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Blackness and Race Relations

Set in Pittsburgh in the 1950s, Fences explores the experience of one black family living in the era of segregation and a burgeoning black rights movement, exposing, at the heart of its characters’ psychology, a dynamic between the inner world of a black community and the expanse of white power around it.

The fence which Troy gradually builds in front of his house serves as a symbol of segregation, as well as the general psychological…

Practicality, Idealism, and Race

Fences explores the different views some of its characters have about what’s feasible, achievable, and practical or life-sustaining with regard to career ambitions and future goals. Troy disapproves of the livelihoods to which his sons aspire, considering them to be idealistic dreams compared to what he views as more practical trades. Troy’s disapproval, especially in Cory ’s case, is largely informed by his own experience growing up black. Cory’s youth—his experience growing up in a…

Manhood and Fathers

The play largely revolves around the turbulent relationship between Troy and his children—particularly his relationship with Cory . Cory’s desire to assert his own manhood and determine his own future clashes with the authority Troy feels as a father. Further, Cory’s ambitions go against everything Troy thinks will be good and healthy for his son’s prosperity.

Cory evolves in the play from cowering in fear of his father to ultimately severing his ties with him…

Family, Duty, and Betrayal

Fences is a portrayal of family life—of how its characters view their roles as individual family members, and how they each define their commitment or duty to the family; it also explores how betrayal can break the familial bond.

Troy refuses to tell Cory he loves him; rather, Troy tells Cory he only acts out of duty towards him as a son, and that there’s no reason that love necessarily must be involved. Duty, for…

The topic of death appears throughout the play in various forms, both in the physical death of two characters ( Troy and Alberta ), as well as in the stories told by Troy and through his brother Gabriel ’s obsession with the Christian afterlife.

Troy mentions the grim reaper (“ Mr. Death ”) several times throughout the play, telling a story about how they once wrestled. Troy seems to believe that, while death is an…

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English Studies

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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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August Wilson’s the “Fences” Literature Analysis Essay

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August Wilson, the author of the “social realist” drama Fences, gives audiences a glimpse into the life of an African American family trying to gain respect and respectability (Kushner). They are trying to accomplish this at a time when segregation was still nearly universal. The fences that appear in the title, and often throughout the drama serve to represent some of the challenges the family faces. Fences are rich in symbolic possibilities. They are barriers for property lines, for keeping livestock in, or predators out.

They segregate, exclude, protect, and even imprison. They also symbolize all the ways that this family tries to keep the things that threaten them out and their family unity in. Whether the fences that the family erects, both symbolically and physically, are successful in preventing the negative and promoting the positive, the audience remains uncertain.

The yard fence that sits unfinished at the beginning of the play is one example of this use of symbolism. It parallels the career in baseball that Troy Maxson wanted to pursue (Wilson, Fences Act I, Scene i). Like the fence, one of his major life ambitions remains unachieved for much of the play. It sits there, reminding him of what he has not accomplished. Unlike baseball, however, he finally builds the fence (Wilson, Fences Act II, Scene iv). The problem of not achieving everything one hopes to in life strikes a nearly universal chord.

Fences also demarcate private property, which, in this instance, is a sign of the improved status of African Americans in the 1950s (Nadel 86). As Sanders notes, the symbol of the fence refers to the historically painful connection,” between property rights and human rights, for African Americans” (Sanders).

As August Wilson points out in his introduction to the first act, the northern cities that African Americans migrated to in search of a better life were only grudgingly welcoming and permitted the migrants only the lowest-paid jobs (Wilson, Fences Act I, Scene i).

Thus, although Troy could legally own home, he was able to acquire it only by appropriating a portion of Gabriel’s disability payment from the Army (Wilson, Fences Act II, Scene v). Nonetheless, he is fiercely proud of, “his own house and yard that he done paid for with the sweat of his brow” (Wilson, Fences Act II, Scene iv).

The fence, or his intention to build a fence in response to his wife’s request, represents his pride in what he has managed to accomplish as a man, a husband, and a bread-winner. He wants to demonstrate that he is strong and competent as a man, in terms of which he is capable of.

