Fences - LITERATURE NOTES
AUGUST
WILSON
See Biography and Works
SUMMARY
The play is about Troy Maxson and his family. They are a poor, working class Black family living in the United States, on the cusp of the Civil Rights Movement. The family has many issues, all of which are fueled by Troy. His eldest son, Lyons, is a worthless young ‘musician’ who has abandonment issues due to his father’s absence in his early years. His second child, Cory, is desperate for his father’s attention and approval, neither of which he gets. While his wife, Rose, has built her life around Troy, only for him to disappoint her by being unfaithful. Troy, therefore, has let every‐one down in some way, even his best friend Bono, when he has his affair. It is a touching story of a man who is torn between etching out a life of happiness for himself, versus catering to the needs of his loved ones.
SETTING
CHARACTERS
Troy Maxson
Rose
Bono
Lyons
Gabrielle
Cory
Raynell
SUMMARY
Act 1
Scene 1:
The reader is introduced to Troy, Bono, Rose and Lyons on a Friday night (pay day). Bono and Troy have a conversation about work, and Troy's agitation to become a driver on the garbage truck is revealed. They also discuss Troy's flirtation with Albertha. Rose joins the banter, which is very suggestive, and then Lyons enters the yard. He attempts to borrow ten dollars from his father, which he is denied, but Rose ends up giving him out of Troy's pay.
Scene 2:
The next morning, while Rose does her morning chores, she has a short conversation with Troy. Gabrielle stops by for a visit and his good will towards his brother and sister-in-law is revealed. The reader also learns that he was injured in the war, which resulted in his mental illness. He received three thousand dollars from the government and Troy used this money to obtain a house for the family. Troy leaves, so the fence is left untouched.
Scene 3:
Four hours later, Cory comes home and Rose has a conversation with him. Troy returns home and has a conversation with Rose about Cory's involvement in football. Troy reveals that he does not approve of Cory playing football for fear of his son facing discrimination in that arena. Cory joins the conversation, at this point, with the good news of his possible recruitment. Troy refuses to sign the form. He then asks his father to tell him why he does not like him. Troy responds with a speech about parental responsibility as more important than love.
Scene 4:
It is two weeks later, on a Friday night. Cory leaves the house to go to the game and Troy and Bono enter the yard. They discuss the fact that Troy 'might' be having an affair with Albertha. They also discuss a song that Troy's father invented, as well as the fact that Troy was made a driver (with no driver's license). Lyons, then Gabe, enters and the discussion continues. They end up talking about Troy's father and the impact that he had on Troy's life. Lyons leaves, after asking his father (twice) to watch him play. Cory then enters, and he is upset that Troy has told his coach that he cannot play football.
Act 2
Scene 1
The following morning, Cory is helping his mother clean while Bono talks to Troy. They talk about the fact that Troy is possibly cheating on Rose, as well as Gabrielle's arrest. Bono makes a deal with Troy that if he completes construction of the fence, he will buy his girl the refrigerator that she wishes for. Bono leaves and Rose joins them. Troy and Rose discuss Gabe's possible incarceration and Troy gives Rose heartbreaking news. Troy reveals that he has been cheating on Rose and has gotten the woman pregnant. She does not respond well and Cory intercedes to defend his mother. Try nearly hits him, but lets him off with a warning.
Scene 2
It is six months later and Rose and Troy hardly communicate. Troy visits in order to give Rose his pay and they discuss Gabe's incarceration as well as whether or not Troy is still seeing Albertha. Rose answers the phone and delivers the bad news that Albertha has died in childbirth. Rose inquires about her funeral arrangements and Troy responds unfavourably, asking for space. He 'talks' to death and discusses plans to build a fence.
Scene 3
Three days later, late in the evening, Troy delivers the newborn to Rose to foster. She accepts the child,but rejects him.
Scene 4
Two months later, and many things have changed. Troy is estranged from Rose, Cory barely speaks to him, Lyons is no longer borrowing money, but returning it, and Bono has found new friends and is no longer close to Troy. Cory and Troy get in a big fight at the end of this scene and Troy kicks him out of the house.
Scene 5
It is 1965, on the day of Troy's funeral. All are gathered in the yard. Cory initially plans on not attending the funeral, but changes his mind after talking to his mother. Lyons and Gabe are both temporarily freed from jail and the hospital, respectively, to bury Troy. The story ends with Gabe trying to send his brother home.
