Fences (August Wilson)

This section explores the play Fences by August Wilson, focusing on: the structure, setting, staging, characters, themes and the historical and cultural context of the play. Fences is a 1985 play by August Wilson, set in the 1950s, which explores the life of Troy Maxson, an African-American man in Pittsburgh struggling with his past, his family, and his aspirations. The play delves into themes of race, family, ambition, and generational conflict. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1987 and is one of Wilson’s most critically acclaimed works, being part of his Pittsburgh Cycle (also known as the Century Cycle), which consists of ten plays exploring the African-American experience in each decade of the 20th century.

Historical and Cultural Context

• Post-WWII America: Fences is set in the 1950s, a period marked by racial segregation and discrimination in the United States, particularly in urban areas. African Americans were still facing limited opportunities and were often excluded from economic and social advancements. The Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum, though major legislative changes like the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965) had not yet been passed.
• The Great Migration: Many African Americans, including Troy's family, had moved from the rural South to northern cities like Pittsburgh in search of better economic opportunities. However, they often encountered racial barriers in these new urban settings, which is a central theme in the play.
• Racial Discrimination in Sports: Troy’s past as a baseball player who was not allowed to play in the major leagues due to racial segregation reflects the limited opportunities for African Americans in sports at the time. The play highlights how this limitation shaped Troy’s worldview and impacted his relationships with his family, especially his son, Cory.
• The American Dream and African-American Identity: The 1950s were also a time when the ideal of the American Dream was prominent in popular culture, yet for African Americans, this dream was often inaccessible due to institutionalised racism. Fences critiques this idea, showing how characters like Troy strive for success but face barriers because of their race and class.

Structure

• Acts and Scenes: Fences is structured into two acts, with the first focusing on Troy’s life and the relationships within his family, and the second exploring the consequences of Troy’s actions and the ongoing tension between his desires, dreams, and the reality he faces.
• Act One: Introduces the main characters and sets up Troy’s past and present struggles. We see Troy’s role as a father, husband, and a man coming to terms with his own limitations. His relationship with his son Cory begins to unravel as Troy’s oppressive views on race and success affect his family.
• Act Two: The play deepens the emotional conflicts, with the impact of Troy’s decisions becoming more apparent. Cory’s defiance, Troy’s infidelity, and the pressures of Troy’s worldview come to a head. The final scenes deal with Troy’s death and the family’s grappling with his legacy.
• Use of Flashbacks and Storytelling: A significant feature of the play’s structure is the use of Troy’s storytelling. Flashbacks to his youth, especially his time in prison and his experience with baseball, provide key insights into his character and motivations. These stories are woven into the narrative, often blurring the line between past and present, emphasising how Troy’s past influences his present behaviour and attitudes.
• The Symbolic Fences: The recurring motif of fences—both literal (the fence Troy builds around his house) and metaphorical (the barriers Troy builds between himself and others)—is central to the play’s structure. The act of building a fence becomes a symbol of both protection and separation, signifying Troy’s need to protect his family from external harm, but also his desire to keep them at a distance emotionally.

Setting

• Time and Place: The play is set in the 1950s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a working-class African-American neighbourhood. The time period is significant as it places the play just before the major social changes of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, a time when African Americans were still largely excluded from full social and economic participation in society.
• The Maxson Family Home: The action largely takes place in the Maxson family’s backyard and inside their house. The backyard setting, where Troy is constructing a fence, becomes a metaphor for the family’s emotional landscape—its boundaries, its conflicts, and its hopes for the future. The house itself is a modest, cramped space, reflecting the economic realities of the Maxsons, but it is also a place filled with history and personal significance.
• Symbolism of the Fence: The fence Troy is building throughout the play becomes a key symbol of division. It represents his desire to keep the world at bay, but also his attempt to create a secure environment for his family, despite the emotional walls he erects between them.

