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Ryenn Micaletti

American Lit 1915 - Present

"Fences"

The setting of this story is in Pittsburgh during the 1950s and 60s in a low income neighborhood. The setting of this story is realistic because the set on stage is a backyard. A backyard is not hard to simulate on a stage.

There are very few literal fences in Jerzy Kosinski’s The Painted Bird, although one example would be the story the narrator tells about a rabbit on page 227. The wild rabbit, caught by Makar, fought viciously to gain its freedom, but eventually became tame. One day, the door to the cage was left open, and the rabbit leapt out. It stared around for a moment, savoring freedom, then suddenly seemed to shrink, and crawled back into the hutch. Freedom in this sense is a complete lack of fear and total reliance on oneself. The fence is society and reliance on others, because it keeps the rabbit (and the narrator) from being able to go where he pleases.
Other, more symbolic fences are shown in race, because the narrator is constantly being fenced out of normal relations with the other people because of his looks. Actually, appearances themselves are a fence. The painted birds that Lekh set free were destroyed by the other birds, not because they were actually different, but because they looked different from the rest. There are also fences of education, which is why the peasant people have a hard time understanding the narrator. It seems like life, in this story, is made of fences between those who will hurt you and those who can help you.

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NOTE FROM INSTRUCTOR:

Hallie, you were to answer the FIRST question from activity one (the first half of class) for this assignment. You've done the question from the second half of class.

Try again to get credit!

~Lee

Amanda Farabaugh
Reading Response:
9.Transformation (1 of 2): How do the characters change throughout the play? Who changes the most: the least? Explain.

The characters change physically by getting older, mentally by not fearing someone/something or by growing up and making it on their own. In class I had thought Troy had changed the most, and Gabe did not; however with more thought I do agree with my classmates and believe Troy’s son Cory changed the most and Gabe hardly changing. Cory was in High School almost the whole play except towards the end. You could say he had gotten older. Also Cory changed from in the beginning he was afraid of his father and almost at the end he didn’t fear him because he was angry with him at what he did to his mother. He had also changed as in High School he wanted to play football, but in the end he didn’t and instead he became part of the Marines. Gabe hardly changed at all. In the beginning he was introduced to us as a free spirited man who believed he was the archangel and was to help open the gates up for God. This is who he was all throughout the play. The only part about Gabe that changed was not living with society. He was put into a hospital where he could be taken care of and not get into any trouble. Each character has changed a bit in there own way, Troy stays the same bitter man with baseball and dies feeling that way, Rose was happy with her life until Troy had an affair and she became upset and without a man, Lyons ended his relationship with Bonnie and was sent to jail for cashing other’s checks, while Bono ended his friendship with Troy. They have all changed from the beginning of the play to the end, only Cory had changed the most.

Some of Troy’s problems are self-created, while others are out of his control. After stealing, Troy was put in prison. It was difficult for him to find a job and starting a life after being in prison for so many years and now having a criminal record. Since Troy had committed adultery, he created problems with his marriage to Rose. He lost his marriage, his mistress, his best friend’s respect, and gained a child through his relationship with Alberta. These problems are examples of how Troy forms his own problems.
Some problems, on the other hand, are out of Troy’s control. African Americans were not given much baseball playing time in Troy’s day, so he was not able to make a living out of playing baseball. African Americans had a difficult time finding jobs in this era. Troy’s only career choice consisted of picking up garbage, which paid very little.
Troy is bitter and miserable throughout the majority of the novel because of his problems. Although he creates some of his own problems, he blames the world for his below average life.

Amanda S.