MOTIFS
Baseball & Death
The instances where Troy relates baseball with death are:
Baseball becomes the way that he handles his feelings about death. Baseball, to Troy, represents the thing that he controls, that he is good at, therefore, he uses it to work through his feelings about death. A fastball is a ball pitched at maximum speed, therefore, it means that death is coming fast, but Troy still intends to beat it, despite the fact that it has the upper hand.
Fence
The fence represents different things to the protagonists. For Rose, it represents protection for her family. Bono states that "Some people build fences to keep people out ... and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you." p.61. Therefore, Rose wants to keep her family together. Her speech about the many 'halfs' in her family, and how she wanted to change this fact, further proves this point. Troy wants to achieve a similar goal with the fence as well. He wants to protect what he feels is his property, his family. he states "I'm gonna take and build me a fence around this yard. See? I'm gonna build me a fence around what belongs to me." p.77
THEMES
Love & family relationship
Responsibility
Change
Death
Realism vs. Illusion
Contributor: Leisa Samuels‐Thomas
Wilson, A. Fences. New York: Penguin Group, 1986
See Biography and Works
SUMMARY
The play is about Troy Maxson and his family. They are a poor, working class Black family living in the United States, on the cusp of the Civil Rights Movement. The family has many issues, all of which are fueled by Troy. His eldest son, Lyons, is a worthless young ‘musician’ who has abandonment issues due to his father’s absence in his early years. His second child, Cory, is desperate for his father’s attention and approval, neither of which he gets. While his wife, Rose, has built her life around Troy, only for him to disappoint her by being unfaithful. Troy, therefore, has let every‐one down in some way, even his best friend Bono, when he has his affair. It is a touching story of a man who is torn between etching out a life of happiness for himself, versus catering to the needs of his loved ones.
SETTING
- The play occurs in the front yard of the
Maxson’s house
- The house is set in back off a small
ally in a big city neighborhood (Pittsburgh)
- Story unfolds in the United States in 1957 and ends in 1965
CHARACTERS
Troy Maxson
- A hard working man who supports his
family the best way that he knows how
- A courageous and determined man who
fights to obtain the seemingly impossible promotion to driver of the garbage
truck
- A jovial person who is always teasing
his wife and his best friend
- An essentially good man who wants what
he believes to be the best for his children, even if they do not believe his
decisions are the best for them
- Earnestly wants to be happy, even if it
is at the expense of others
- Cheats on his wife by having an affair
Rose
- Troy’s wife
- She appears to be a housewife
- Troy hands his money over to her, she is
the ‘financial controller’
- She invests everything in her marriage
and her husband
- A strong and good woman who fosters
Troy’s ‘outside’ child
- She always tries to see the good in
every‐one, as well as every situation
Bono
- Troy’s best friend of thirty odd years
- He looks up to Troy, he is the follower
in the relationship
- He gives Troy good advice about valuing
the sanctity of his marriage
- Their friendship is affected adversely
by Troy’s decision to maintain his affair with Albertha
Lyons
- Troy’s eldest son from a previous
relationship
- He is a starving musician with a
supportive girlfriend
- He is constantly borrowing money from
his father
- He seeks his father’s attention and
approval by his asking him, on each visit to watch him play at whichever venue
he is playing at
- He goes to jail at the end of the play
for stealing
Gabrielle
- He is Troy’s brother
- He was injured in World War II
- The nature of the injury left him mentally
deficient
- The money from his injury enabled Troy
to obtain his home
- He recently moved out of Troy’s house in
order to feel independent
- A very quiet man with only goodness in
his heart, especially for Troy
Cory
- Troy’s youngest son that he has with
Rose
- He is a budding football star with
favourable prospects
- He is prevented from fulfilling his
potential by Troy, who refuses to allow him to play football
- He is kicked out of his home by Troy,
after a verbal and physical altercation occurred between the two
- He eventually becomes a Corporal in the
United States Marines
- He refuses to attend his father’s
funeral, but his mother convinces him otherwise
Raynell
- Troy’s daughter by Albertha
SUMMARY
Act 1
Scene 1:
The reader is introduced to Troy, Bono, Rose and Lyons on a Friday night (pay day). Bono and Troy have a conversation about work, and Troy's agitation to become a driver on the garbage truck is revealed. They also discuss Troy's flirtation with Albertha. Rose joins the banter, which is very suggestive, and then Lyons enters the yard. He attempts to borrow ten dollars from his father, which he is denied, but Rose ends up giving him out of Troy's pay.
