Last Post--Wilson Fences

August Wilson

Fences

I really enjoyed reading Fences by August Wilson.  I thought it had a lot of meaning behind it all.  Rose one of the main characters and the wife of Troy was a fine lady.  She had spent her entire life taking care of her family the way she thought she should. She was always there for her son and husband.  She wanted Troy to build a fence around their yard. I thought that symbolized how she wanted to keep everything in her area. If she had a fence her family would not ever leave.  Troy seemed to be a good guy.  He went to work every day and paid his bills and was a good provider.  He had a troublesome childhood with his father.  His mother left the family when Troy was just a boy. Troy saw his father as a the devil.  Troy never wanted to be anything like him but sometimes you cannot escape the damage that has been done to you as a child.  Troy found another lady named Alberta, she made him feel alive again. I don’t think he was out to hurt Rose but ultimately he did. Alberta turned up pregnant and had a baby girl.  Unfortunately she died during the birth and Troy was forced to take his new daughter home to Rose and ask her to mother the child.  I was really surprised that Rose went along with it, but I understand it was not the child’s fault. She never asked to be born into that mess.  Troy had once been a great baseball player. Cory his son was also a great player and had the opportunity to play college ball which could have led him down a great road. Troy would have nothing to do with it.  He messed up Cory’s chances which I thought was really mean! I think he should have given him a few years to see where it would take him.  During their lifetime racism was really bad and most of the ball players were white regardless of their ability.  Troy thought it was a waste of Cory’s time and I think he was trying to save him from the hurt he had once felt.  In the end Troy dies of a heart attack.  Cory has been away at the Marines and comes home for the funeral to support his mother but had no intention of going to the funeral.  All of Troy’s family was there finally after he pushed them all away.