Analysis Of August Wilson's Fences

 

            In 1965, August Wilson’s “Fences” was created as the fifth part of his Pittsburg Cycle of dramas of the 20^th Century investigation of the evolution of black culture (Gantt, 1; Gantt, 2).  The play has an influx of symbolism and metaphors that tells the late life story of Troy Maxon and the family that surrounds him.  Even from the beginning of the drama there is conflict and foreshadowing that can be attributed to his own belief that he has failed in life and that the world did not give him what he deserved.  He believes that he has to go outside of the family to find refuge and that is how the story begins and ends.

            Using Formalistic analysis the essay will focus on the motifs that occur in each act and scene of the drama to build to the last scene and the conclusion of the play (Chapter 3, 37).  The point of view through out the play is through the eyes of Troy Maxon as viewed by the audience.  He is the lead in the drama, and all plots revolve around his life and his decisions, some good and others not so good.  These motifs also give the audience an understanding as to the life of the African American, both male and female, in the mid to late 1950s and early 1960s.  Life was getting better in the sense of gaining citizenship, but this was also before the civil rights movement and shows that citizenship did not mean acceptance or understanding of the assimilated African American culture, or putting into the open the injustice of the past (Burbank, 118). 

            The second facet of this analysis is the combining of each act and scene through unity and relational issues and actions that keep the drama moving forward and keeping the audience intrigued as to what is to come in the future of the drama (Chapter 3, 40).  Since Wilson loved to use metaphors, the relationship between the metaphors is as an important aspect as the metaphors themselves (Wilson, 479). 

            The introduction to the drama reinforces the plight of the African American to prepare the audience.  The audience needs to look at the drama from the 1950s based on the social and economic conditions of the African American in that decade.  The African Americans of the 1950s were looked upon as less than citizens, and definitely the lowest of the immigrants that were coming to America to find a better life.  Many of the African Americans in the cities had migrated to the North, which instead of taking them in with open arms, pushed them aside and pushed them back, giving them only the basest parts of life.  It is this aspect of their life that Wilson wants the audience to understand throughout this play (Burbank, 117).  He introduces the fence in this part as well, so the audience will know the importance of the fence as a symbol throughout the play on several levels, both societal and individual.

            Once the setting and atmosphere was set, Wilson immediately takes the audience into the seemingly happy life of Troy Maxon, before making it apparent that he felt a failure and not happy.  The first symbol that arises is the difference between the white people and the black people.  Troy takes a stand and asks why black people never get to drive the trash trucks.  Most of his coworkers believe that he will be fired.  Luckily, by the end of the play, the audience realized that Troy made a giant step for all African Americans, but he still does not appreciate what he has done, and what he has been given.  It is not enough.  This theme of not being appreciated and believing that something is not enough will permeate throughout all the symbols used in this drama.

            A second symbol or relational symbols are sports and the individual’s dreams of the future.  Troy had been in the Negro League and played baseball until he was over 40 years old.  The problem in regard to baseball arises, when Troy is overlooked by the newly desegregated professional baseball league because of his age.  His dreams of playing for the professional white league were smashed, and he had nothing to show his worth in the years that followed.  That is he believed that he was nothing because he never made it to the big leagues (Gantt, 10).  Unfortunately, this defeat in career also defeated Troy mentally.  From that time on he saw his family and his life as failure he wanted to escape from them, but also felt a responsibility to them. 

            This feeling of failure continues into the relationship that Troy has with his son, Cory.  Cory is an excellent football player, and yet, Troy refuses to acknowledge his son’s ability even when he is recruited by a college.  Troy cannot and will not let Cory succeed where he failed and refuses to let Cory go to college on a football scholarship (Gantt, 10).  But this is not the only time that Troy shows resentment of his son.  In Act 1, Scene 3, Cory asks Troy “How come you ain’t never liked me? (Wilson, 504).  Troy is angry at this question and tells Cory that “…it’s my duty to take care of you.  I owe a responsibility to you!” (Wilson, 505). However, even before this it is obvious that Troy sees Cory as nothing but an irritation that continues until the final scene, when Cory arrives for Troy’s funeral.  Only then is the animosity put to rest on both sides.

