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FENCES: A DRAMATURGICAL PACKET

Maimouna Camara
June 13, 2017
Wendy Burr
Dramatic Theories
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Table of Context

Introduction…3

About the Playwright…4

12 Step…6

Production History…9

Social Context….11

Political Context…12

Negro League…13

Critical Race Theory…14

Critical Marxism…17

Glossary of Terms…19

Works Cited… 20
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Introduction

Fences, by August Wilson, is a 1983 play that reflects the

African American struggle for life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness during the Civil Rights Movement era. Set in 1957
through 1965 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the play explores
complex themes of family conflicts and relationships,
unwavering friendship during trying times, and integration
among blacks and whites. As the stories unfolds, we are
introduced to Troy who “embodies the inequalities and
injustices confronting black Americans throughout the painful
course of modern history” (Miller, 3). Wilson deeps deep into
family relationship as family members are added to the mix,
including Troy’s wife, Rose, sons Cory and Lyons, and brother
Gabriel. Troy is presented as a seriously flawed, but a worthy
hero whose personal struggle passes the boundaries of race and the economic circumstances that
condemn African Americans of reclaiming their identity to emphasize the true essence of
humanity.

Producing a production that encompasses those themes is relevant to our modern times, and
having this opportunity for audience members to this exposure of historical context sets in motion
an actual acknowledgement of African American culture. In our post-modern society, the image
painted on the Afrikan/Black is filled with perceptions of criminalizing of black bodies, violence,
and terror, which are monsters created by the systems that have oppressed that community. 60
years since the time period set for Fences and the representation of authentic human interaction is
vital for the understanding of black culture and the progress that needs to be done to recognizing
the identity of a black individual.
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ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT:

August Wilson

“I think my plays offer [white Americans] a different way to look at Black

Americans. For instance, in Fences they see a garbage man, a person they
don’t really look at, although they see a garbage man every day. By looking
at Troy’s life, white people find out that the content of this Black garbage
man’s life is affected by the same things - love, honor, beauty, betrayal, duty.
Recognizing that these things are as much part of his life as theirs can affect
how they think about and deal with Black people in their lives.
- August Wilson, Paris Review

August Wilson was born Frederick August Kittle on April 27, 1945. He was the fourth of six
children born to his parents, Frederick Kittle, a German immigrant, and Daisy Wilson, an
African-American. Wilson grew up in Pittsburgh’s Hill District: a poor, mostly Black,
neighborhood. This experience deeply influenced his later writings. Eventually, Wilson’s parents
divorced and his mother remarried and moved the family to a predominantly white suburb.
Wilson barely knew his father a white, hard-drinking baker who died in 1965 and only visited
occasionally during Wilson’s childhood. Wilson faces lots of racial discrimination during his
educational career, and its reached extreme tensions when one of his pieces of writing was
accused of plagiarism. Wilson’s critique on his paper on Napoleon and the political and militant
culture he instilled during his time as ruler was written eloquently and it was hard for his teacher
to believe that a black person could produce work such like Wilson did. When he didn’t receive
support of the school, Wilson dropped out, losing faith in the educational system that was
continuously failing him. He looks to books and found himself attached to the Carnegie Library
of Pittsburgh and built his knowledge by vicariously living through literature works written by
Jorge Luis Borges, Romare Bearden, and Langston Hughes. His life was to transform once he
knew writing and literature was his passion. Against his mother’s aspirations for his future, he
was enlisted in the US Army, and left after a year. At this time, Wilson was at a point where he
couldn’t find with his calling, and largely was due to the fact that the lack of opportunity
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stemmed in every aspect of

society for the Black/African
community. The limitations on
economic and social stability
was transparent for those who
lived lives like Wilson and so
the few non-ideal options
included enlisting in the army
where there were more sets of
standards that further neglect
black identified bodies. Once
back in Pittsburgh, he changed his name, took up a few job paths, and eventually exposed himself
to the blues, mainly Bessie Smith’s music. This introduction was a main catalyst that drove
Wilson to start writing. Wilson embraced the blues by saying "I chose the blues as my aesthetic. I
create worlds out of the ideas and the attitudes and the material in the blues. I think the blues are
the best literature that blacks have. It is an expression of our people and our response to the world.
I don't write about the blues; I'm not influenced by the blues. I am the blues.” Wilson believed
that the blues certainly had similar built to the Black folk who contribute to culture artistically.
Through lyrics in music and the characters written in a play or book, there’s a dynamic of
humorous and authentic conversations that appeal their audiences into their world and
simultaneously explore the narrative that focus on emotions, ideas, philosophies, viewpoints and
principles.

