Discrimination In Fences

Is it possible to obtain a decent job, excel at education, and commit to a sport simultaneously? Troy Maxson from Fences, written by August Wilson, did not think so. Troy’s son, Cory was recruited by a college football team and he was thrilled to be part of the team, but Troy refused to let him play. His reasons were that Cory needed to get a job to provide for the family, and more importantly, he believed that Cory would not get a chance to play professionally due to racial discrimination, something that shattered Troy’s dream of playing baseball in the major leagues.
In Fences, Cory received an invitation to play football for a college in North Carolina. However, his father, Troy, refused to let him play because he wanted Cory to study and work so he could provide for the family instead. Troy said that Cory should study so he could “get [himself] in that A&P or learn how to fix cars or build houses or something” (Act 1, Scene 3, Pg. 35). Being a garbage collector obviously did not pay Troy well, therefore he needed another source of income in his family. He hoped that Cory could earn some skills so he could get a decent job one day and provide some income for his family. Another reason why Troy refused to let Cory play football was because he believed that Cory …show more content…
He once said to Rose, “I decided seventeen years ago that boy wasn’t getting involved in no sports. Not after what they did to me in the sports” (Act 1, Scene 3, Pg.