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Fences - LITERATURE NOTES

AUGUSTWILSON
SeeBiographyandWorks(http://pittsburgh.about.com/od/famous_locals/p/august_wilson.htm)
SUMMARY
TheplayisaboutTroyMaxsonandhisfamily.Theyareapoor,workingclassBlackfamilylivingintheUnitedStates,onthecuspofthe
CivilRightsMovement.Thefamilyhasmanyissues,allofwhicharefueledbyTroy.Hiseldestson,Lyons,isaworthlessyoung
musicianwhohasabandonmentissuesduetohisfathersabsenceinhisearlyyears.Hissecondchild,Cory,isdesperateforhisfathers
attentionandapproval,neitherofwhichhegets.Whilehiswife,Rose,hasbuiltherlifearoundTroy,onlyforhimtodisappointherby
beingunfaithful.Troy,therefore,hasleteveryonedowninsomeway,evenhisbestfriendBono,whenhehashisaffair.Itisatouching
storyofamanwhoistornbetweenetchingoutalifeofhappinessforhimself,versuscateringtotheneedsofhislovedones.
SETTING
TheplayoccursinthefrontyardoftheMaxsonshouse
Thehouseissetinbackoffasmallallyinabigcityneighborhood(Pittsburgh)
StoryunfoldsintheUnitedStatesin1957andendsin1965
CHARACTERS
TroyMaxson
Ahardworkingmanwhosupportshisfamilythebestwaythatheknowshow
Acourageousanddeterminedmanwhofightstoobtaintheseeminglyimpossiblepromotiontodriverofthegarbagetruck
Ajovialpersonwhoisalwaysteasinghiswifeandhisbestfriend
Anessentiallygoodmanwhowantswhathebelievestobethebestforhischildren,eveniftheydonotbelievehisdecisionsare
thebestforthem
Earnestlywantstobehappy,evenifitisattheexpenseofothers
Cheatsonhiswifebyhavinganaffair
Rose
Troyswife
Sheappearstobeahousewife
Troyhandshismoneyovertoher,sheisthefinancialcontroller
Sheinvestseverythinginhermarriageandherhusband
AstrongandgoodwomanwhofostersTroysoutsidechild
Shealwaystriestoseethegoodineveryone,aswellaseverysituation

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Bono
Troysbestfriendofthirtyoddyears
HelooksuptoTroy,heisthefollowerintherelationship
HegivesTroygoodadviceaboutvaluingthesanctityofhismarriage
TheirfriendshipisaffectedadverselybyTroysdecisiontomaintainhisaffairwithAlbertha
Lyons
Troyseldestsonfromapreviousrelationship
Heisastarvingmusicianwithasupportivegirlfriend
Heisconstantlyborrowingmoneyfromhisfather
Heseekshisfathersattentionandapprovalbyhisaskinghim,oneachvisittowatchhimplayatwhichevervenueheisplayingat
Hegoestojailattheendoftheplayforstealing
Gabrielle
HeisTroysbrother
HewasinjuredinWorldWarII
Thenatureoftheinjurylefthimmentallydeficient
ThemoneyfromhisinjuryenabledTroytoobtainhishome
HerecentlymovedoutofTroyshouseinordertofeelindependent
Averyquietmanwithonlygoodnessinhisheart,especiallyforTroy
Cory
TroysyoungestsonthathehaswithRose
Heisabuddingfootballstarwithfavourableprospects
HeispreventedfromfulfillinghispotentialbyTroy,whorefusestoallowhimtoplayfootball
HeiskickedoutofhishomebyTroy,afteraverbalandphysicalaltercationoccurredbetweenthetwo
HeeventuallybecomesaCorporalintheUnitedStatesMarines
Herefusestoattendhisfathersfuneral,buthismotherconvinceshimotherwise
Raynell
TroysdaughterbyAlbertha
SUMMARY
Act1
Scene1:
ThereaderisintroducedtoTroy,Bono,RoseandLyonsonaFridaynight(payday).BonoandTroyhaveaconversationaboutwork,and
Troy'sagitationtobecomeadriveronthegarbagetruckisrevealed.TheyalsodiscussTroy'sflirtationwithAlbertha.Rosejoinsthe
banter,whichisverysuggestive,andthenLyonsenterstheyard.Heattemptstoborrowtendollarsfromhisfather,whichheisdenied,
butRoseendsupgivinghimoutofTroy'spay.
Scene2:
Thenextmorning,whileRosedoeshermorningchores,shehasashortconversationwithTroy.Gabriellestopsbyforavisitandhis
goodwilltowardshisbrotherandsisterinlawisrevealed.Thereaderalsolearnsthathewasinjuredinthewar,whichresultedinhis
mentalillness.HereceivedthreethousanddollarsfromthegovernmentandTroyusedthismoneytoobtainahouseforthefamily.Troy
leaves,sothefenceisleftuntouched.
Scene3:
Fourhourslater,CorycomeshomeandRosehasaconversationwithhim.TroyreturnshomeandhasaconversationwithRoseabout
Cory'sinvolvementinfootball.TroyrevealsthathedoesnotapproveofCoryplayingfootballforfearofhissonfacingdiscriminationin
thatarena.Coryjoinstheconversation,atthispoint,withthegoodnewsofhispossiblerecruitment.Troyrefusestosigntheform.He
thenaskshisfathertotellhimwhyhedoesnotlikehim.Troyrespondswithaspeechaboutparentalresponsibilityasmoreimportant
thanlove.
Scene4:
Itistwoweekslater,onaFridaynight.CoryleavesthehousetogotothegameandTroyandBonoentertheyard.Theydiscussthefact
thatTroy'might'behavinganaffairwithAlbertha.TheyalsodiscussasongthatTroy'sfatherinvented,aswellasthefactthatTroywas
madeadriver(withnodriver'slicense).Lyons,thenGabe,entersandthediscussioncontinues.TheyenduptalkingaboutTroy'sfather