In the 1960s, Wilson found himself involved in the black power movements that provided greater
context to the social and political implications placed on his community in Pittsburgh and way he
can involve himself in more direct actions projects. Through this time, he was able to reinvent
himself and transform his writing aspirations from poetry to a playwright. Wilson co-founded a
Black theater, serving as a self-taught director and occasional actor for the 50-cent shows that
were staged in the auditoriums of elementary schools and after some unsuccessful attempts to
support himself, he moved to Minnesota and began to write plays based off the direct experiences
back in his home town, creating an legacy of plays that thrives because of the relatability of
identity and black culture in America.
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12 Step
1. Hello, my name is Maimouna and I don't know everything there is to know about Fences.

2. As a reader, we must imagine the setting of Pittsburgh and the home that Troy and his
family reside in. Through performance, the staging of their environment would illustrate the
community that they find themselves in and the social and economic climate at the time. Rose
shifts from a secondary character to the center of the story when Troy admits to his infidelity and
expecting a child from another women. Her revolutionary monologues about her very relatable
position and identity as a black womxn transform the narrative of the play, creating a dynamic
that not only explores the struggles and exploitation of the black men, but the burden of that that
perpetually is placed on black women including the societal barriers that marginalize
communities of black folk. A performance encompassing the raw and genuine pain, anger, defeat,
and strength highlight those themes and give the presence of a truly authentic character.
3. Fences takes Troy Maxson, a black man from Pittsburgh in the 1950s, through a path of a
life full of obstacles and experiences driven by the societal oppression towards the black
community.
4. I really appreciate the beautiful writing that August Wilson takes on which give such
variety to the characters and their individual stories. I noticed an elegant style of flow that
incorporated many versatile and complicated backgrounds and experiences from each character
that, as a reader, made the entire play complete and well put together. I also noticed the parallel of
religious context to Gabriel's character arch, because despite his injury that led to a mental
disability due to time WWII, he creates an honest and optimistic perspective that not only
highlights his new approach of life, but the fate of the characters that aren't hopeful, a dynamic
that a reader will note that question the morality of our lives.
5. Troy's Maxson is the protagonist of this play. He is the center of every scene and
essentially serves as the driving force of Fences as his actions keep the drama to continue, even
when he dies. His actions aren't always decisions that lead to good endings, and although his
possess overall good qualities, he's a good case of a protagonist who isn't necessarily the hero.
Cory Maxson can also serve as a protagonist. He aspires to play football and has good intentions,
despite his father's disapproval because of his own aspirations he wasn't able to achieve. There
isn’t a constant antagonist in human form in the play but Troy could be seen as an antagonist
because a lot of conflict, including the infidelity and jeopardizing his son's football career, is
caused by his stubborn attitude and self-centeredness. Social, political, racial and economic
implications placed on the black community across America, especially during a time of war,
racial violence, immense segregation of black and whites (an issue clearly raised when Troy
discusses the dynamic of his white counterparts created limitations for the overrepresented as
disadvantaged) are clear and explored through the characters in Fences.
6. Wilson sets the stage during wartime in the 1950s and also reflects the racial and
segregated atmosphere of the time. Troy and Rose are seemingly happy in marriage and their son
has such high hopes to accelerate his football pursuit. A lot of discussion is centered on
professional sport careers and during this time period, African Americans were just witnessing
opportunities to play in these leagues.
7. August Wilson reveals Troy Maxson as the driving force of both the drama and main
action of the play. Maxson struggles to maintain a positive outlook of his fortunes and
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misfortunes which ultimately end up influencing the outcome of his wife and son's lives. His
circumstances, where he lands his prison, end his dreams of becoming a professional baseball
player, come together to create an angrier, disappointed and unfilled character. Cory encounters
first hand the anger Troy projects to his environment; Cory is determined to pursue his football
career and although his opportunities are limited, Wilson weaves in the small amounts of
progressiveness that have occurred in black history in America. The opportunity to play football
encourages the young Maxson to exceed in his educational and work environment, and his
failures are caused by Troy's resentment of his missed opportunities. Gabriel received the raw end
of the war stick after suffering from a head injury that leads to severe mental illness. He
transforms his disability to convey a lot of foreshadowing like Troy's death.
8. Individual conflict-There is conflict between Troy and both his son Lyons and Cory. He
dismisses and separates his life and family from his first son, Lyons, because he does not approve
of his lifestyle, particularly his pursuit of music. Troy jeopardizes Cory's chances to join the
football team at school, even though Cory has accommodated to what his father thinks he should
be doing, including school and work. Troy and Rose's conflict is one of the highlights of the play.
Troy claims to be missing the spark of life, true happiness, and creates a permanent wedge in his
marriage as he admits to having a child. Social- Wilson incorporated the social, political and
economic implication that marginalize and discriminate the black community in every beat of the
characters story. The transparency of the black identity explores each character's struggles and
what they continue to overcome as society relishes in anti-blackness and racial violence. Psychic-
Gabriel believes he talks with the angels and St. Peter about the ultimate fate of Troy, which
serves as a fundamental foreshadow and a character relationship that is beyond the physical form,
when considering a performance. These conversations are reflective of the religious influences
that Gabriel centers himself around to escape the external conflict he faced after the war.
9. Opening beat- The very first beat of the Fences introduces Troy Maxson and his best friend
of many years, Bono leaving heir jobs at the sanitation plant. They (mostly Troy) discuss Troy's
intention to receive the garbage driver position and criticizes the way his superiors have
purposefully created a racial separation of duties to relieve any stress from his white workers and
more of a burden on the black individuals.
Climax- Fences produces a lot of high intensity moments and the climax of the play composed in
three action packed scenes. Troy reveals to Rose that he's been seeing a women named Alberta
and eventually breaks the news that he will be having a child. Another major shift in the play that
creates a weaker dynamic between the life Troy gave away and the delusion of a fresher one is
when Alberta dies when giving birth to Troy's newborn daughter. The lively dynamic that Rose
and Troy exposed transforms into living their lives together and with each other's mistakes and
regrets, especially when they take in Raynell. I believe that last leg of climatic events is Troy's
death. His fate is inevitable as Wilson ties in many foreshadow events, such as Troy's elegant
monologue with his fight with death and Gabriel's preconception of Troy's ultimate fate.
Attack- The moment of attack is when Troy meets his lady friend at the bar and engages in
extramarital affairs.
Closing beat- As Troy's family comes together to remember the filled life Troy didn't know he
had, they recognize the impact and influences of Troy's identity that make them who they are.
They acknowledge his flaws and express their memories of their father, husband and friend.
10. One moment in the play Fences where the aesthetic distance is large between the action on
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stage and the audience is the presence of Gabriel and the religious implication that make up his
character's intentions. He chooses to confide in those of famous religious background through a
figment of his imagination that build a bridge between what is the characters' reality and what
they learn from their lives. The aesthetic distance decreases when Rose delivers words to Troy
when he tells her about his infidelity. She expresses how the last 18 years of her life, she has lived
for the both of them. She lets him know the sacrifices and the emotional toll having Troy in her
life was caused and yet her consideration of commitment and love is what made her stay. Wilson
beautifully writes her piece that deliver the true essence of Rose and her qualities as a black
woman that the audience would definitely find informative and emotionally powerful.
11. Troy's powerful monologue with his fight with Death is considered a moment where Troy's
qualities are transparent. With an immense amount of imagery and smooth tone of storytelling, he
takes a story with not much credibility and illustrates a scene that highlight the life Troy carries.
12. August Wilson's intention for Fences showcases a variety of features of the black
community that are prime factors of the societal pressures that aren't addressed enough. The
theater platform allows the exposure of true narratives to those who wouldn't otherwise get a
chance to acknowledge the historically disadvantaged and underrepresented black Americans.
Wilson reinforces the theme of duty to highlight the service black Americans, especially owe to
other another, to collectively end the seemingly everlasting oppression. Through Wilson's work,
we question whether Troy's role as a father, as he believes he is someone who is expected to
provide food and shelter, and doesn't indulge in the simple show of love and affection in the way
that creates a safe space for him and his family. As audience members, our job is to deconstruct
the dynamics the led to why the characters make certain decision or act a certain way to further
discover their cultural backgrounds, in the August Wilson realm, and the society that affect how
they portray themselves.
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Production History #1

