Family Experiences And Conflicts In Fences By August Wilson

The play “Fences” by August Wilson portrays a family struggles and experiences in 1950s (1468). Troy Maxson, the protagonist, who is married to Rose, struggles to raise his family following bad experience set by his father at early age. Troy is seen as a man of responsibilities, but he never commits himself in his marriage and his family. Troy’s son Cory grows up under Troy’s care as a different generation. The other family members are Troy’s brother, Gabriel, Troy’s eldest son, Lyons, fathered before his time in jail, and a his daughter Reynell, mothered by Alberta (1468). Troy’ follower and long time friend, Bono is the husband to Lucille. The play What I intend to prove in this paper is that the author uses dialogue between characters to …show more content…
The author reveals the differences in African American generations. Troy and Bono conversation dwells in their past life experiences and broken relationships with their fathers living in the South (1.4.110). The existence of their previous experiences provides them with a clear insight and differences between their generation and present. For Example, Troy’ father was unsuccessful sharecropper, who Troy as a son, provides a continuation of generation in the south (1.4.110). Troy and Bono childhood experiences of becoming men and moving North after their fathers dead still haunt them (1.4.98). Living in the north provides a generational divide between Troy and his sons, Cory and Lyon who grow up believing in change and dreams in their lives. Troy himself was without his mother after she ran away when he was eight years old …show more content…
In the play, the main conflict emerges between Troy and his son Cory. As Troy and Bono were outside engaging in a conversation, Rose enters and asks what they were getting into (1.1.41). Without hesitation Troy tells Rose that “This is men talk, woman” (1.1.42). Troy have traditional believes of the roles of men and women and Rose tends to brush the comment off. In his perspective, men are worth talking and women are to listen (1.1.42). He tells a story of how his father almost beat him at age of fourteen, when he was found with a neighbor girl instead of doing work (1.4.113). Violence between him and his father was part of growing up for Troy and that is what defines him being a man he is. Troy tells Bono that “right there is when I become a man” (1.4.113). Cory threatens his father with a bat during the fight, and ultimately lost the fight to Troy (2.4.102). Troy tells Cory “You’re gonna have to kill me!” (2.4.102), and Cory leaves the house to make a life for himself. It is evident that this is a man dominance