Name (s): Wendy Reyes, Sandy Ayala, & Celine Ly

/80 Points

FENCES ALLUSIONS
Prepare for The Oral/Paper One:

DIRECTIONS for FENCES: 80++ pts.—PLEASE

DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!!! This assignment will
be due no later than September 20.
1.) TYPE and PRINT your ANSWERS, please. Write one
sentence that discusses EACH ALLUSION in BLACK INK (1
pt. unless otherwise noted). You will write two sentences
ONLY when I ask for two. In your writing, practice the art of
being SUCCINCT and THOROUGH.

2.) Then, write at least one sentence that explains the

PURPOSE of each ALLUSION in THIS PLAY in ANOTHER
COLOR of INK (not yellow, please—2 pts. unless otherwise
noted).

3.) Please write down your SOURCE UNDERNEATH EACH

ALLUSION. If you are a baseball player, a softball player, or
a baseball aficionado, you may already know some of this
information. In that case, you may cite your own brain. BUT,
you WILL EARN ZERO POINTS for EACH ANSWER if you do
not CITE ITS SOURCE. AND, you WILL EARN ZERO if your
work resembles former students or siblings I have already
taught. This piece is for YOUR understanding---not someone
else’s.

Act I: I (24 pts.)

In 1957: What are the economic limitations and the job
opportunities like for the African Americans in Pittsburgh?
Write at least 6 sentences, please. I EXPECT YOU TO
RESEARCH THIS QUESTION. (6 pts.)
Like Troy questions, he complains to Bono why “all whites [are] driving] and the colored
lifting”; clearly reiterating the unfair job placements colored people are put in versus
their white co-workers (1.1 page 3). Between the years 1950 and 1960, black people
faced a substantial rate of unemployment than white people. Colored folks faced job
challenges even after a municipality was passed in 1953 where an agreement was
formed for fair employment practices. On top of the limited jobs, black people also faced
income discrepancies, and Pittsburgh as a whole made up 25% of discrimination
complaints. After World War II, Pittsburgh’s population and jobs available declined
following more manufacturing opened up overseas and people began to move to the
suburbs. African-Americans then made up more than 12% of the population in
Pittsburgh.

Citation: https://www.marintheatre.org/productions/fences/fences-pittsburgh-1957

The City of TROY (6 pts.) and the surname of MAXON—I

want you to tell me WHY you think Troy is called TROY and
WHY you think his last name is MAXON. THINK GREEK
LITERATURE and U. S. HISTORY. Write at least 6 sentences,
please.
I believe Troy is called Troy because throughout the play he presents himself to be a
tough and grounded man who knows what he wants and is confident in himself just like
the Ancient Greek city was known to be. The ancient city of Troy was believed to be a
strong well-developed city that could hold its place and not be taken over. Several times
throughout the play when anyone tried to step in Troy’s way and make themselves
seem bigger than him, he reassured them that he was the truly powerful one and no
one can take his place. While on the other hand, his last name Maxon stems from an
American origin that means “Son of Max” or “The greatest”. Troy believed to be the
greatest role model for his children to look up to and know the paths they should follow
in order to reach a greater life. Several times Troy stood his ground and made sure he
reassured everyone around he was the greatest that should be obeyed

Citation: https://www.livescience.com/38191-ancient-troy.html

Babe Ruth: Who is Babe Ruth? And, now respond why is he

mentioned in the play. 1 sentence (3 pts.)
Babe Ruth is one of the greatest baseball players who played with the New York
Yankees and is known to be “the Sultan of Swat” for his great batting that Troy
compared himself to be better than (citation: my brain).

Babe Ruth is mentioned in the play to display how although he was an amazing player,
there were plenty of better black baseball players but were not praised like Ruth
because they weren’t white like him.

Josh Gibson: 1 sentence (3 pts.)

Gibson is an amazing baseball catcher and hitter who played in the Negro Leagues and
earned himself to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for his outstanding career
and a big inspiration to many black folks who felt discouraged to become an athlete
based on the color of their skin (https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/gibson-josh).