What - Fences
When - April 26, 2010 - July 11, 2010
Where - Cort Theatre ; 138 W. 48th Ave. New York, NY
Who -
Playwright: August Wilson
Director: Kenny Leon
AD: Todd Kreidler
Set Designer: Santo Loquasto
Original Music: Branford Marsalis
Costume Designer: Constanza Romero
Lighting Designer: Brian MacDevitt
Sound Designer: Acme Sound Partner

Denzel Washington – Troy Maxson

Viola Davis – Rose Maxson
Chris Chalk
SaCha Stewart-Coleman
Eden Duncan-Smith
Stephen McKinley Henderson
Russel Hornsby
Mykelti Williamson

Critical reception
The seemingly everlasting oppressions projected towards the black community lives unwillingly
among communities and overall society across America, in particular. Wilson uses the
performative aspect to highlight the issues of the time and create parallel contexts that are
relatable to situations black Americans face today. Leon's directed version of Fences was
showcased in the middle of many economic disparities caused by earlier corruption of political
leaders at the beginning of the 21st century. This particular struggle emphasizes Troy's saddening
optimism in the system that has failed him so many times throughout his life. His unwavering
faith in a system that make one believe that being economically stable and socially respectable is
a right path of life. Yet, Troy finds himself outside of those mirages of happiness, in search of
more, and winds up destroying the actual representations of his happiness including his
relationship with his wife and his son. The consequences of his decisions are caused by his
obsession with the fact that money resolve any issues that could occur in the household. The
production incorporated so many versatile actors that shed great light on Wilson's work. The New
York Times describes Denzel Washington's performance as Troy Maxson, "There’s an
exhilarated craziness in his eyes and a confrontational glint that dares us not to believe
him....Which means he’s also a first-class storyteller and a first-class self-deceiver, and that we’re
going to hang on to his words" (Brantley, 2). The story, although beautifully written, dives into
the performative aspect that creates stronger connections to each of the character's story and the
audience members. The captivating showcase brings together the authenticity of the character's
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intentions. The all-black ensemble reinforces the strength of black identity that reflects both the
story and the interaction and flow of the actors on stage.

Denzel Washington as Troy Maxson in Fences: Broadway Production 2010

Rose revolutionized the role of female characters portrayed in theater performance as Talking
Broadway mentions, "Davis's tactics, ranging from the playful to
the brutal, work right up to the final scene, in which she must
consign to history Troy's influence over her and her children.
She makes you understand how all these contradictory women
could exist within the same body—and, in fact, had to at a time
when black women were the last and best line of defense in
keeping their families in check" (Murray, 2). Wilson's
characterization of Rose sets clear grounds for audience
members to acknowledge the dynamic between men and women
especially in the black community and what expectations and
essentially aspirations of love one would seek. Her qualities of
honesty, love, diligence, and accountability bring forth a
beautiful representation of the struggles of the black women
then and in our very contemporary and historical atmosphere.

Viola Davis as Rose in Fences: Broadway Production 2010

With the continuation of highlighting the black experience in America, the 2010 Broadway cast
reached new heights, as the LA Times informs, "'Fences'" is the first work by Wilson to become a
feature film, and any opportunity to see one of the dramas in his 10-play American Century Cycle,
which profoundly delve into a century's worth of black experience in America, is something to be
grateful for" (Turan, 3). The revolutionary work that has been able to thrive showcases the work
that still must be addressed and acknowledge dismantling the systems that marginalize
communities like the ones we see in this play. It's amazing to witness the artists who are still in
pursuit of endeavors that are timeless and essential for the understanding of cultural identity.
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Social Context

When considering the setting of the

play, we as the audience are exposed
to different contexts within the
particular environment. The setting
provides a significant role in Fences
to highlight the social climate in
Pittsburgh and particularly, the

Hill District, Pittsburgh, PA relationship between society and the

black community. The Hill District of
Pittsburgh was where August Wilson spent his childhood years and the setting for nine out of the
ten plays in his Century Cycle, including Fences. The Hill District in Pittsburgh was once
described as the one among the truly magical places on earth and was essentially one of the most
generative black communities in the United States during the mid 20th century. It was
particularly important for the black community in this town because of the industrial business
northern states represented for the black community.