Characters

• Troy Maxson: The protagonist of the play, Troy is a complex, flawed character. A former baseball player who never made it to the major leagues due to racial discrimination, Troy’s bitterness about his past affects his relationships with his family, especially his son Cory, whom he discourages from pursuing a career in football. Troy’s pride, flaws, and his struggles with his own mortality make him a tragic figure, yet he is also deeply human in his flaws and contradictions.
• Rose Maxson: Troy’s wife, who is patient, supportive, and longs for a stable family life. Rose’s character is a reflection of the strength and endurance of African-American women during this period, as she maintains the home and family despite Troy’s mistakes. Her emotional journey is one of both devotion and eventual disillusionment, especially after Troy’s infidelity.
• Cory Maxson: Troy and Rose’s son, who is a promising football player. Cory’s relationship with Troy is strained, as Troy prevents him from pursuing a football scholarship, believing that his son will face the same racial discrimination he did in his own sports career. Cory represents the younger generation’s aspirations for a better life and the struggle to break free from the limitations imposed by their parents’ experiences.
• Jim Bono: Troy’s best friend and former baseball teammate. Bono serves as a foil to Troy, offering a more grounded, moral perspective. Although he is loyal to Troy, Bono’s relationship with Troy becomes strained as he begins to see the flaws in Troy’s actions, particularly in regard to his marriage and infidelity.
• Gabriel Maxson: Troy’s mentally disabled brother, who was injured during World War II. Gabriel believes he is an angel and often speaks in religious or fantastical terms. Gabriel’s character represents the social neglect and hardship experienced by African-American veterans and disabled individuals, and his fate highlights the play’s themes of sacrifice and the failure of American society to care for its veterans.
• Raynell Maxson: Troy’s daughter with another woman, Alberta. Raynell’s presence in the family at the play’s conclusion signals a new beginning, offering hope for the future despite the tragedies that have come before her.

Themes

• Race and Racism: A central theme of the play is the exploration of racial discrimination and the limitations placed on African Americans. Troy’s bitterness about not being able to play in Major League Baseball is rooted in his experience with racial prejudice. His views on race also shape his relationship with his son, Cory, whom he discourages from pursuing his dreams because of his own frustrations with the racial barriers he faced.
• Generational Conflict: Troy’s relationship with his son Cory is central to the play’s exploration of generational conflict. Troy’s own failure to achieve his dreams makes him protective and overly critical of his son’s ambitions. Cory, in turn, represents the younger generation’s desire for freedom and opportunity, and his conflict with Troy is a reflection of the tension between past and future.
• Family and Responsibility: Fences is fundamentally about family relationships and the responsibilities that come with them. Troy’s role as a father and husband is complicated by his flaws, mistakes, and his inability to connect emotionally with his family. The play explores the sacrifices made by the characters, particularly Rose, and the emotional costs of Troy’s actions.
• Dreams and Disillusionment: Troy’s dream of playing professional baseball is one of his central motivations, and the play examines how his unfulfilled dreams shape his life. While Troy imposes his disappointments on his family, especially Cory, the play also explores the broader theme of the difficulty of achieving dreams when society places barriers in your way.
• Death and Legacy: The theme of death is explored both literally (in Troy’s eventual passing) and symbolically, through his interactions with his son and the fence he is building. The idea of legacy—what we leave behind and how we are remembered—is central, with Troy grappling with how his actions will affect those he leaves behind.

Staging and Performance

• Realistic Staging: Fences is traditionally staged with a realistic set, often in a domestic setting. The Maxson household is represented as a modest home with a backyard where much of the action takes place. The set often includes a literal fence that is gradually built throughout the play, symbolising both separation and protection.
• Character-driven Acting: The success of the play heavily relies on strong, emotionally nuanced performances, especially for the central character, Troy. The actors must capture the complexity of Troy’s personality—his pride, anger, love, and vulnerability. The relationships between the characters are deeply interpersonal, with much of the drama coming from heated confrontations, moments of silence, and subtle emotional shifts.
• Use of Music: The blues and gospel music that Troy sings or references throughout the play help to underscore the emotional landscape of the characters, particularly the themes of hardship, longing, and loss. Music is used as a cultural touchstone, linking Troy’s personal struggles to the broader African-American experience.

Summary

Fences is a powerful exploration of African-American life in mid-20th-century America, particularly focusing on race, family, and generational conflict. Through the character of Troy Maxson, Wilson delves into the complexities of ambition, disappointment, and legacy. The play’s rich characters, symbolic use of the fence, and poignant exploration of dreams and disillusionment make it a timeless and deeply human work.