There were many issues facing blacks in the 1950’s that weren’t addressed in Fences. I thought it was surprising that Wilson didn’t mention any of the boycotts for equal rights, like the famous Rosa Parks Bus Boycott, which would have happened only two years before the book started (because the book was set in roughly 1957 – 1965). Sit-ins and freedom rides were common in the time of this book, and Troy must have known about them because he did have access to a radio. It seems really odd that Wilson wouldn’t have mentioned the efforts of Martin Luther King, Jr., who started his efforts for equality at the start of the book. In the face of Troy’s constant anger against whites for causing him to lose his chance at playing baseball, it seems a little off that he wouldn’t be involved with promoting black equality. On the other hand, it seems like Wilson was trying to write a realistic book about what it was like to be a black person in that period, and it is easy to see that Troy probably wouldn’t have been able to make trouble because of all his responsibilities and the pain it would have caused to his family. Ironically, the book ends a year before the black power movement, but I think Troy might have been interested in that idea.

Set in a time of change in America, August Wilson’s Fences portrays what is probably a typical black family in a lower-middle class family. The strong father-figure, Troy, is a complex man with a chip on his shoulder. He sees the best attributes within himself being wasted due to an inequality in race relations. The fight for equality is in full force and can be noted within every facet of Troy’s life.

Sports, baseball and football specifically, are referenced by Troy as something unattainable by a black man, especially him. While sports are slowly integrating and there are black men playing professional sports, Troy is convinced that the black men on any sports team rarely have the opportunity to play, still taking a backseat to white players. Troy’s son Cory is well aware of the change that is taking place in society as he has the opportunity to play football. He realizes that although Troy is not playing ball, the ability for a black man to take a greater role in the white man’s world is certainly available.

Troy’s position as a sanitation worker is another challenge that he takes on in an attempt to advance in a white world. He is able to become the first black garbage truck driver, which furthers the idea that integration is happening in every part of 1950’s/1960’s America.

A huge step forward in the integrative culture referenced in Fences is the fact that Troy’s brother Gabriel served in WWII, this being the first war with black airmen. Although some units may have been segregated, the opportunity to fight for one’s country was now available to all men.

Urban development was making its way through black neighborhoods as many likely held the desire to have a home much like that of their white counterparts. This can be noted in Troy’s wish to have a fence.

With the nation changing so aggressively during this time period, black America, Troy included, could face more opportunity that ever. Without being directly referenced in the play, the historical context of Fences portrays black America as a separate society quickly gaining access to a culture and life previously unavailable.

Time/history is very important in August Wilson’s, “Fences.” Troy sets up the direction of the play’s plot by constantly referencing and alluding to his baseball career throughout the play. He is very bitter about his not being able to play baseball in the Major Leagues because of his race, even though he was talented enough to do so. He was past his prime when they finally did start accepting blacks, so he never got the chance to play. His bitterness continually affects him throughout the course of the play. Because of his past, he refuses to let his son take the opportunity to play football in college. This creates tension between the father and son that is never fully resolved. As a result, his son may carry that bitterness towards Troy for the rest of his life, eventually carrying over to the next generation resulting in a continuous cycle of regret and anger. Similarly, Troy spends the rest of the play trying to prove himself. He even tries to defy death to prove that he is strong and worthy; this all stems from his being told that he couldn’t play professional baseball.

Blog Entry 7
19. Race Struggle (Part 4 of 4) In many American plays, blacks play only minor roles or are only mantioned in passing by the main characters. Wilson reverses this by only referring to white characters but never having them appear on stage.
Would the play be more effective or less effective if the white characters mentioned in the play were more present? Explain.
I believe that the play would have been less effective if the white characters in the play were more present. The truth of the matter is that this play is basically a cultural study of a minority in America. For example, when I visit New York City I usually stay right outside of the city in New Jersey which has a very high population of Hispanic-Americans. Even from walking around in a small strip mall in the area it was very evident that due to the high percentage of the hispanic population they had a very defined culture. This was a fascinating prospect and I believe it holds true for this story as well. Growing up in Pittsburgh you know that every area of this city has its own distinct culture, both ethnically and regionally. I can totally understand that if this family came from one of the highly populated black areas of Pittsburgh, they probably did not see or hear from many whites unless they were outside of their area or at work. They probably also lived around or near many people of their same background and found solace in that. This is the way Pittsburgh has been for centuries. For example, there is still a very high Jewish population in Squirrel Hill, a very high Polish population on Polish Hill, and a very high black population in East Liberty.
Also, it makes the play more effective because it is a unique piece of art. The play would almost be less unique if whites were in it since it is such a common occurrence in plays, musicals, and American opera.