Gibson is mentioned in the play to show how although he was an outstanding athlete,
he did not make it as far into the major leagues based on his skin color. Troy uses him
as an example to show that although he displayed to be an amazing baseball player, he
was nowhere near treated fairly to less as good baseball players.

Citation: https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/gibson-josh

Selkirk: 1 sentence (3 pts.)

Selkirk is argued to be one of the greatest Candian Born baseball players who Troy
believes he can out-beat and do better than by a long shot
(https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/george-selkirk/) .

Troy argues he is much better than Selkirk, yet he won’t be able to prove it true since no
one will give Troy an opportunity to prove it since he is black and not white like Selkirk.

Citation: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/george-selkirk/
Jackie Robinson: Who is Jackie Robinson? Respond as to
why he is mentioned in the play. 2 sentences (3 pts.)
Jackie Robinson was a famous black baseball player who played as the first black
player for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and was famous for his jersey number forty-two
(citation: me). He is mentioned in the play “Fences” by Troy when he says how Jackie
Robinson is seen as the best black baseball player when in reality he believes there to
be much better black players other than him.

Robinson is one of the lucky few black baseball players given the chance to prove
themselves good and that makes Troy upset because Robinson is given all the credit
when he says there are plenty of other great colored players.

Citation: Personal Knowledge

Uncle Remus: 1 sentence (3 pts.)—AUGUST WILSON HATED

HIS CARICATURE (as created by Caucasians).
Uncle Remus is a fictional character, most popularly mentioned as a narrator for African
American folktales and a character in Disney’s Splash Mountain ride (Tales of Uncle
Remus).

Uncle Remus is mentioned in the play to depict some of the many racist names black
people were given to brand white-created businesses.

Citation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Remus

Act I: ii (9 pts.)
Archangel Gabriel: 2 sentences (etc.) (3 pts.)
The Archangel Gabriel was the angel sent to inform the Virgin Mary she was chosen to
carry Jesus, the son of God. For his important part of sending Mary the message, he is
famously known to be a messenger and send many more messages in stories inside
the Bible (https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/glossary/gabriel-archangel ).

The Archangel Gabriel is mentioned to depict the similarities he possesses to Gabe,

Troy’s mentally ill brother after obtaining a head injury in World War II.

Citation: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/glossary/gabriel-archangel
St. Peter: 2 sentences (3 pts.)
St. Peter was a Jewish apostle known to be a fisherman greatly influenced by Jesus. St.
Peter saw first hand the miracles of Jesus and was appointed by him to be the
“shepherd of the flock” based on his leadership
(https://catholicsaintmedals.com/saints/st-peter/).

St. Peter is mentioned by Gabe when he informs Troy and his family how he saw him
and now both work together to open the gates to heaven for judgment.

Citation: https://catholicsaintmedals.com/saints/st-peter/

Aunt Jemimah: 1 sentence (3 pts.)-- AUGUST WILSON ALSO

HATED HER CARICATURE (created by Caucasians).
Aunt Jemimah was a popular character portrayed by a woman named Nancy Green
who was born into slavery and then utilized to promote Quaker Oats Aunt Jemimah
products
(https://www.npr.org/2021/02/10/966166648/aunt-jemima-no-more-pancake-brand-rena
med-pearl-milling-company) .

Just like Uncle Remus, Aunt Jemimah is another racist example of white-owned
companies who used black people to advertise their products and brand their faces.

Act I: iii (27 pts.)

The World Series (also an allusion in The Great Gatsby): 1
sentence (3 pts.)
The World Series is a North American play-off series between the top two major
professional baseball teams, with the winner taking the baseball champion title.

This allusion is used by Cory because the World Series is a very significant event in the
baseball industry, hoping it would cause his dad to want to watch it with him on the tv.

Citation: https://www.britannica.com/sports/World-Series

The Pirates: 1 sentence (3 pts.)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American major league baseball team based from
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, referred to as the Bucs.

This allusion is mentioned in the story as the Pirates are the represented baseball team
of the family’s hometown, hinting that this team may be Troy’s favorite team.

