Fences

The toil of Troy and Rose's relationship upon Rose:

Never met halfway by Troy, Rose eventually became detached from her own sense of self.

Troy's inability to finish the fence

a representation of how Troy was not able to compensate for his physical giving with his emotional giving. In other words, he wasn't able to emotionally apply himself because he felt he was boxed in.

Act 2 Scene 1 (Troy vs. Rose)

After Rose firmly asserts that it was her duty to take care of Troy, and that she tried with all her energy to do so, Troy starts spouting more of his euphemisms about "striking out," which suggests a fundamental divorce on his behalf from the gravity of Rose's feelings. Content with explaining his actions in obscure metaphors about the necessity of living life to the fullest, Troy seems detached from Rose's real pain1

Act 1 Scene 1 (Troy's relationship with Bono) p.?

Already, Wilson gives us a feel for the often excessively large nature of Troy's presence. As in most of his relationships, Troy takes up most of the space of his friendship with Bono—and Bono willingly accepts this, viewing Troy as worthy of his devotion. Yet, ironically, Wilson tells us that Bono values Troy for his honesty, when this is precisely the quality he seems to fundamentally lack, as we see later in the play, when it's revealed that Troy has an affair with Alberta. Bono perhaps sees in Troy something that he's really not—but rather the ideal personality which Bono wished he himself had.

Act 2 Scene 5 (Troy's Death)

August Wilson's decision to not make Troy's death an actual, real-time moment of the play has the effect of making Troy's death seem almost trivial or superfluous—like an after-effect of something larger and more important. Further, with the sudden, off-stage vanishing of Troy and the now on-stage gathering of all his family, the distance between Troy and his family/friends before his death is amplified

Act 2 Scene 4 (Cory walking past Troy)

Cory's assertion of "that's right," and his comment that his father is always talking about such "dumb stuff" as how and to what extent his son does/does not comport with his authority, suggest that he's begun to see through Troy's ways of manipulating him and making him feel unequal and subservient as a person. Further, Cory's bold claim that Troy never gave him anything shows that Cory has psychologically evolved to realize his own self-worth, and how his father failed to nourish it.

Act 2 Scene 1 (Cory and Baseball)

Cory's swinging of his father's bat is a gesture which symbolizes his attempt to fill his father's shoes—though he struggles, and isn't sure in his swing. Whereas Troy exudes almost obnoxious confidence, Cory isn't able to muster up such hubris, as evidenced by his awkward swing.

Bella's vs. the A&P

Displays Rose's flexibility to change with the world and Troy's inability to escape his own "fence" of tradition and repetition. Bellas charges 10 cents more than the A&P but will let Troy pay her later when it is his payday on Friday rather than paying right away.

Act 1 Scene 1 (Watermelon) p.?

Further, Troy's story about the man carrying the watermelon exposes an instance, even if it's not fully explained, of a black man's fear and nervousness before the authoritative gaze of a white man. The man who was carrying the watermelon is afraid that Troy's complaint with the commissioner's office at his workplace is going to get all of the black workers "fixed," or fired—this shows how not every person of color working there shares Troy's sense of confidence and purposefulness in protesting racial injustice. Further, the fact that Troy is willing to do such a thing—possibly putting his job on the line—shows how seemingly devoted he is to asserting himself and struggling for racial equality and equal opportunity in the workplace. Troy essentially is the voice of the 'man with a watermelon" the man who needs to steal to get by.

Act 1 Scene 2 (Gabriel)

Gabriel's propensity for spinning fantasies offers a match for Troy's tendency to tell tall tales—while Gabriel speaks about St. Peter, Troy speaks about the grim reaper or the devil. Further, while Gabriel has a neurological defect that explains his delusions, Troy doesn't—this at least makes us consider that Troy's fantasizing isn't really all that different from Gabriel's, and that Gabriel isn't really as deluded as he might seem. Gabriel's fixation on the day of judgment will grow to have profound significance in the play, as it becomes intimately connected with Troy's eventual death.

Act 1 Scene 1 (Troy against football)

Here, Troy's outdated perspective on race relations makes its first appearance; though it's outdated, his view on race certainly isn't based on invalid premises, since he grew up in a different time with different circumstances, and experienced discrimination in the sports world himself. Still, Troy is unwilling to adapt his views and heed Rose's suggestion that, indeed, times have changed and that opportunities for black players in the world of professional sports have opened up; instead of opening up his mind, Troy remains stubbornly fixed on the idea that Cory should enter a "proper" trade like auto-mechanics.

Act 1 Scene 1 (Bono's speculation of Alberta)

Here, we get the sense for the first time that Bono is suspicious of Troy's fidelity to Rose. While Bono is usually passive in conversation with Troy, here he takes charge, and fully persists in pursuing his point, despite Troy's attempt to deflect it. Bono doesn't let up, and says he's seen with his own eyes Troy's misdeeds—that he's seen Troy on Alberta's property. Even though it seems like Bono has caught Troy red-handed, Troy still thinks he can argue his way out. This is a testament to Troy's distorted sense of reality: he thinks he can cover up what's blatantly true with the lies he weaves in his head.

Act 2 Scene 1 (Bono's Advice)

Here, we see the seeds of Bono's desire to follow Troy—the seeds of his role as a follower, as August Wilson writes at the beginning of the play, in their relationship. Troy's decision to commit himself to Rose inspired Bono, who deemed Troy's commitment as an act of high sensibility and mature judgement. Still as equally committed to Troy as a friend many years later, Bono now feels the need to intervene in Troy's misdeeds and steer him towards the path that most reflects the sensibility he witnessed in Troy as a younger man.

Is Troy the city or the Trojan horse?

Is he the strong mighty city or the weapon of deception brought within the great walls, which eventually lead to the cities downfall.

Act 1 Scene 3 (Do I like you?)

Once again, Troy's harsh coldness as a father surfaces, and we see yet another awkward and confrontational encounter between the two, devoid of any warmth or love that would characterize a healthy father-son bond. Troy utterly rejects love as something necessary to his relationship with his son, citing responsibility—duty—as the sole link which relates him to his son: a relationship born out of contractual obligation and necessity, and not out of any higher moral, emotional, or psychological forces.

Act 2 Scene 4 (Isolation of Troy)

One of the most significant moments of the play, Troy's statement about everyone 'going out' speaks to the failure of the fence he built to keep his family together.

Act 2 Scene 4 (Cory leaves home)

Perhaps more significant than the action of Cory and Troy's fight is Troy's declaration that Cory's possessions will be on the other side of the fence when he returns for them. Once again, the fence has failed to hold the Maxson family together—it's instead come to serve as a reference point for their division. Troy invokes the fence in order to express that Cory has been expelled from the territory within it, and that, from now on, his home is outside the fence.

Act 1 Scene 1 (introduction of Rose)

Rose's entrance into the scene represents the influx of a totally different energy than that displayed by Troy and Bono. Rose embodies a maternal gentleness and compassion, a strong character and sense of fortitude, and a solid relationship with truth and reality—which often clashes with Troy's storytelling. The fact that Wilson describes Rose's devotion to Troy as being based on what her life would be like without him suggests that , in marrying him, she's largely "settled," compromising on her own dreams in order to have the safety of a stable marriage.

Act 2 Scene 5 (Cory's refusal to attend the funeral)

The fact that Troy died while swinging a baseball bat ironically harks back to his "striking out" anecdote, his career as a baseball player which was cut short, and the fact that he would swing his bat at "Mr. Death" when addressing "him." Further, Cory's unwillingness to go to Troy's funeral speaks to his desire to wash himself of his father, of the stains Troy made on Cory's life—and this suggests that Cory feels he hasn't fully escaped the grips of his father. Rose's insistence that Cory attend speaks to her opinion that there's something permanent about familial bonds.

