earlier in the play, she refers to her standards of marriage when reiterating how she told Troy that if he wasn’t looking to marry her, then “move out the way so the marrying kind could find me” (Wilson 1.1). However, as Fences deals with the everyday disadvantages of an African American family in the 1950’s United States, Rose illustrates the struggles and disrespect confronting an African American woman. Reading between the lines of the Cult of Domesticity movement, it is obvious that due to whitewashing in media depictions, classism of the housewife versus the working woman, and stereotyping of the black woman as aggressive and sinful, Rose can never truly achieve the secure status as a wife that she desires.

Through Rose’s monologue, August Wilson tactfully addresses the double-standard of Rose’s conformist lifestyle as a dependent woman compared to Troy’s advantage as an independent man. Before Rose responds, Troy muses that he cheated on his wife because he has felt restrained and worn out due to “standing in the same place for eighteen years” (Wilson 2.1). This leads to Rose’s monologue explaining that what Troy has viewed as a responsibility and task to remain married to her, Rose has viewed as love and loyalty to stay married for eighteen years. As Rose retorts, “I’ve been standing with you!,” she reaches an apex of clarity regarding the double-standard of her husband to neglect their marriage as she works every day to keep him satisfied. 

In a related manner,  Rose questions the audacity of Troy to feel he deserves a break  from their marriage to enjoy the company of Alberta, who makes him “laugh out loud” and feel good. 

Don’t you think it ever crossed my mind to want to know other men? That I wanted to lay up somewhere and forget about my responsibilities? That I wanted someone to make me laugh so I could feel good?

The gender roles of the 1950’s allowed men free sexual agency, while enforcing upon women the aforementioned virtues of true womanhood, namely purity. Even beyond this, black women conform to yet another set of standards in the overarching ‘respectability politics’ in the United States, suppressing black women to remain what white people viewed as “proper” and avoid the racist stereotypes set in place. While Troy can be sexually reckless to the point of cheating and impregnating another woman, Rose can’t even leave her house without good reason, to avoid the stereotype of the African American woman as sexually wicked. 

However, in her monologue, Rose does not intend to structurally overthrow these societal norms of women as submissive. In fact, Rose commends her loyal if suppressed lifestyle in comparison to Troy’s thoughtless actions that have harmed their marriage. Rose makes reference to praying over their relationship to nourish “all my feelings, my wants and needs, my dreams.” We note in this statement and in several moments throughout the play that Rose receives feminine and institutional support from her involvement with the black church. Rose remains faithful in her God, in her womanhood, and to her husband. Through her piety, as the Cult of Domesticity rewards women for their respectability, Rose expects to be redeemed for the years spent with Troy; she summarizes her sense of making herself smaller in order to stand faithfully by her husband when saying, “I planted myself inside you and waited to bloom.” 

Rose engages with the economic proposition of marriage when she explains to Troy that she ignored his wrongdoings for nearly two decades, “cause you was my husband. Cause that’s the only way I was gonna survive as your wife.” Thinking back to her compulsion for Troy to either be the “marrying kind” or leave, Rose has always prioritized marriage as her direct path to a happy and prosperous life. She was raised as a young girl to be a kind, trustworthy, affectionate housewife to her husband. While she refuses to give up her womanhood and personality — not always blindly agreeing with the intentions of Troy — Rose has still found herself in an area of  dependency, and she becomes painfully aware of this. As Troy told Cory in Act One, Scene Three that being his father and caring for his son was simply an obligation, Rose ignores romance momentarily and admits that she feels an obligatory role as a wife to Troy in the oppressive quicksand of African American life in the 1950’s. 

Rose concludes with a resonating declaration that defines Troy and countless other African American husbands in this era to the core: “You take…and don’t even know nobody’s giving.” Significantly juxtaposed with Rose’s innate sense of giving until she’s drained out of resources and love, she paints Troy as the unconcerned patriarchy, disregarding the women that have quietly and humbly held up society for centuries. Rose strikes down on Tory’s inherent privilege as a man to view his marriage as a task, while she yearns for love and recognition. 

Through her monologue, Rose illuminates the broken pieces of their marriage, catalyzing Troy’s downfall towards emasculation and desperation in the final scenes of the play. While the play makes purposefully vague whether Troy ever receives clarity, Rose’s monologue is an unclouded revelation of her own feminine power through tenderness and the values of true womanhood to promote her growth into a fully-realized and independent mother and woman by the end of Fences .

Works Cited

Wigington, Patti. “Cult of Domesticity: Definition and History.” ThoughtCo , Dotdash, 14 Aug. 2019, www.thoughtco.com/cult-of-domesticity-4694493.

Wilson, August. Fences . Plume, 2016.

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Fences by August Wilsons: Critical Analysis

The central theme in Fences by August Wilsonsrevolves around the construction of boundaries, both physical and metaphorical, to delineate familial and personal spaces.

Titles and Themes in Fences by August Wilsons

Table of Contents

The central theme in Fences by August Wilsons revolves around the construction of boundaries, both physical and metaphorical, to delineate familial and personal spaces. As Robert Frost aptly noted, “Good fences make good neighbors,” a sentiment echoed by the character Bono when Troy, the protagonist, fails to grasp the rationale behind Rose’s request for a fence to be built. Bono’s pragmatic understanding of this adage stems from his outsider perspective, enabling him to perceive the significance of such boundaries more acutely than Troy and Cory, who are entrenched in their familial roles. Moreover, Bono’s astuteness extends to his awareness of Troy’s extramarital affair with Alberta, a revelation that underscores Rose’s subconscious apprehensions about her husband’s fidelity.

Characters in Fences by August Wilsons

Indeed, Troy faces considerable challenges in providing for his family, given the limited opportunities available to him in his position. As a result, he seeks solace and escape in various outlets, including love, alcohol, and music. His relationship with Alberta, which Bono is aware of, serves as one manifestation of this quest for refuge. When Rose insists on building a fence in front of their home, Troy and Cory are initially perplexed by her request. However, Bono astutely recognizes the symbolic significance behind Rose’s desire for a fence, articulating that “Some people build fences to keep people out and other people build fences to keep people in.” This insight suggests that Rose’s intention may be twofold: to preserve her relationship with Troy and to create a barrier that prevents external influences from disrupting their familial bonds. The title of the play, “Fences,” thus assumes a profound thematic significance, encapsulating the themes of boundaries, containment, and the complexities of interpersonal relationships explored throughout the narrative.

Racism in Fences by August Wilsons

Racism, particularly discriminatory racialism, serves as a pervasive and poignant element that shapes the experiences of the Maxson family in “Fences.” As an African American family, the Maxsons navigate a society where racial prejudice and inequality are deeply ingrained. Troy’s occupation as a garbage collector reflects the limited opportunities available to black individuals in a society where they are systematically marginalized and discriminated against. His thwarted dreams of becoming a professional baseball player further highlight the systemic barriers faced by African Americans, as despite possessing the talent and potential, racial segregation prohibited him from achieving his aspirations.

The metaphorical significance of Troy’s past aspirations underscores the broader theme of racial injustice and the insidious ways in which it restricts the opportunities and aspirations of black individuals. Despite his capabilities and ambitions, Troy’s race serves as a formidable barrier to his advancement, relegating him to a subordinate position in society. His application to become a truck driver exemplifies his awareness of the racial prejudices that permeate the societal landscape, as he confronts the pervasive belief that only white individuals are deemed fit for certain professions. Troy’s refusal to allow Cory to pursue soccer further illustrates the internalization of racism within his psyche, as he perpetuates the cycle of racial discrimination by imposing limitations on his son’s aspirations. Through Troy’s experiences and actions, August Wilson adeptly portrays the enduring impact of racism on individuals and families, shedding light on the pervasive and systemic nature of racial injustice in American society.

Fence in Fences by August Wilsons

Indeed, in “Fences” by August Wilson, each character experiences both gains and losses throughout the narrative. Troy Maxson, for instance, loses his wife Rose when he engages in an extramarital affair with Alberta. However, he also gains a renewed appreciation for Rose’s importance in his life, as evidenced by his return with their daughter Raynell after Alberta’s death. Similarly, Cory experiences frustration and resentment towards his father for preventing him from pursuing his dream of joining the football team. Nevertheless, he ultimately achieves academic success by graduating from high school and later finds fulfillment in his decision to enlist in the Marines.

Rose emerges as a winner in her own right, despite Troy’s initial neglect of her, as she gains Raynell as a daughter through Troy’s affair. Gabriel, despite his mental disability, contributes to the family by helping to pay the mortgage, highlighting his resilience and determination in the face of adversity. Bono, Troy’s friend, serves as a catalyst for positive change in Troy’s life, as he helps to salvage their marriage by revealing Troy’s secret affair to Rose. In this manner, each major character in “Fences” experiences a blend of triumphs and setbacks, reflecting the complexity of human experiences and relationships portrayed in the play.

Works Cited: Fences by August Wilsons

• Wessling, Joseph H . “Wilson’s Fences.” The Explicator 57.2 (1999): 123-127.
• Baharvand, Peyman Amanolahi. “The Failure of the American Dream in August Wilson’s Fences.” International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies 5.4 (2017): 69-75.