Citation: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pittsburgh-Pirates

The Puerto Rican “Clemente” (I have walked on the beautiful

bright yellow bridge named after him in Pittsburgh!): 1
sentence (3 pts.)
Roberto Clemente was a Puerto Rican major league baseball player, who played for the
Pittsburgh Pirates, and an excellent right fielder.

This allusion was used as an example by Troy to show Cory how baseball players from
different ethnicities were often not used in the baseball leagues, because of the
discrimnation found at times in sports.

Citation: https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/clemente-roberto

Hank Aaron: 1 sentence (3 pts.)

Hank Aaron is one of baseball’s most iconic figures, African American, who played for
the Milwaukee Braves and is Majors’ All-Time Homer King.

This allusion is used as an example by Cory to enlighten Troy of how the different
African American major league baseball players are excelling in their sport despite their
race.

Citation: https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/aaron-hank

Wes Covington: 1 sentence (3 pts.)

John Wes Covington, was one of the Boston Braves African American outfielders, often
compared to Hank Aaron as an incredible baseball player.

This is another allusion used yet again by Cory in hopes to enlighten Troy of the
systemic change occurring in the major leagues with black baseball players.

Citation: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/wes-covington/
Sandy Koufax: 1 sentence (3 pts.)
Sandy Koufax was an American left-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who
became the youngest player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

This allusion is used by Cory to exemplify how good of a pitcher Sandy was in the Major
leagues as him and Troy have an argument comparing who is the best in the league.

Citation: https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/koufax-sandyFame.

Satchel Paige: 1 sentence (3 pts.)

Satchel Paige was a recognized African American pitcher, known for his professional
career in the Negro Leagues, later signed by the Kansas City Monarchs.

This allusion is used by Troy to compare the Negro leagues to the major leagues, in
attempt to strengthen his argument of the Negro leagues having better pitchers.

Citation: https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/paige-satchel

Warren Spahn: 1 sentence (3 pts.)

Warren Spahn was a strong pitcher who started with the Boston Braves, being a
southpaw pitcher in big league history.

This allusion is used by Cory to correct Troy of how his level of playing baseball doesn’t
compare to these acclaimed names of the major leagues.

Citation: https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/spahn-warren

Lew Burdette: 1 sentence (3 pts.)

Selva Lewis Burdette was one of the best right-handed pitchers for the Milwaukee
Braves, who worked closely with Spahn.

This allusion was used alongside Warren Spahn by Cory, as these pitchers were really
good friends who worked closely together to become great pitchers for the Braves to
furthermore show Troy how great these pitchers were compared to him.

Citation: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/lew-burdette/

Act I: iv (3 pts.)
Battle of Armageddon: 2 sentences (3 pts.)
The Battle of Armageddon is the great battle that is associated with the ending of the
world, that is mentioned in Revelations of the Bible. The Bible addresses how this battle
will take place in the last days before God creates a new heaven and earth, where God
will overcome the enemy from the four corners of the Earth.

This allusion is used because Troy makes a sarcastic remark of how Gabriel is ready for
when the world will end because he is ready to be judged by God at the gates of
Heaven.

Citation:
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/end-times/what-is-the-battle-of-armageddon-meaning-s
ignificance.html

Act II: i (11 pts.)

When were African Americans permitted to have and see
DENTISTS? Were these DENTISTS white or African
American? I EXPECT YOU TO RESEARCH THIS QUESTION.
Write at least 6 sentences, please. (6 pts.)
African Americans were not legally permitted to see a dentist until around 1869, when
the first African American dentist, Dr. Robert Tanner Freeman, graduated from Harvard’s
University of Dentistry. Prior to Dr. Freeman, African Americans could not rely on trained
professionals and would depend on members within fields non-related to dentistry
because of how low the number of African American dentists there were and how much
lower the chances of a black person being accepted into and graduating a dentistry
school was. White and black persons were not allowed to collide with one another’s
communities, so whatever the color of your skin determined which race your dentist
was. There were exceptions, however, where white and black friends could coincide
with one another in secret, and in this case, for school-related studies. Seeing medical
professionals of the opposing race was discouraged and looked down upon by the
American society, so, there were plenty of white dentists, but, black citizens were not
allowed to see them, nor were they allowed inside the facility buildings. While white
civilians could be accepted and graduate from a dentist college and or university from
what was perceived as higher status, black citizens, in general, were considered to be
on the lower scale of the social pyramid, thus, challenging for them to attain recognition
when their presence was already so patronized.
Citations:

- https://www.ada.org/en/publications/new-dentist-news/2020-archive/february/cele
brating-black-history-month-trailblazers-in-dentistry
- https://www.implantseminars.com/blog/from-trade-to-profession-how-african-ame
ricans-helped-transform-dentistry/

Joe Louis (also a potent allusion in a chapter of Maya

Angelou’s first autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings, that we will read later on this year to prepare for Paper

One): 2 sentences (3 pts.)

Joe Louis was an African-American boxer known for knocking out a German fighter in
the ring and was admired by many white men for both his athletics and fair
sportsmanship. Not only did he maintain a twelve-streak winning record, he was the first
colored man to appear on a commemorative postage stamp; thus, gaining the respect
of both white and black Americans and breaking a former stereotype that black men
were not considered worthy enough to appear on American symbols, such as the postal
stamp.

When Cory chops wood, Bono compares him to Joe Louis, referring to his strength;
however, Louis’ mentioning goes beyond strength as Bono may be insinuating Cory’s
ability to change his future as a black man and possibly make something out of himself
that his past predecessors could not, like Troy or Bono.

Citations:

- https://www.biography.com/athlete/joe-louis
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joe-Louis
- https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/joe-louis

“as fireworks in the Fourth of July”: You do NOT need to tell

me what the definition of this allusion—you just need to tell
me what this allusion is here for--what does it SYMBOLIZE?
(2 pts.)
The concept of fireworks is connected to founding fathers, thus the father roles within
this play. Bono’s relationship with his father is quite strained and conditional as his
father had had multiple affairs with multiple women, resulting in a bountiful number of
children. The actual representation of fireworks connects to independence, thus, Bono’s
desire to break-away from his father’s legacy and the common misconception of the
African-American community. It was believed to be routine for black men to consistently
birth various children out of selfish pleasure over fatherly love. Thus, the allusions of
fireworks are meant to encompass Bono, and the protagonists of Fences, as
representations of their own personas breaking away from their predecessors’
influences as representations of a new generation for the African American community.

Citation:
https://www.britannica.com/story/why-do-americans-celebrate-independence-day-with-fi
reworks

Act II: v (6 pts.)

In 1965: What are the economic limitations and the job
opportunities like for the African Americans in Pittsburgh
NOW???? What has changed since the play opened? Would
Troy be a happier man just beginning his career during this
year? I EXPECT YOU TO RESEARCH THIS QUESTION. You
know the drill: at least 6 sentences, please. (6 pts.)
Following the Great Depression, World War II, and the New Deal, general treatment
towards the African-American community worsened. Police brutality heightened
combined with the efforts of higher taxes specifically targeting black civilians, civil rights
advocates were publicly beaten with whips, clubs, and tear gas, a lack of educational
opportunities and amusement areas, unproportionately high unemployment rates, and
inadequate housing qualities offered. The relationship between white and black
individuals was tremendously divided, resulting in freedom groups such as the Black
Panther Party and Deacons of Defense. The 15th Amendment, however, was a step
forward for the African American community, stating that every American civilian could
vote, even African Americans. Civil Rights Movements were also extremely popular and
common, as Marther Luther King Jr.’s speeches and inspirational affirmations came
about to motivate the African American community to fight for their rights without the
need for violence. I do not believe Troy would have been any happier trying to attain a
job during this time era, as the discriminatory conditions for black men and women
intensified, thus, rendering it almost impossible for him to sustain one job when so many
others are also fighting for the same spot from the lack of opportunities.

Citations:
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-American/The-civil-rights-movement
- https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement