The Importance Of The American Dream In August Wilson's Fences

August Wilson's Fences documents the societal pressures of an African American family as they maneuver their way through a predominantly white society near the end of the 1950's. At the center of the play is Troy Maxson, a blue-collar worker who was forced to abandon his dream as a major league baseball player due to racial turmoil. Wilson utilizes the character of Troy to expose the "American Dream" as a fallacy perpetuated by society. This desire to fulfill the illusion of the "American Dream" is fueled by his responsibility towards his family. Troy is very proud and believes his experience as a man is synonymous to his ability to provide for his loved ones. However, this attitude hinders his capacity to be truly responsible and in turn becomes more of a vice than a virtue for Troy. He begins to blur the lines between being responsible towards his family and controlling them. This results in selling out his own brother for financial gain and alienating his wife and two sons. …show more content…
Fences represents the emotional and physical barriers the characters of this play fabricate in order to protect themselves and their family in a society where the turmoil of racism and prejudice is still in effect. Troy builds an emotional fence in order to isolate his family from realizing his true emotions in order to seem masculine in an attempt to satisfy his criteria for being a responsible father figure. Instead, this barrier only further conflicts his relationship towards his family. His experiences with racism and a troubled past with an abusive father leave Troy blind to all the possibilities the present has to offer. His only motivation was fulfilling his perception of responsibility allocated by the illusion that is the "American Dream". Troy Maxson's desire to be responsible comes off as controlling and in turn he loses sight of how to take care of his family without hindering their