Relevant Questions about Fences by August Wilsons

• How does the symbolism of the fence in “Fences” by August Wilson contribute to the thematic exploration of barriers, both physical and metaphorical, within the African American experience?
• In what ways does the protagonist, Troy Maxson, embody the struggles and aspirations of African American men in 1950s America, and how does his character arc reflect broader societal issues?
• How does August Wilson use the familial dynamics and relationships within the Maxson family to explore themes of responsibility, duty, and the impact of past traumas on present-day relationships in “Fences”?

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Fences — The Analysis of Troy Character in “Fences”

The Analysis of Troy Character in "Fences"

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Bloom, H. (Ed.). (2009). August Wilson's Fences. Infobase Publishing.Elam, H. (1997). The past in August Wilson's Fences. Journal of American Studies, 31(3), 387-398.Gantt, K. E. (1999). Playing in the dark: August Wilson's [...]

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Best Analytical Essay Examples

Character analysis: rose maxson in “fences”.

949 words | 4 page(s)

The play “Fences” written by August Wilson, premiering in 1983, is a two act play which is set in the 1950s. The play tells the story of an African American former baseball star in the Negro Leagues who later becomes a garbage man, Troy Maxson, and his interaction with his family and those around him. Troy’s character believes that he should have had more in life due to his baseball talent; Troy was unable to play Major League baseball because of his race. Therefore, he was unable to make sufficient money to last him from playing baseball, regardless of his level of talent.

This has lead Troy to harbor resentment toward the fact that he is relegated to the life of a garbage truck driver. Troy is married to Rose Maxson, a very dutiful wife. Rose’s character is depicted as a loving housewife who seems to always cooking, cleaning, and supporting her husband. Rose, however, does seem to have gumption and does not let Troy mistreat her if she can help it. As the story progresses, the actions of Troy affect Rose’s character and how she is presented. Throughout this paper, I will do a character analysis of the character Rose Maxson from the play “Fences.”

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At the start of the play, Rose Maxson is ten years younger than her husband Troy. The play gives some background about Rose’ character before she enters the first act. Rose is devoted to her husband Troy because of what she believes her life would be like without him. Rose has been exposed to a string of abusive men and the rough streets of the urban area. Rose makes her debut in the paly by walking outside and asking him what he and his friend are out their getting into. From Troy’s response to Rose, the viewers and readers immediately get a sense of Rose’s place in her household. Troy responds to the questioning of his wife Rose, “What you worried about what we getting onto for. This is men talk, woman.” (Act I, Scene I). Rose tries to dismiss the response of her husband by suggesting that she didn’t really care what they were talking about. This response suggests that Rose has a quick response to her husband’s treatment of her with less than the respect that she deserves but that she also endures the treatment. This becomes even more evident a few lines later when Troy makes suggestive comments to her with his friend still present outside. Rose tells him not to start that kind of talk, however, the readers and viewers get a sense that this is not the first time that Troy has said things like this to Rose in front of others. In addition, Rose is cooking for the men and seems to believe that her place as a woman is cooking for a man and taking care of a man the same as her husband does. The initial debut of the Rose character sets the tone for much of the play.

In the next scene, Rose is singing while hanging up the laundry. It is obvious from the song that she sings that she is a spiritual woman. Rose also believes a great deal in luck as she likes to play the lottery. In this scene Rose does assert herself when Troy’s brother Gabriel comes over for a visit. In addition, as Rose instructs Troy to finish building the fence she asked him to build, the viewers and readers gain an understanding of where the name of the play comes from. In fact, Rose was insistent on having the fence built. It is interesting that Wilson has Rose ask her husband Troy to build a fence when it is the proverbial fences that Troy constructs that as the play progresses that causes his relationship with Rose and others to deteriorate.

In the next scene, we are introduced to Rose’s son Cory as Rose informs him of his father’s dissatisfaction with him for not completing his chores. From this conversation the readers and viewers gain a sense that Troy has more control over their son than Rose does. This becomes even more apparent when Rose asks her husband why he will not let their son pursue college football. This suggests that Rose takes a secondary role in the parenting of their son as a caregiver but not a decision maker. In the conversation that ensures concerning this, Rose suggests that she does not believe her husband’s excuse that racism prevented him from playing in the Major Leagues and that it was in fact his age as a result of doing time in prison.

Rose stands up for herself by refusing to speak to her husband for six months after her informs her that he has gotten another woman pregnant. By this time Rose has already seen her husband try to deny their son his dream and put his brother in a mental facility against Roses’ wishes. By the end of the play, Rose proves that she can be a loving woman as well as stands up for herself to her husband. When he ask her to talk care of his baby by another woman, she states “I’ll take care of your baby for you…cause…she innocent…and you can’t visit the sins of the father upon the child. A motherless child had got a hard time….From right now this child got a mother. But you a womanless man” (Act II, Scene III). In later scenes in the play, it is evident that Rose kept her word and is raising the child as her own.

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