            Unlike Cory, Troy’s first son, Lyons, is accepted by Troy.  The fact of the matter is that Lyons is a failure in Troy’s eyes and, therefore, is not any better than Troy.  Lyons wants to be a musician, but is not very successful.  Troy sees Lyons failure in music the same as his playing baseball in the Negro League and never getting to the professional league.  He believes that his son will eventually take a menial job and claim defeat as his own.  In the last scene of the play it comes to light that Lyons did end up defeated, but only to a point.  His love of music was still alive and he was still following his dream.

            One thing that is a bit confusing is the love and praise that Troy speaks in regard to his wife, Rose.  He constantly states that there is no better woman or wife, and that she is the best thing that happened to him.  The confusion sets in for the audience, when Bono, Troy’s friend, brings up his interest in Alberta in Act 1, Scene 1.  Troy does not exactly deny his interest in Alberta; instead he turns it around by asking Bono questions and thereby changing the subject without truly answering the question.  This avoidance continues on through the drama until he has to tell Rose that Alberta is pregnant with his baby. 

            Rose becomes the strong archetype of the African American woman.  She has put her life and soul into Troy, and yet he has sought out the companionship of another (Gantt, 11).  He explains the affair as a way to ignore the responsibilities of his failed life, if at least for a while.  This aggravates Rose even more, since he has never taken her feelings, wants or needs into consideration.  Troy continues to be married to Rose, but still sees Alberta with Rose’s knowledge of the situation.  Rose even takes the call from the hospital when Alberta dies while giving birth.  The strength of Rose does not reach its apex until Troy brings home his daughter.  He asks Rose to help him raise her.  Rose’s response gives the audience the berth of her strength.  In two lines, she puts the future in place, “From right now…this child got a mother. But you is a womanless man.” (Wilson, 530)  The strength of not blaming the child is apparent, and it becomes known that this child will have as good a life as Rose can give her with no animosity or jealousy of the creation of the child.  Troy, on the other hand, is shown that he will not only have the responsibility of the child, but will continue to have the responsibility of Rose, Lyons, and Cory with nothing in return.

            While all of these outward trials are occurring, the fence and baseball are intrinsic in the explanation of Troy’s life.  The fence represents the knowledge of Troy’s affair even before it was known to his family.  Rose had requested the fence, and symbolically it was to hold her family together.  The fact that Troy never really worked on the fence all that much shows that he was not in love with Rose, but felt a responsibility to her.  He wanted his freedom and the fence symbolized his acceptance as a failure.

Throughout the work, Troy constantly used the game of baseball as a metaphor to life.  This is the metaphor that is used, because he was a failure in the desegregated professional league and he was a failure in life.  The baseball references just reinforce the lack of success and create even more animosity toward the family and friends in his life.  Rose reminded him of his failure, because she was there when it occurred.  He was able to forget about his failure when he was with Alberta, because she was new and had no knowledge of his true failure in life. 

The symbol of the fence and the metaphors of baseball used throughout this drama, connect everything back to the sense that Troy Maxon was unhappy with his life, and felt as if he were a failure.  The failure was taken out on those he felt a responsibility to, such as Rose, and Cory.  He felt no real responsibility to Lyons, hence there relationship was better.  Troy was jealous of Cory and reminded of his failures by Rose.  Wilson used the fence and baseball to tell this story.  It was not just a story of a life perceived as a failure, but a look into the mind and thoughts of an African American man of the 1950s.

Works Cited

Burbank, Sergei. "The Shattered Mirror: What August Wilson Means and Willed to Mean." College Literature 36.2 (2009): 117-29. ProjectMuse. 11 May 2009

"Chapter 3: Formalism." Dobie, Ann B., ed. Theory Into Practice: An Introduction to Literary Criticism 2nd Ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009.

Gantt, Patricia M. "Putting Black Culture on Stage: August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle." College Literature 36.2 (2009): 1-25. ProjectMuse. 11 May 2009

Wilson, August , "Fences." Gwynn, R S., ed. Drama: A Pocket Anthology. 3rd Ed. New York: Penguin Academics, 2006.