Chris King. Questions #21 – Gender Struggle: What is the play’s attitude towards women? Do Rose and the women mentions in the play typify roles of the 1950’s or defy them? What attributes or actions of the female characters support your interpretation?
I feel that the general attitude towards women, in the novel, is positive and fairly typical of the 1950’s. Rose shows this by doing all of the house work and baking/cooking all of the food. She does the chores and takes care of everyone’s needs, which is typical of the 1950’s. When Troy explains the affair situation, Rose holds an understandable shock and is appalled at what has happened. I think she rightfully and truly reacted as anyone would have at that time. Although, I think as in general and not including that situation,she “talked more than normal”. Not saying that women were not allowed to talk, and of course I wouldn’t know from personal experience, but I felt like she expressed more opinions than that of the women I picture from the 1950’s. Overall though, I feel the females were respected (minus a few situations), although maybe not appreciated. All of which, in my opinion, is 1950’s typical.

Some critics of August Wilson complain that “nothing happens” in this play meaning the plot is too subtle to be dramatic. I’m in between on agreeing and disagreeing. There is nothing world changing that happens in this play, there is no real main goal set out to achieve. There is no literal adventure that the characters must endure to get from one end to the other. However, there is drama among the family, so I cannot completely agree that “nothing happens”. There are the tensions between Troy and Jim Bono as Bono wants Troy to stop having an affair. There is also drama on the two occasions that Troy and Cory get into arguments; and particularly on the second argument where they get really physical in their fighting. Another dramatic scene is when Troy tells Rose that he is expecting a baby with another woman, and the affair is no longer a secret.

T. Wineland
American Literature
Prof. Hobbs
April 23, 2008

There are many symbolic fences in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, in which the characters use to keep unwanted forces out and to keep private secrets in. Jake’s impotence acts as a fence keeping him from having a relationship with Brett. In addition, he places a fence between himself and homosexuals in the beginning of the novel maybe because of a disapproval of them.
The characters in the novel travel often and I believe their traveling allows them to break free of the fences of their everyday lives. In addition they build fences around themselves by abusing alcohol to help suppress their feelings so they won’t have to deal with them.
There also seems to be a symbolic fence between Robert Cohn and the others in the story. He is kind of an outsider and the individual they find easy to pick on. Also, Robert was not in the war and did not have the same experiences as the others and therefore a fence separates them in this respect as well.
Lastly, there is a literal fence in The Sun Also Rises, which would be the fence around the bull ring keeping the bulls from running free in the streets.

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NOTE FROM INSTRUCTOR:

Theresa, you were to answer the FIRST question from activity one (the first half of class) for this assignment. You've done the question from the second half of class.

Try again to get credit!

~Lee

In our class discussion of August Wilson’s Fences we discussed a few questions about the characters and the time period that the story was held in. My question was: Is Troy Maxson was a hero, a tragic figure, villain or a combination of both? Is a sympathetic character. Why or why not?
I strongly felt that he was combination of the three characters. He had the characteristics of each so it was actually difficult to classify him as just one. Troy was a hero because he became the first black garbage man in Pittsburgh. During the late 50's and 60's African American were not able to obtain jobs like that so in the eyes of the other people in the community, Troy was a hero. Troy was a tragic hero because he suffered through a lot of hardships all of his life. At an early age, his mother left him and he was raised by his father. His father never really gave him love or approval when he needed it. Also Troy was rejected from playing professional baseball so all of these set backs can be considered tragic. There were many things that made Troy a villain. Because of all the trials he face he became very bitter. He pushed away his family and his friends. He refused to give his sons the support and approval that his father never gave him but I think he treated Corey the worst. Because Corey was being recruited to play football, it reminded Troy of his rejection and so he constantly tried to hold Corey back. He also had an affair which pushed his wife Rose away from him. As far as Troy being a sympathetic character, I don’t think he was one. Everything he did made me dislike him more and more. I actually sympathized more with his family than I did with him. I feel like he deserved everything that happened to him.