He is so committed to being a good husband, according to his own lights, that he describes his role as a husband as giving Rose everything, even “the lint from my pockets” (Wilson, Fences Act I, Scene iii). Part of being a good husband is his desire to fulfill his wife’s wish for the respectability of a fence, even though he comes home tired each evening.

The fence, as a long-established and highly visible marker of ownership, marks the territory in which he exerts authority (Nadel 86). This is the space in which he has the prerogative to say who can stay and who must go. This includes throwing his son Cory out (Wilson, Fences Act II, Scene v). He even blusters at “Mr. Death” that he will, “build me a fence” and Death must, “stay on the other side” (Wilson, Fences Act II, Scene ii), unsuccessfully of course.

Rose, in singing, “Jesus be a fence around me every day,” expresses a longing for God’s protection from evils around her and her family (Wilson, Fences Act I, Scene ii). This is an example of both August Wilson’s use of the song for what Murphy calls the “spiritual and metaphorical,” and direct symbolism of the image of fences (Murphy 257).

Rose desires a stable family life, seeking what Wilson called the “inherent values that are a part of all human life,” and which were often denied to African Americans (Wilson, The Ground on Which I Stand). This is a step up for her because as Rose says, “I ain’t never wanted no half nothing in my family. My whole family is half.

Everybody got different fathers and mothers” (Wilson, Fences Act II, Scene i). The fence she wants is supposed to help her, “hold on to you all,” and keep this sort of family disruption away, but it cannot keep Troy out of trouble after all (Wilson, Fences Act II, Scene i).

Throughout the play, the image of Fences reappears to evoke ideas of all sorts of barriers. As Bono says, “Some people build fences to keep people out… And other people build fences to keep people in” (Wilson, Fences Act II, Scene i).

Fences, for Wilson, represent unmet ambitions, the achievement of property ownership, Troy’s commitment to marriage, his hard-won right to exert authority, Rose’s attempt to acquire spiritual protection, and an effort to preserve family unity. In its richness of meaning, the symbol offenses, both in the title and throughout the drama, evoke a moving range of ideas that bring the life and struggles of African Americans into sharper focus for the audience.

Works Cited

Kushner, Tony. “Author Notes.” Program . Costa Mesa: South Coast Repertory Company, 2010. Web.

Murphy, Brenda. “ A Review: Understanding August Wilson by Mary Bogumil .” MELUS 26.1 (2001): 256-258. Web.

Nadel, Alan. “Boundaries, logisitics, and identity: The property of metaphor in “Fences” and “Joe Turner’s come and gone”.” Nadel, Alan. May Alll Your Fences Have Gates: Essays on the Drama of August Wilson . Ed. Alan Nadel. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1993. Web.

Sanders, Leslie. “Review of “May all Your Fences have Gates”: Essays on the Drama of August Wilson. by Alan Nadel.” African American Review Vol. 31, No. 1 (Spring, 1997), pp. 151-154 (n.d.): 152. Web.

Wilson, August. “Fences.” Titleofcompilation . Ed. Editorsfirst name Editorslastname. cityofpublisher: Publisherofcompilation, Year. 1833-1883. Print.

The Ground on Which I Stand . New York: The Theatre Communications Group, 2001. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2020, March 27). August Wilson's the "Fences" Literature Analysis. https://ivypanda.com/essays/august-wilsons-the-fences-literature-analysis/

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IvyPanda . 2020. "August Wilson's the "Fences" Literature Analysis." March 27, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/august-wilsons-the-fences-literature-analysis/.

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IvyPanda . "August Wilson's the "Fences" Literature Analysis." March 27, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/august-wilsons-the-fences-literature-analysis/.

Home / Essay Samples / Entertainment / Fences / “Fences”: Analysis of August Wilson’s Play

"Fences": Analysis of August Wilson's Play

Category: History , Entertainment
Topic: African American History , Civil Rights Movement , Fences

Pages: 2 (866 words)

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