Decades after the Civil War, blacks in the South were desperately looking to the escape the racial
discrimination and violent targets placed on their heads, so they hoped to find work in the
factories. Not to much surprise, the outcomes did not favor the success of black individuals
because “The North was able to satisfy its insatiable need for cheap labor through the
immigration of some 25 million Europeans… Blacks, on
the other hand, were categorically excluded from the
entire industrial sector, except for a few menial,
dangerous, or backbreaking jobs that immigrants
spurned” (Marable, 177).

Blatant racism and discrimination, was surprisingly not

spearheaded by Southern law and judicial enforcement,
but also the composition of workers unions that engaged
in ethnic favoritism that ultimately strengthened black
exclusion. In turn, this represented another opportunity
stripped from Blacks to integrate those in the industrial
labor force during its early and critical phases that has continued a perpetual state of racial
division, violence, and ignorance that is transparent more than ever today. Until the city
undertook a modern urban-renewal program in May 1950, Pittsburgh was infamous as one of the
dirtiest and most economically depressed cities in the world. The Lower Hill District, a popular
neighborhood for Italians, Jews, Eastern Europeans, and Blacks was targeted for restoration. It
was a thriving neighborhood with shops, restaurants, and small businesses, even though some
thought it was undesirable. In the late-1950s, Lower Hill was torn down, displacing thousands of
people into the already crowded Upper Hill or into the few outlying suburbs where Black people
were allowed to live. By 1960, Pittsburgh was one of the most segregated big cities in America.
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Political Context

The United States, during the 1950s,

was an experience of transformation.
America was going through a cultural
and social transformation that was
geared by the power of politics at the
time.

The First Great Migration took place

from 1910 and “it was during the First
World War that a silent pilgrimage took its first steps within the border of this country”
(Wilkerson, 8). Between 1890 and 1910, most African Americans in the South had lost the right
to vote through restrictive requirements such as property qualifications, poll taxes, literacy tests,
and the grandfather clause as well as the tightening of Jim Crow laws led many to leave the South.
Grassroots black activism reinforced African Americans in their positions as voters and active
participants in politics and enhanced
their access to New Deal social
programs. Although the black
community in Pittsburgh gained
increasing access to the social programs
that put forth many news jobs on the
market, it was the labor shortages that
allowed African Americans to reclaim
and develop their footing in the
metropolitan economy. African
Americans in Pittsburgh fought to
break down discrimination
in all areas of the city throughout the
years of World War II into the period
of the Civil Rights Movement.

Along with the baby boom came the suburban boom. As developers made low-cost tract homes
available outside cities and returning soldiers could afford low-cost mortgages (many families
moved to the suburbs. But the families moving to the suburbs were mostly white families and
those left in the urban neighborhoods – which now had to survive with shrinking tax bases – were
mostly Blacks and ethnic minorities. The ongoing struggle against racism and segregation gained
momentum. Acts of “nonviolent resistance” like the boycott helped shape the civil rights
movement of the next decade.
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Negro League
Troy Maxson is a former Negro League baseball player who narrowly missed the opportunity to
play in the Major Leagues. While Troy was a young player at the top of his game, Major League
Baseball was segregated. When the integration of players from the Negro League to the Majors
began, Troy was too old to play professional baseball. Troy’s unfair situation in professional
baseball was common in those times. There were many African American ball players who
played in the Negro Leagues and were good enough to play in the Majors, but they were denied
the opportunity because of the color of their skin. In the year after the Civil War, there were many
men participating in the amateur-state of baseball until “The integrated teams were abolished
when, on December 11, 1868, black ballplayers were barred from participation by the National
Association of Baseball Players. The association’s governing body voted unanimously to forbid
any club which was composed of one or more people of color from participating” (Waggoner, 1).