Scene 2:
The next morning, while Rose does her morning chores, she has a short conversation with Troy. Gabrielle stops by for a visit and his good will towards his brother and sister-in-law is revealed. The reader also learns that he was injured in the war, which resulted in his mental illness. He received three thousand dollars from the government and Troy used this money to obtain a house for the family. Troy leaves, so the fence is left untouched.
Scene 3:
Four hours later, Cory comes home and Rose has a conversation with him. Troy returns home and has a conversation with Rose about Cory's involvement in football. Troy reveals that he does not approve of Cory playing football for fear of his son facing discrimination in that arena. Cory joins the conversation, at this point, with the good news of his possible recruitment. Troy refuses to sign the form. He then asks his father to tell him why he does not like him. Troy responds with a speech about parental responsibility as more important than love.
Scene 4:
It is two weeks later, on a Friday night. Cory leaves the house to go to the game and Troy and Bono enter the yard. They discuss the fact that Troy 'might' be having an affair with Albertha. They also discuss a song that Troy's father invented, as well as the fact that Troy was made a driver (with no driver's license). Lyons, then Gabe, enters and the discussion continues. They end up talking about Troy's father and the impact that he had on Troy's life. Lyons leaves, after asking his father (twice) to watch him play. Cory then enters, and he is upset that Troy has told his coach that he cannot play football.
Act 2
Scene 1
The following morning, Cory is helping his mother clean while Bono talks to Troy. They talk about the fact that Troy is possibly cheating on Rose, as well as Gabrielle's arrest. Bono makes a deal with Troy that if he completes construction of the fence, he will buy his girl the refrigerator that she wishes for. Bono leaves and Rose joins them. Troy and Rose discuss Gabe's possible incarceration and Troy gives Rose heartbreaking news. Troy reveals that he has been cheating on Rose and has gotten the woman pregnant. She does not respond well and Cory intercedes to defend his mother. Try nearly hits him, but lets him off with a warning.
Scene 2
It is six months later and Rose and Troy hardly communicate. Troy visits in order to give Rose his pay and they discuss Gabe's incarceration as well as whether or not Troy is still seeing Albertha. Rose answers the phone and delivers the bad news that Albertha has died in childbirth. Rose inquires about her funeral arrangements and Troy responds unfavourably, asking for space. He 'talks' to death and discusses plans to build a fence.
Scene 3
Three days later, late in the evening, Troy delivers the newborn to Rose to foster. She accepts the child,but rejects him.
Scene 4
Two months later, and many things have changed. Troy is estranged from Rose, Cory barely speaks to him, Lyons is no longer borrowing money, but returning it, and Bono has found new friends and is no longer close to Troy. Cory and Troy get in a big fight at the end of this scene and Troy kicks him out of the house.
Scene 5
It is 1965, on the day of Troy's funeral. All are gathered in the yard. Cory initially plans on not attending the funeral, but changes his mind after talking to his mother. Lyons and Gabe are both temporarily freed from jail and the hospital, respectively, to bury Troy. The story ends with Gabe trying to send his brother home.
MOTIFS
Baseball & Death
The instances where Troy relates baseball with death are:
- "Death ain't nothing. I done seen him. Done wrassled with him. You can't tell me nothing about death. Death ain't nothing but a fastball on the outside corner." p.10
- "That's all death is to me. A fastball on the outside corner." p.10
- "(TROY assumes a battling posture and begins to taunt Death, the fastball in the outside corner.) Come on! It's between you and me now! Come on! Come on! ... but I ain't gonna be easy."p.89
Baseball becomes the way that he handles his feelings about death. Baseball, to Troy, represents the thing that he controls, that he is good at, therefore, he uses it to work through his feelings about death. A fastball is a ball pitched at maximum speed, therefore, it means that death is coming fast, but Troy still intends to beat it, despite the fact that it has the upper hand.
Fence
The fence represents different things to the protagonists. For Rose, it represents protection for her family. Bono states that "Some people build fences to keep people out ... and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you." p.61. Therefore, Rose wants to keep her family together. Her speech about the many 'halfs' in her family, and how she wanted to change this fact, further proves this point. Troy wants to achieve a similar goal with the fence as well. He wants to protect what he feels is his property, his family. he states "I'm gonna take and build me a fence around this yard. See? I'm gonna build me a fence around what belongs to me." p.77
THEMES
Love & family relationship
Responsibility
Change
Death
Realism vs. Illusion
Contributor: Leisa Samuels‐Thomas
Wilson, A. Fences. New York: Penguin Group, 1986
