The time period of racial segregation and injustice towards African Americans was a difficult time as they were not given many of the same opportunities as Caucasians, due to the color of their skin. In the case of August Wilson’s play, Fences, the protagonist, Troy Maxson develops a complex past, where he is denied the opportunity to play baseball and get a job. This made him result to thieving, and after serving jail time, came out a changed and eager man seeking a job. Troy’s past experiences with his father, dedication to his job, decision making, and eagerness of wanting Cory to get a job illustrate his intelligent and hardworking nature.…
Fences Based during a time of segregation and prejudice, Fences is a story that realistic for its era and reflects on the rejection people felt during this time. A black man during pre-Civil Rights time, Troy is determined to become the first black trash man (Wilson, 10). Adamant that racism will never end, Troy tries to shield his son Cory from the realities he faced within sports. Cory, on the other hand, is a part of the future that believes the world is becoming more accepting of race and asserts that he will be able to become a professional in football.…
Troy Maxson: Good, Bad or Tragic Hero? In August Wilson’s play Fences the protagonist, Troy Maxson, is widely considered to be one of the greatest characters of the American stage (Shmoop Editorial Team). He is a very complex man and leaves one wondering is he good, bad or simply a tragic hero? This is not an easy question to answer on the surface, but, reading and analyzing the play points toward the latter. Troy is quite simply bad at being good.…
Some people are like trees; they take forever to grow up, including Holden Caulfield, the sixteen year old protagonist of the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger. Throughout the novel, Holden skirmishes through teenage life because he cannot take on the responsibilities that are a part of growing up. Holden is infatuated with childhood and he chooses to be trapped between two worlds; one of innocence and the other of adulthood. On the contrary, maturity comes easily to certain children like Jeannette Walls, the main character and author of the memoir “A Glass Castle”. Jeannette is a four year old innocent, fun-loving girl who thinks she comes from a remarkable family.…
Tyler Stonework Professor Jeanty English 1020 4/26/16 Fences A statement that Rose made about Troy refusing to let Cory play football, what Rose had said was very true. There is a lot that is changing around Troy and he is only living in the past. Troy is living in the past based off of what happened to him. Troy claims “The white man aren’t going to let him get nowhere in football” (Fences 1116).…
Father Comes Home from the Wars, Suzan-Lori Parks Suzan-Lori Parks created a character that had the illusion of choice. She showed how Hero’s perception of having control of his destiny undid his relationships. The costumes of this production propelled this show into modern day and made commentary on how systemic racism may still be inhibiting the freedoms of African Americans. This play forces the audience to reconcile with the past sins, and then points out the ways society still discriminates against people of color.…
The Most Complicated of Misfortunes In two of our readings during this semester of American literature there was some striking similarities and some differences between the main characters from The Contrast and The Coquette. Eliza Warton and Maria Van Rough both get diminished for not following gender roles during their era, both women interact with financially stable men and both women have different end results with the men they interact with. Women in early America were bound by standards which Eliza and Maria deemed to be pointless to them by preferring to follow their own rules. There are examples being demonstrated throughout both stories when both female characters are breaking the gender roles.…
In the story “Recitatif”, Maggie is a kitchen woman and a target for abuse. Maggie attracts the ire of the residents on St. Bonny’s due to her being mute, bowlegged, and wearing a childish hat. With a passing glance, one would think that Maggie is simply a side character who plays very little role in the story as a whole, but this cannot be further from the truth. Maggie is absolutely central to the conflict of the story, and she has a profound effect on the actions of other characters within the story and the story’s theme. Maggie’s effect on the actions of Twyla and Roberta is shown in how both remember Maggie and the event in the orchard in completely different ways.…
Have you ever stopped to look at a rose? At first you will see its fine beauty and presence; however, with a closer look you will find its thorns that are there to protect itself for survival. In the play “Fences” by August Wilson, we are introduced to a character named Rose Maxon. Her first name can be represented with a literal meaning relating the flower. She is a very admirable woman who is also strong and set in her ways.…
Daphne du Maurier 's novel Rebecca, is a good example of unique and intriguing writing. It has achieved critical praise inarguably due to its uniqueness in literature especially as compared to those which fall under the female gothic category. The author uses attractive themes which can easily attract the masses throughout diverse generations. This book exposes a story of a narrator who faces lots of challenges not only in her marriage but also in her social circle. There exist certain controversies connected to the reason as to why the author did not give Maxim 's second wife a name throughout the novel.…
Starting from his father’s cruel and abusive actions to the racism that thwarted his professional baseball career that he had rightly deserved, Troy’s journey through life reflected the dreams unattained of black America in a predominantly white world. Such damaged incidences followed Troy throughout his life and constantly made an appearance in his relationship with his wife and son in the form of a fence. In Act 1, Rose persistently mentions, “you supposed to be putting up this fence” to Troy, but just as Troy never was given the opportunity to completely fulfill his dream, he puts off finishing the fence (Wilson 1041). Troy’s lack of commitment to finishing the fence symbolizes his lack of commitment in his marriage and his marred emotional connection to his son. Instead of working on the fence with his son, Cory, Troy ventures to the bar every time to which Cory describes his father as “don’t never do nothing, but go down to Taylors” (Wilson 1040).…
The noble women in GWTW "It’s always annoying to the godly when the ungodly flourish like the green bay tree" (Mitchell 1180) In the novel, Mitchell shapes a variety of different characters. There are types like Scarlett O’Hara or Rhett Butler who stand out because of their strong will to fight after their life has been changed by their environment, whether it is being disowned and thrown out of the family like Rhett, or war and other strong deprivations in life. Alongside the strong characters are also those referred to as rather weak personalities by the readers (Taylor 110), because they cannot easily adapt to the changes in their lives. Considering only the female characters in the novel, two women come into mind who are deemed as…
The justice system of America is constantly criticized for being unfair. The establishment of an unfair justice system is due to bias and bigotry. The play Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose shows the prejudices of the system as twelve different men, from different past, must concur and make a verdict on a murder case. The author indicates that the justice system is unfair through biases portrayed in the juror’s dialogue, past history, and attitude in making a verdict.…
To identify Troy as the tragic hero, one must identify his tragic flaw. However, as the play progresses it becomes apparent that Troy is flawed with many things. Myles Weber, author of “Rescuing the Tragic Bully in August Wilson’s Fences”, proclaims that Troy is a thief and murderer in his youth, commits a full array of errors in middle age: He cheats on his wife, he exploits his brain-damaged brother, he covets and then blocks his son’s promising future, he speaks endlessly but doesn’t listen (Weber 673). First, the audience is confronted with Troy’s failure to support Cory. He is blocking his son’s promising future out of pure jealousy.…
The Search for Identity An absence of both individualism and faith coated the American psyche during Great Depression. Living in conservative Missouri, Tennessee Williams was not only disgusted by the lack of creativity present in the urban atmosphere, but also the lack of freedom due to his homosexuality ("About Tennessee Williams"). In an effort to liberate himself both spiritually and financially, Williams began writing plays, many of which have a crafted resemblance to his own childhood (Bray). The Glass Menagerie, an expressionist play set during the Great Depression, underscores the emotional tension existing between the three members of the Wingfield Family: the mother Amanda, daughter Laura, and son Tom.…