In 1933, Negro National League was formed and

the Negro American League was chartered in
1937. These two leagues prospered until the
color line was broken. These leagues, at their
prime, “…held World Series and all-star games.
They were especially successful in World War II
when black urbanites, flush with cash from well-
paid defense jobs, crowded into stadiums across
the nation. The Negro Baseball Leagues provided African Americans their own American
pastime…” (Waggoner, 1), however until the 1950s, baseball in America reflected the broader
racial culture, an environment that excluded Blacks from experiencing the fundamental bases of
society.

Critical Race Theory

Critical race theory is an interpretive mode that examines the appearance of race and racism
across dominant cultural modes of expression. The theory of critical race attempts to discover the
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foundations of systemic racism, acknowledge and understand the victims who are affected by the
cultural perceptions that racism create, and ultimately how the victims are able to represent
themselves beyond the stigma and prejudice that marginalize groups of folk. One of the main
targets that critical race theory attempts to highlight is the importance “the finding a way for
diverse individuals to share their experiences… not only locate an individual’s identity and
experience of the world in his or her racial identifications, but also their membership to a specific
class, gender, nation, sexual orientation, etc” (Allen, 2).

The conflict that Wilson introduces in his plays through stories of particular and memorable
characters stem from the racial tensions and implications that are placed on African Americans.
In Fences, Troy teaches and preaches that life should be perceived through a simple lens where
his loved ones must keep a roof over his family’s head and overall maintain a good sense of
responsibility, and yet hones a duality of character when he takes a pleasure in extramarital affairs
and rebels against racist institutions. His outlook on life has been greatly affected due to the anti-
blackness and racial discrimination and violence he faced growing up. Troy is the son of a failed
sharecropper from the South who also missed his dream opportunity to become a pro baseball
player. In this role, Wilson emphasizes the tragic hero Troy grows into throughout the play to
illustrate the racial effects that influence the lifestyles and aspirations of life that the black
community faces during this time.

Troy’s inability to look at life beyond the world he creates for himself serves as an escape August
Wilson sets up to highlight the separation of
reality that Troy needed. As a black man in the 1950s, there was not a moment where Troy didn’t
feel like the negative aspects of his life wasn’t due to
racially charged attitudes. The opening beat of the play
introduces Troy and his best friend Bono, leaving work
and discussing the apparent racial inequality at his job
when Troy questions,
“How come you got all the whites driving, and the
Troy (Michael A. Shepperd, left) and companion Jim
colored lifting…All I want them to do is change (Christopher Carrington)
the job description. Give everybody a chance to
drive the truck” (Wilson, 9). Segregation in the
workforce is very much apparent in Pittsburgh at this
time and a reinforcing method of marginalization that
capitalizes off the experiences of black folk. Wilson captures this moment where labor from black
communities is still in popular demand, much like when slavery existed, to emphasize the value
of work and the racial implications define the kind of work black individuals produce. Creating
that distinction and establishing the generalization on a community of people dismisses the rest of
the qualities and capacities of the black body. It creates a stigma that black identities are limited
to what they can actually do, and eventually leading African American in a perpetual climate of
second class.
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The response that Troy emits through his dialogue

illustrates one of many conflicts that arise the African
American community. Having to deal with standards
and systems that allow white superiority affect his
ability to work transcend at home. Troy’s history
includes experiences where there has been a great
amount of unjust restraint due to racial implications.
Troy’s relationship with his father is met with much
anger and disappointment because of the lack of
emotional attachment. He was the son of a failed sharecropper in the South, and his father faced
economic and social implications beyond anything Troy’s family could imagine because of the
prejudice society painted on black individuals, so he turns to finding release through many love
affairs and having more children. The constant racial backlash ultimately created a separation
between Troy and his father that leads to a violent confrontation and a moment where Troy
realizes he is on his own. This eventually leads to Troy developing his own definitions of family,
love, and how to be a man. In the present of the play, Troy struggles with how similar he is to his
father, meanwhile using those experiences to shape a very simple and pragmatic style of life that
Troy expects from his son Lyons, and burdens on Cory. Lyons and Cory grew up believing that
they could achieve their goals without the societal restraints placed on them as African Americans.
Cory wants to play football and Troy dismisses his dreams and says to Rose, “He ought to go and
get recruited in how to fix cars or something where he can make a living” (Wilson, 14). The
senior Maxson takes Cory’s hopes and future plans for a football career and deems them
unreasonable because again realizes that his understanding of what Cory wants will never come
to light because it did not for him. His baseball career was halted because of the racial
discrimination athletics carried when they did not allow blacks to play. Another form of racial
segregation in another time in Troy’s life that takes away so much of what could have been his
life because of the racial tension and further marginalizing. Troy tells Rose, “When I found you
and Cory and a halfway decent job...I was safe....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 a family” (Wilson, 66). Despite the
detachment of family he had growing up, Troy is still able to acknowledge that family was the
one thing that could save after never having one that could be there when he needed it the most.

Through performance, the audience is exposed to a

perspective of authenticity and humanity through
interaction of people that prove that are not what
people perceive them to be. Wilson creates
characteristics that are influenced by factors that have
been used to oppress the black community for
hundreds of years to define and share narratives that
extend further than the surface level outlook. There is
a direct correlation to the story in Fences and the real
world because conflict that involves family, hopes and
dreams, morality and race are themes rooted in our
environment. Wilson incorporates situations that
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historically have been pieced together to describe the life of African Americans into this play that
gave a real sense of what is truth. Through self-discovery, inner and individual conflict, and
acknowledgement of identity, there is clear emphasis on the culture that ignites the racial
consequences that summarize the experience of a black individual.
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Critical Marxism

The study of critical Marxism aims to acknowledge the

“class systems & struggles, and the benefits &
disadvantages” of different societies that are directly
affected by capitalist powers and structures, which
establish societal separations like include the oppressed vs
the oppressors (Burr). Class conflict within capitalism
result from increasing ambiguities between the
industrialized and socialized production done by the
worker and the private ownership and appropriation of
product controlled by a very small group of individuals
known to be the capitalistic vultures.
The systems that create this dymanic between the lower
and upper class that Marxism attempts to highlight are driven by the social, political and cultural
discourses that individuals encounter regularly. Both Karl Marx and August Wilson provide
responses to the social lacks stemming from the increase of poverty, and in Fences, Wilson
showcases this context through human interaction and character situations that are influenced
from the actual institutions that condemn those not in economic power.

Troy is a great representation of the proletariat that

Marx speaks of and his intentions for slight
economic and social liberation, which owns his
property. In Fences, Troy carries a tragic-hero
identity because he lives his life, seemingly working
towards providing opportunity for his family, mainly
his sons, under conditions Troy has never been able
to experience, and also never being able to reap from
his own sacrifices.

Troy Maxson has known exploitation and racial

discrimination his entire life as we learn that Maxson
came to Pittsburgh as a teenager, part of the Great
Migration of African-Americans from the rural South to the urban North. Later Troy spent time
in prison and after his release, he showed promise as a baseball player, but had to give up any
hopes for professional ball in the days before the integration of the American major leagues. He is
illiterate but outspoken and opinionated. He is bitter about many things, but his views seem to go
no further than the general feeling that the “white man” is the source of his problems. One of the
largest problems he focuses his anger towards is his place of employment and the economic
culture that capitalizes off his labor. His anger towards this particular institution is stemmed from
the circumstances of culture that condemn African Americans from equal opportunity. When his
employers are readily segregating the work labor, the black workers go through much more
physical labor and it’s because of the economic advantages that allowed capitalists to use the
labor from a person of color and add what value they see fit. Marxism believed in the essential
 Camara 18

essence of productivity and when production resulted in different forms of social groups,
“Workers produced for a wage, not a need object, and owners could alter the relationship between
the wage and the established quantity of goods produced” (Savran, 260). The relationship
between Troy and his employers establishes a dymanic that emphasizes the disregard of the value
of his work and the importance of a profit gain to the capitalist. It is a moment in the play where
Wilson hints at the social implications placed on Troy as black man that tolerate those with
economic influences to use the shortcomings of the black community, in hopes of increasing their
power and position in society.

This critical lens interprets a perspective that is

often skewed with different versions of the truth.
African Americans have always been dealt the
worst, as the culture of black folk has been
scrutinized because of the perpetual state of fear
and anger those in power carry on their shoulders.
Marxism reveals the disparities African
Americans faced as capitalist ventures tear
through the value of what people can produce. In
turn, it dismisses the capability of the black
community and creates a class conflict that deems
blacks substandard compared to those who defined their identities with their materialistic lifestyle.
Wilson reinforces his character’s stories, particularly Troy, and the narratives that many African
Americans can relate to, to emphasize the importance of acknowledging one’s histories. This
understanding creates a safe environment for those who suffer from economic, social, political,
and culture implications because then it is understood that these circumstances do not define who
they are, but how their experiences are greatly influenced by them. From an audience’s
perspective, Fences uses real-life occurrences and the same culture climate of the time to
reinforce the reality that needs to be performed, so highlighting the struggles of class systems due
to the capitalist ventures targeted on under-resourced communities. This play uses its
performance platform to educate and encourage those to take what they learned and share among
others because more than anything, the stories of black folk are informative and crucial to
understanding what image was drafted and perspective through a Marxist view.
 Camara 19

Glossary of Terms

$40 in 1957 = $349.90 in 2017

Uncle Remus: “I know you. I know you got some

Uncle Remus in your blood. You got more stories
than the devil got sinners” (Wilson, 12) Bono to Troy
Uncle Remus was a fictional character and
narrator of African-American folktales created
by Joel Chandler Harris. The first Uncle Remus
was published in November 1880. Most Uncle
Remus stories were swindler stories involving
Br’er Rabbit. Many of the stories are now thought to be racist and
denigrating.

Archangel: An Angel of the highest rank.

Archangels serve as the holy messengers of
God, bringing God’s messages to humans.
Michael is the only archangel named in the Bible

Hellhounds: As messengers from the

underworld, they are said “to have been created
by a group of ancient demons to serve as heralds
of death.”1

Nigger (The N Word):

The word nigger is derived

from the Latin word for the color black, niger.
According to the Random House Historical
Dictionary of American Slang, it did not originate
as a slur but took on a derogatory connotation
over time. 2

Old Blue: an African American folk song from themed 19th century. Bridges into the lives
that Troy had impacted throughout his life. Song embodies simplicity and hard work,.

1
http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/lost-tapes/creatures/hellhound/
2
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/nigger.htm
 Camara 20

Works Cited

Allen Brizee, J. Case Tompkins, Libby Chernouski, Elizabeth Boyle. “Critical Race Theory
(1970s-present).” Purdue Owl. 17 August 2015
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/14/

Brantley, Ben. “It’s No More Mr. Nice Guy for This Everyman.” New York Times. 2010 26
April. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/theater/reviews/27fences.html
Burr, Wendy. Classical and Cultural Marxism: Marxism in Text and Performance. 3 May 2017
https://prezi.com/3ekyt_zl-gb8/marxism-in-text-and-
performance/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Miller, Kelly. Playgoer’s Guide to Fences.

http://www.scr.org/docs/default-source/media/09-10guides/fencesguide.pdf

Murray, Matthew. Fences. Broadway Theatre Review. 26 April 2010

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/page/world/Fences2010.html

Savran, David. “After Marx.” Reinelt, Janelle G, and Joseph R. Roach. Critical Theory and
Performance. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2007. Print.

Simonson, Robert. Playwright August Wilson, Who Chronicled African-American Experience, Is

Dead at 60. 2 October 2005. Playbill.
http://www.playbill.com/article/playwright-august-wilson-who-chronicled-african-american-
experience-is-dead-at-60-com-128394

Turan, Kenneth. “Powerhouse performances can't separate Denzel Washington's 'Fences' from its
stage roots.” Los Angeles Times 15 December 2016
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-fences-review-20161209-story.html

Waggoner, Cassandra. “Nergo Leagues (1920-1950).”

http://www.blackpast.org/aah/negro-baseball-leagues-1920-1950

Wilkerson, Isabel. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration.
New York: Random House, 2010.

Wilson, August. Fences: 1957. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2008. Print.

Wilson, Joseph, Manning Marable, and Immanuel Ness. Race and Labor Matters in the New U.S.
Economy. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. Print.