In the screenplay “Fences,” written by August Wilson, he sheds light on important issues such as racism an African American family, the Maxsons. The play is set in the 1950’s where racism was still at its highest. Although during this time sports teams were becoming integrated, minorities were still not considered equal, thus making the fight for equality tiresome. In the article titled, “Racial Segregation: 1950s and Today,” published by Rollins College, elaborates how racism affected daily life during the 1950’s and compares it to today’s society. In Jay Plum’s article entitled, “Blues, History, and The Dramaturgy of August Wilson,” recaps on Wilson’s plays which contain overlapping themes relating to the struggles African Americans faced with discrimination. The message behind Wilson’s work along with the results of what being on the receiving side of racial inequality are important because… …show more content…
Plum claims that, “Wilson’s plays function as a cultural trope that reground the marginalization of African Americans in order to reawaken cultural consciousness” (Blue). By using characters such as Troy Maxson in his screenplay Fences, Wilson is demonstrating the “cultural trope” surrounding African Americans to revive the audience’s social and cultural consciousness and understanding. Plum also compared “functional aesthetic” and ideas to blues music. Wilson chose blues music because blues represent and refer to African American history because the blues are metaphor for the connection between the past and the