2. Class Struggle: What can you tell about the characters’ standard of living based only on the “set”? Explain.

Accentually the story takes place in an older style house in Pittsburgh. Troy is a very proud man who prides himself in being the breadwinner of the family. The family is not very wealthy, but they are not living in poverty. Many of the mortgage payments needed to pay for the house came from Troy’s brother, Gabriel. Gabriel received a head injury in the war, and now receives war compensation for his injury, which Troy and his wife hold for Gabriel because he is not responsible enough to take care of his own money.

Thomas A.

In Fences, Cory reminded me a lot of Jacob from The Sun Also Rises. Both Characters go throughout the entire story trying to achieve something and in the end both give up or are conquered by outside events that they can not control. Cory seeks to play football and go to college and his attitude at the beginning of the play is extremely optimistic. Cory, through struggle with his father, eventually gives up on his dream because his father Troy becomes a road block. Cory eventually joins the armed forces and really has a bad attitude. However was it better for Cory to join the armed forces, probably not it probably would have served him better if he would have gone to college. Jacob, on the other hand, longs to be with Brett throughout the whole book. Brett strings him along, unlike Troy whom Cory seeks approval of but Troy destroys Cory’s want and need for his father’s approval. Jacob goes through the same sort of epiphany. Jacob longs for Brett and through all of Brett’s games and toying with Jacobs’s feelings in the end Jacob doesn’t end up with Brett and is better for it. Jacob’s road block becomes his inability to function properly as a man. Although both these characters go through different trials they still seek another person’s attention and in the end don’t receive what they thought they desired in the first place.

Character Transformation

In August Wilson’s book fences, many characters undergo transformation. However, the main character, Troy, seems to remain static throughout the entire book. He is cantankerous, spiteful, and feels like he is restricted due to his ethnicity and the people around him. Although Troy does not change, he causes major change in all of the other characters in the story.
Troy’s wife, Rose, is changed by Troy in many ways. However, the most insistent change the reader sees in Rose is after Troy admits his infidelity. Rose is heartbroken that she has invested 18 years in a man who has cheated on her. Immediately after the admittance, it appears that Rose may be willing to forgive him if he stops seeing Alberta. Troy chooses not to, even thought Rose begs him to stay home with her. Once Alberta dies and Troy is responsible for taking care of the baby, Rose once again changes, by offering to raise the baby, but to have nothing to do with Troy.
Troy’s son Lyons, is also changed by his dad. In the beginning of the book, Lyons appears to not have much respect for his dad, or for the advice that Troy is trying to give him. However, once Troy tells the story of how his dad treated him, and what a hard life he lived, Lyons is more understanding and respectful towards his father.
Bono, who has been Troy’s best friend since they were in jail, does not escape change in the story. Bono has stood by Troy’s side for many years, through many trials and tribulations. However, Bono can not forgive that Troy has cheated on Rose. He makes less and less frequent visits to the house, and the relationship between Bono and Troy is clearly strained, if not non-exsistent by the end of the story.
Troy’s other son, Cory, perhaps is the character most transformed by Troy. Cory seems to be an average high school kid, who neglects his chores and just wants to play football, similar to any other teenager. He has dreams of playing professional football, and thinks that these dreams can come true when he is told that a college recruiter will be coming to watch him play. However, his father chastises this dream, and puts a stop to it when he tells Cory’s coach that he is not allowed to play football. Cory goes from a happy go lucky teenager to a bitter and angry young man who is so disillusioned from his father that he does not even want to attend his funeral at the end of the story.
Alberta, the woman that Troy has the affair with, may undergo a psychological change that the reader does not see. However, the character definitely goes through a physical change. While giving birth to Troy’s baby, Alberta dies.
The child whom Alberta died giving birth to is Raynell. Even she as an innocent baby, is changed by Troy. By his cheating on Rose with Alberta, Troy forces Raynell to be brought into a broken family, whose mother and father are not married. This could have caused other hardships for Ranyell later in life.
The only character who remains constant throughout the entire story is Troy’s mentally handicapped brother Gabe, but even in his state, he is not beyond the realms of Troy’s fury. Shortly after having to bail his brother out of jail, Troy signs the papers to have Gabe locked up in a mental institution, taking away the only freedom that Gabe had left.
Wilson takes the usual notion that the antagonist of the story is the one who changes, and instead causes the antagonist to make the changes. Not within himself, but within everyone else.

14. Symbolism/Allegory: Towards the end of the play, what is the significance of Cory singing the song "Old Blue" that Troy sang earlier in the play? Explain.

As discussed in class, some of us mentioned that the significance was an act of closer for Cory; as Cory and Troy did not get along well. I personally took another route in the symbolic nature of the song being sung by Troy then later Cory. I had tied in that Troy had personal connection with Blue, for every time that Blue was called, Blue would run to your side, lie down, and look at you. The lyrics to the song, describe this very act. Troy would sing this song describing Blue's actions. To me, the significance of Cory singing it i guess, in a way would be a sense of closer, but to me it sounded more so as a call of an angel. Now that Troy has died, when the song is sung, because Troy loved that song and that dog so much, Troy will come to your side and watch over you; this in a sense, has similar action to what we perceive an angel to do. And now that Cory has reconciled with Troy, due to his death, Cory, although did not agree with Troy, can call upon him for guidance, just as we would call upon an angel for guidance and protection.

In “Fences,” Gabe is the brother of Troy. He fought in World War II and suffered a head injury. After that injury, he was not the same. He thought that he was the Angel, Gabriel. He wore a horn around his neck and said that he was going to blow it and open the gates to Heaven. Gabe is much like the character of the Fool in King Lear or other Shakespearean plays. Gabe seems to know more about the people around him than he even knows about himself. In Act One, Scene 2, Gabe seems to observe Troy’s fate with clarity. He tries to warn Troy of his tragic fate by using riddles and his playful language.
At the end of the book, Gabriel is put into a mental institution by his brother, Troy. It was thought that Troy was paid to put Gabe in the mental hospital. After Troy’s death at the end of the play, the family was not sure if Gabe would be able to attend the service or not because he was in the hospital. Gabriel shows up at the service with his trumpet in his hand. Gabriel said that it was time to tell St. Peter to open the gates for Troy. He tries to blow the trumpet, but no sound comes out. Gabe becomes very frustrated by this and begins to do a dance that resembled an African dance. While he was dancing, he cried out very loudly. After this happens, the gate opens and Gabe says “That’s the way that goes.” This is the way the play ends.

My question was:
Protagonist Conflict: If Troy is the protagonist of the narrative, then who or what is the antagonist? Remember that there can be more than one and the antagonist can sometimes be a concept or something symbolic.
I think that Death, Baseball, and Race Relations are all antagonists. I think Death because of his constant struggle and battle with death, Baseball because it is constantly referred to foiling his life and, Race Relations because it constantly controls Troy’s thoughts on society. These things are antagonist for troy because they are the things that oppose troy’s life and are seen as his set backs.

Question #5: What is the significance of the play being set in 1957? Could the play take place in a different decade? Why or why not?

The significance of the play being set in 1957 is that it deals with the class and race issues of this time period. At this time African Americans were only recently allowed to play in mixed sports leagues; before this, there were separate leagues for blacks and whites. This has a big affect on Troy because he doesn’t realize the opportunities that Corey has playing football. Troy thinks that people will still discriminate against his son and only give him a few minutes of playing time, if any at all. Also, at this time only white men were allowed to drive the garbage trucks and black men had to pick up the trash and throw it into the truck. Troy doesn’t want to settle for that. He wants the opportunity to drive the truck. He peruses this issue and becomes the first black garbage truck driver in Pittsburgh.
I think that this play could take place in a different decade but wouldn’t have as much of an effect because these issues were very relevant at this time. If the play was set after the 50s, the stakes would be lessened because as time passed African Americans gained more opportunities and equality. If it was set before the 50s, a lot of the story would be different because Troy and Corey wouldn’t have the opportunities they had in the 50s.

Natasha Hill

Question: What is the significance of the play being set in 1957. How does Wilson create the time period of the play with his language?

The significance of the play being set in 1957 is to depict the troubles of the era for an African-American during this time. Additionally, setting a play, with characters a reader gets to know and interact with make the struggles seem more real and personal, not just historical fact. With this time setting the reader gains a better understanding of Troy’s employment issues and the language used in conversation. Jazz music and baseball were at the forefront now which helps the viewer/reader relate to the passions of Lyons and Troy. It also helps to justify Troy’s reaction towards his son Cory’s dream of major league football. A setting of the year 1957 explains Troy’s lack of education (when he was young, I do not believe it would have been the law for him to attend school). It also makes the main setting of the play, the front porch of a home, completely relatable. During these years the front porch was a common place to gather with friends, sit alone or spend quality time with one’s family.
August Wilson created the time period with his use of language as well. The characters use words such as “Naw”, “colored”, “fixin” (in reference to getting ready, not actually repairing), “Pop” (as in Dad), and many other clips and phrases. All these words and the way Wilson connects them is hard to describe but when “Fences” is read or heard, the language takes you into that particular time period.

Wilson uses music as a motif throughout the entire play Fences. The main character, Troy, loves to sing blues music. He sings two songs throughout the play, “Please Mr. Engineer let a man ride the line” and “Hear it Ring Hear it Ring”. Troy’s wife Rose also sings a song in the play and it is more of a gospel song, “Jesus be a fence all around me everyday”. Wilson uses blues music in the play to represent blues in African American civilization. The passing on of a tradition is also shown in the play when Cory and Raynell sing their father’s blues songs together on the day of his funeral. The name of the dog in the “Hear it Ring” song was Blue, which could represent blues music.

Heather Stull
Mr. Lee Hobbs, PhD.
EL267.01
Reader Response 4-23-08

In August Wilson’s Fences, the treatment of women fits the narrow-minded stereotypes of the housewife of the fifties. Rose is always cooking or doing laundry. She is very motherly towards everyone, always offering up plates of food. She tries to act as peacekeeper, often stepping in between Troy and Leroy. Bono’s wife, Lucille is very concerned with getting a new refrigerator. As the novel, progresses, a time shift into the sixties takes place and changes can be seen in Rose’s character. She takes a stand against Troy, taking responsibility for caring for his illegitimate daughter, but informing him that he is now a “womanless man”. If the play had been written by a woman, Rose may have exhibited a stronger psychological reaction to Troy’s infidelity. Also, women would have been presented with more redeeming qualities/lifestyles than being mere housewives concerned with cooking, laundry and new refrigerators.

Indentifying Fence

The symbolic meanings about Plato’s Allegory the Cave” in the Fences.

When Uncle Gbrie trying to ask the St. Peter to open the gates form the haven, that’s his cave. The symbolic of that cave means he needs come back and be a traditional black person as the require from the Peter that ask him to do the Africa traditional dance.
Also when he trying to change his main sport, that’s kind of cave because when the future he think against the future that his family think, the cave of him is like he want to do the sports he like and the same time, he also doesn’t want to disappointed his family.

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*NOTE* The deadline for this assignment has now passed. Any comments listed below are *ONLY* for the reposting of comments that I asked to be revised. Anything posted below that missed the deadline will not get credit for the assignment.

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*NOTE* The deadline for this particular assignment has now passed. Any comments listed below are *ONLY* for the reposting of comments that I specifically asked to be revised or are ones from non-student posters. Any 'student' posts below that missed the assignment deadline will not get credit for the assignment. ~ Dr. Hobbs