Connection #5 (Fences)

In the play Fences, written by August Wilson, the main character Troy Maxson undergoes the troubles and hardships that African Americans faced during the 1950’s and into the 1960’s. Troy and Bono, his long-time friend from work, share stories and reminisce about their week of work every Friday over a cold beer. Troy and Bono share a relationship that is unparalleled in the play, an even stronger relationship than that existed between Troy and his wife and Troy and his own son. Growing up as an African American, Troy learned that nothing could be taken for granted and that you had to always work hard for what you get. While these clichés may sound exactly that, they were life for Troy. It was this attitude that he had that caused Troy to act the way he did towards his family. The title Fences has multiple meanings. The play took place in Troy’s backyard, which at the beginning of the book is fence-less. Troy enjoys the freedom of not being bound to his home or his family; instead he partakes in a different lifestyle. He enjoys worldly pleasures. Troy refuses to give into his wife’s request to keep the family safe and close-together. Troy also refuses to allow his son Cory to play football. Troy, an ex-baseball player himself, believes that sports were his downfall and that Cory should do something more productive in his life. As the play progresses, Troy learns that he is about to become a father again, however, with a woman that is not his wife. Troy’s decisions dug a huge hole, and as he quickly found out, he could not dig his way out of. Troy finally finishes the fence in his backyard, but the damage is already done. His relationship with his wife, Rose, becomes distant, and his son left their home out of frustration with his father. Troy dies a few years later due to a heart attack. Rose continued to raise Troy’s illegitimate daughter, and kept her close and protected within the house’s new fence. The connection to the culminating question……