Often in society, people are faced with many decisions that can change the outcome of their life. It is often argued how social constructs are the force behind these choices, and as a result any consequences brought upon a person is society’s fault. An example of this occurrence is presented throughout August Wilsons 1986 play, Fences. Set in the 1950’s Fences reveals the thoughts and hidden motivations behind an African American community faced with difficult obstacles such as segregation, and poor economic status. Troy Maxson, the protagonist in the play is a struggling African American father who is trying to support his family. Troy is conveyed as a man who has seen a lot of disappointment in his life; therefore, he uses excessive pride
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As a result, he hurts the people that care about him the most. During the 1950’s segregation was a prominent system which resulted from white Americans keeping African Americans below them. The 1950’s were a time of protest and change in the black community, and blacks began fighting for equal rights and started to break color barriers. Jackie Robinson, an African American baseball star, made history when he used his athletic talent to help the all-white Dodgers team, win a national league championship. Robinson changed the way Americans thought about equality, and he paved the road for the next generation of African Americans, by showing how courage and determination can bring a significant change to a social system. Unlike Jackie Robinson, Troy was unable to break this color barrier on the baseball field. This rejection scars Troy and leaves him unable to move on from his past. Troy Maxon tragically died alone, because he had a stubborn attitude which prevented him from seeing how race relations were improving since he was …show more content…
Segregation was at its peak during the 1950’s. Even Troy’s last name captures this unequal balance of trying to find the good in life, while constantly being overshadowed by a dark memory. Maxson is a combination of Mason, and Dixon. The Mason-Dixon line was an imaginary line in the 1700’s that separated free states from slave states. It is suggested how this symbolic last name demonstrates Troy’s struggle of living a life filled with equality, while still being impacted by the racism he faced as a young man. Wilson describes how Troy’s life was built upon this influence of segregation and racism. Throughout the play, Wilson captures how Troy deals with this segregation by building a fence around his home. This fence represents Troy’s family being restricted by the white-dominated society that surrounds them. He is trying to escape from a society that treats African American’s like second class citizens. Troy is left to navigate a world that is divided by color. Through Troy’s heartfelt stories, and experiences, Wilson exposes the black’s world of oppression dealt with the physical and mental abuse within a broken system. It is reasoned how this discrimination dictates all of Troy’s relationships with his loved ones. Troy is a man that is very dissatisfied with life. During the 1950’s Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier
As a result, he hurts the people that care about him the most. During the 1950’s segregation was a prominent system which resulted from white Americans keeping African Americans below them. The 1950’s were a time of protest and change in the black community, and blacks began fighting for equal rights and started to break color barriers. Jackie Robinson, an African American baseball star, made history when he used his athletic talent to help the all-white Dodgers team, win a national league championship. Robinson changed the way Americans thought about equality, and he paved the road for the next generation of African Americans, by showing how courage and determination can bring a significant change to a social system. Unlike Jackie Robinson, Troy was unable to break this color barrier on the baseball field. This rejection scars Troy and leaves him unable to move on from his past. Troy Maxon tragically died alone, because he had a stubborn attitude which prevented him from seeing how race relations were improving since he was …show more content…
Segregation was at its peak during the 1950’s. Even Troy’s last name captures this unequal balance of trying to find the good in life, while constantly being overshadowed by a dark memory. Maxson is a combination of Mason, and Dixon. The Mason-Dixon line was an imaginary line in the 1700’s that separated free states from slave states. It is suggested how this symbolic last name demonstrates Troy’s struggle of living a life filled with equality, while still being impacted by the racism he faced as a young man. Wilson describes how Troy’s life was built upon this influence of segregation and racism. Throughout the play, Wilson captures how Troy deals with this segregation by building a fence around his home. This fence represents Troy’s family being restricted by the white-dominated society that surrounds them. He is trying to escape from a society that treats African American’s like second class citizens. Troy is left to navigate a world that is divided by color. Through Troy’s heartfelt stories, and experiences, Wilson exposes the black’s world of oppression dealt with the physical and mental abuse within a broken system. It is reasoned how this discrimination dictates all of Troy’s relationships with his loved ones. Troy is a man that is very dissatisfied with life. During the 1950’s Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier