Summary Of August Wilson's Fences

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The sensation of inadequacy to nurture and nourish is a man's greatest fear. To provide for our loved ones and family is of the upmost importance. These struggles are depicted by the character Troy in the play Fences by August Wilson. The setting for Fences begins in the 1950's at a time in the United States when racism is still prevalent in society (Fences). Troy is a fifty-three year old African American male. He is a very large human with thick, heavy hands (Wilson 1836). Troy encounters multitudinous struggles as a father. This fight is ongoing and common in not only his life but in the lives of everyday people. Troy's fight to provide for his family, to keep relationships and the vicious cycle that encompassed all this superintended Troy's…show more content…
This gives precedence to the vicious cycle of violence that is passed on from generation to generation. This cycle is prevalent in Troy's life. Troy lives in the past. His father was brutal and controlling. He loves his family, but he knows no other way of caring for them. Thus, he repeats his father's mistakes (Fences). Troy talks about an earlier time in his life when he was at the river bank and his father showed up and initiated a fight with him in front of his girlfriend. This was a traumatic experience in his life. It drove him to run away from home (Wilson 1860). Troy's father was very mean and abusive (Wilson 1859). These ways of his father cycled into his adult life. In Troy's adult life he was very selfish and showed very little compassion for others. His relationships start like most abusive relationships do. He showed overwhelming love and compassion at first. He did this to get close as he could. This helped him gain an advantage and put him in more of a position to control (Schremp). It is all about power and control (Schremp). This cycle begins to break in Cory's generation. When he returns after years of marine service. He states that he does not want to be his dad (Wilson 1881). He seems to be ahead of his father's legacy already. It just takes one person to make a difference and break the
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    August Wilson (1945-2005) was known as one the most distinguished black American dramatists in the second half of the twentieth century. Fences was perhaps one of the most important and popular play sets produced by Wilson and won many awards including the famous Pulitzer.1 During this particular timeframe black art was not very recognized in the American theatre. Wilson is recognized till this day for his efforts to bring diversity in the American theatre and not only did he enrich the American

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