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andtheimpactthathehadonTroy'slife.Lyonsleaves,afteraskinghisfather(twice)towatchhimplay.Corythenenters,andheisupset
thatTroyhastoldhiscoachthathecannotplayfootball.
Act2
Scene1
Thefollowingmorning,CoryishelpinghismothercleanwhileBonotalkstoTroy.TheytalkaboutthefactthatTroyispossiblycheating
onRose,aswellasGabrielle'sarrest.BonomakesadealwithTroythatifhecompletesconstructionofthefence,hewillbuyhisgirlthe
refrigeratorthatshewishesfor.BonoleavesandRosejoinsthem.TroyandRosediscussGabe'spossibleincarcerationandTroygives
Roseheartbreakingnews.TroyrevealsthathehasbeencheatingonRoseandhasgottenthewomanpregnant.Shedoesnotrespond
wellandCoryintercedestodefendhismother.Trynearlyhitshim,butletshimoffwithawarning.
Scene2
ItissixmonthslaterandRoseandTroyhardlycommunicate.TroyvisitsinordertogiveRosehispayandtheydiscussGabe's
incarcerationaswellaswhetherornotTroyisstillseeingAlbertha.RoseanswersthephoneanddeliversthebadnewsthatAlberthahas
diedinchildbirth.RoseinquiresaboutherfuneralarrangementsandTroyrespondsunfavourably,askingforspace.He'talks'todeath
anddiscussesplanstobuildafence.
Scene3
Threedayslater,lateintheevening,TroydeliversthenewborntoRosetofoster.Sheacceptsthechild,butrejectshim.
Scene4
Twomonthslater,andmanythingshavechanged.TroyisestrangedfromRose,Corybarelyspeakstohim,Lyonsisnolonger
borrowingmoney,butreturningit,andBonohasfoundnewfriendsandisnolongerclosetoTroy.CoryandTroygetinabigfightat
theendofthissceneandTroykickshimoutofthehouse.
Scene5
Itis1965,onthedayofTroy'sfuneral.Allaregatheredintheyard.Coryinitiallyplansonnotattendingthefuneral,butchangeshis
mindaftertalkingtohismother.LyonsandGabearebothtemporarilyfreedfromjailandthehospital,respectively,toburyTroy.The
storyendswithGabetryingtosendhisbrotherhome.

MOTIFS
Baseball&Death
TheinstanceswhereTroyrelatesbaseballwithdeathare:
"Deathain'tnothing.Idoneseenhim.Donewrassledwithhim.Youcan'ttellmenothingaboutdeath.Deathain'tnothingbuta
fastballontheoutsidecorner."p.10
"That'salldeathistome.Afastballontheoutsidecorner."p.10
"(TROYassumesabattlingpostureandbeginstotauntDeath,thefastballintheoutsidecorner.)Comeon!It'sbetweenyou
andmenow!Comeon!Comeon!...butIain'tgonnabeeasy."p.89
Baseballbecomesthewaythathehandleshisfeelingsaboutdeath.Baseball,toTroy,representsthethingthathecontrols,thatheisgood
at,therefore,heusesittoworkthroughhisfeelingsaboutdeath.Afastballisaballpitchedatmaximumspeed,therefore,itmeansthat
deathiscomingfast,butTroystillintendstobeatit,despitethefactthatithastheupperhand.
Fence
Thefencerepresentsdifferentthingstotheprotagonists.ForRose,itrepresentsprotectionforherfamily.Bonostatesthat"Somepeople
buildfencestokeeppeopleout...andotherpeoplebuildfencestokeeppeoplein.Rosewantstoholdontoyouall.Shelovesyou."p.61.
Therefore,Rosewantstokeepherfamilytogether.Herspeechaboutthemany'halfs'inherfamily,andhowshewantedtochangethis
fact,furtherprovesthispoint.Troywantstoachieveasimilargoalwiththefenceaswell.Hewantstoprotectwhathefeelsishis
property,hisfamily.hestates"I'mgonnatakeandbuildmeafencearoundthisyard.See?I'mgonnabuildmeafencearoundwhat
belongstome."p.77

THEMES
Love&familyrelationship
Responsibility
Change
Death
Realismvs.Illusion

Contributor:LeisaSamuelsThomas
Wilson,A.Fences.NewYork:PenguinGroup,1986

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