Act 2 Scene 5 (Lyons' failure)

The juxtaposition of Lyons's failure to make something of his future and Cory's success is further amplified, as we get new information: Lyons no longer struggles just to launch a failed music career, but has followed in the footsteps of his father and turned to crime in order to make ends meet, despite being in circumstances where other opportunities are available (unlike in his father's time). Lyons has refused still, to this day, to get any job outside of music.

Act 2 Scene 5 (Cory in the army)

The marks of his father's anger and stubbornness seem to be written across Cory's evolved, matured self—he's become the disciplined and no-nonsense man which his father never was and always wanted Cory to be. Cory has made something of himself and Lyons has failed and followed in Troy's footsteps.

Act 1 Scene 3 (Troy vs. Cory)

Troy and Cory's interactions are always awkward and heated; they never seem to share a moment of agreement or love proper to a healthy father-son bond. Troy constantly scolds Cory and has no real interest in the daily events of Cory's life or in the activities which inspire or fascinate him. Troy's dialogue with Cory principally consists in disciplining him, which largely amounts to cutting him down. Still, Cory's desire for his father to buy a T.V. does demonstrate a fundamental disconnect between his and his father's view of their family's economic situation, a disconnect which Troy perhaps isn't unjustified in trying to get Cory to acknowledge. Further, Troy's willingness to meet Cory halfway for the money shows that he's willing to reach out and compromise with his son at least on some level.

Death as a symbol

Troy gives the unpredictability and mystery of death a concrete form, and thereby attributes a kind of reason and discernible motive to the process of death. Death, for Troy, is therefore a force that personally tries to antagonize and destroy him. This personification provides a reason for the suffering of Troy's past beyond its basis in racism, and the severe poverty into which it landed him; it gives a higher purpose to what, in reality, boils down to a corrupt society and a childhood made difficult by abusive and unloving parents. "Mr. Death," therefore, resembles the fence, since its invention helps Troy fence-off the harsher reality that's largely cheated him in life.

Act 1 Scene 4 (Troy and Lyons)

Troy's fundamental distrust of Lyons is revealed here even more than it was previously. Upon hearing about the raiding of a club Lyons plays at, Troy automatically assumes that his son was somehow involved in the crime. This speaks to Troy's association of Lyons' lifestyle with debauchery and illegality, while Lyons only claims to be trying to act on his passions—on his love for music.

Act 2 Scene 2 (hospitalizing Gabe)

Troy's hypocrisy emerges again here: after all the time he spent defending Gabe against Rose's opinion that it would be good for him to be institutionalized, Troy has finally caved in on his advocacy for Gabe's freedom—the motivation being money. Troy, at this point, seems to have just about betrayed everyone around him except Bono. Troy's signing of Gabe's hospital papers is ironic, as it signs Gabe into a lack of freedom, whereas not signing Cory's recruitment papers had something of a similar effect: of limiting Cory's future horizons.

Troy's division of personality and traits passed on to his sons:

Two extremes: Cory becomes the rigid disciplined man Troy wanted him to be while Lyons becomes the "bad" stealing and lying part of Troy that eventually gets arrested and punished.

Act 1 Scene 4 (fathers)

We get the sense that there's been a cycle of bad fathers repeating generation after generation, and we're simply witnessing the effects of this cycle in the parenting style of someone like Troy. Though Troy's father was difficult to deal with, Troy says he was nonetheless a caring person who worked very hard to provide for all eleven of his children—and perhaps we can say the same thing of Troy. Though Troy is often cruel to Cory, he nonetheless works a very grueling job day-in and day-out to provide for his son; perhaps, then, caught up in the cycle of toughened and harsh fatherhood, Troy is just following in his father's footsteps.

Problem with Troy's promotion

he has fought so hard for this job because he claimed it was unfair the colored men had to work with garbage, but now he has been able to get the job, and he doesn't have a drivers liscense and claims "drivings nothing"

Garden at Troy's tombstone

represents the seeds that Rose was unable to grow in Troy and the chance at a renewed new beginning, where plants can grow now that Troy is gone.