Premium Essay

Fences By August Wilson: Play Analysis

Submitted By
Words 739
Pages 3
Within “Fences”, by August Wilson we follow Troy and Bono as they first off finish their day job. As the story progress we see more into their life and the cruel world around them. Even though “Fences was published in 1983 it is set in the time period of the 1950’s to 60’s. During this time in American history the Civil Right Movement was just begin to start. The goal of this essay is to show the implications of the Civil Right Movement and it’s events and goals within the play “Fences”. In the begin of the play it is already known very well that setting is during times of equality. After Troy and Bono get off work one of the first topic Troy talks to Bono about is what he asked their boss Mr.Rand “Why? Why you got the white man's driving …show more content…
Troy is talking to Rose, his wife, about how their son Croy is looking at being recruited into a college football team. Troy is sceptical about it though. Troy has a past experience with the athletic industry “Times have changed since you was playing baseball.” (Rose, Fences Act. 1) Troy used to be in baseball, but by the time they were accepting colored players he was too old to play in the major leagues. Also within this same conversation we see many point of the Civil Rights Movement. When Rose tells Troy “ That was before the war. Times have changed a lot since then.” (Rose, Fences Act.1) She is mainly referring to the entire Civil Rights Movement in general and to be more specific the March on Washington when 200,000 people marched to washington to hear Martin Luther Kings “I Have a Dream” Speech in 1963(PBS, Timeline). During the talk about baseball when Rose says “Jackie Robinson was the first. Folks had to wait for Jackie Robinson.” (Rose, Fences Act.1) During 1947 Jackie Robinson had entered into the Major leagues, and it has been called one of the most significant events of American Cultural History (Saunders, 1). Rose is talking about this event because it being pre 1950’s it was one of the events that helped start the Civil Right Movement. Troy though sees the event as being not helpful to the conversation because “I done seen a hundred niggers play baseball

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Fences By August Wilson: Play Analysis

...The play Fences, by August Wilson, is a play that portrays the many roles of an average African American family. They lived during a strenuous time when segregation was just starting to lighten up. In the play, a housewife named Rose Maxson has a difficult time keeping her family in one piece. Rose always found herself battling between her husband, Troy Maxson’s decisions. Trying to deal with the rights and wrongs of life. This play has a deeper meaning to it that is shown through the characters. The play Fences had a very deep meaning within the title itself. Troy Maxson, the main character was supposed to be building a fence around a house that his wife had asked for. The fence was being built to keep out all the negatives and to keep in...

Words: 563 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Fences

...Jake Cashen Prof. Ahrens English 102 10/24/2013 Fences In 1965, August Wilson’s “Fences” was created as the fifth part of his Pittsburg Cycle of dramas of the 20th Century investigation of the evolution of black culture (Gantt, 1; Gantt, 2).The play uses symbolism and metaphors that tell the late life story of Troy Maxon and the family that surrounds him. Even from the beginning of the drama there is conflict and foreshadowing that can be attributed to his own belief that he has failed in life, and that the world did not give him what he deserved. He believes that he has to go outside of the family to find refuge and that is how the story begins and ends. Using Formalistic analysis the essay will focus on the recurring themes in each act and scene of the drama to build to the last scene and the conclusion of the play (Chapter 3, 37).The point of view throughout the play is told through the eyes of Troy Maxon as viewed by the audience. He is the lead in the drama, and all plots revolve around his life and his decisions, some good and others not so good. These recurring themes also give the audience an understanding as to the life of the African American, both male and female, in the mid to late 1950s and early 1960s. Life was improving in the sense of gaining citizenship, but this was also before the civil rights movement and shows that citizenship did not mean acceptance or understanding of the assimilated African American culture, or putting into the open the injustice...

Words: 1813 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Fences

...Literary Analysis Essay on Fences The sport of baseball is an extremely integral aspect of the book Fences. Troy Maxson, our protagonist in this play, was a baseball player. It is Troy’s belief that the only reason he never made the major leagues was because he has the wrong color skin. Throughout the play, it is noticeable that Troy is still bitter over this and continuously makes references to current players and how he is much better than them. Troy’s life is a difficult one, and the connection between baseball and Troy’s trying life leads me to my point. The use of baseball in Fences is to symbolize the American dream and it being unattainable to Troy Maxson. First, how is it that our American pastime can be directly related to and represented as the American dream? There are several connections between the sport and the American dream that lead me to my thesis. The article Baseball as History and Myth in August Wilson’s Fences does a great job of connecting these two seemingly unrelated subjects. This article starts with a great quote by John Thorn saying, baseball has become “the great repository of national ideals, the symbol of all that [is] good in American life: fair play; the rule of law; equal opportunity; the brotherhood of man; and more.” Fair play shown through sportsmanship between the two teams, rule of law in “objective arbitration of disputes,” equal opportunity as each team is given a chance on both offensive and defensive sides each inning...

Words: 923 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Troy Maxon's Baseball Dream In Fences

...Fences, written by August Wilson, is about the journey of a man, Troy Maxon. Troy, was once a great baseball player but because he lived in a time of extreme racism he was not accepted to play on any major league teams, after coming out of jail, Troy had completely given up on his baseball dream. In Troy’s eyes giving up his baseball dream was a major life setback, it gave him an angry and stale attitude towards the world. Troy’s attitude is sour and sarcastic but he felt as though he was justified in that; he felt he had every right to be angry, although he took his attitude out towards undeserving people such as his loving family. Troy has no patience or tolerance for his boys, Lyons and Cory, he is mad at the world. Troy doesn’t approve...

Words: 1297 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Management of Risk

...of knowledge with which all engineers should have familiarity and a level of competence according to their scope of practice. The paper first makes the distinction between hazard and risk. The two terms are often used interchangeably when in fact they are quite different. A hazard is a chemical or physical condition that has the potential to cause harm or damage to people, environment, assets or production. Risk, on the other hand, is the possibility or chance of harm arising from a hazard; risk is a function of probability and severity of consequences. A description of the process of risk management is then given. A generic framework for risk management is presented to illustrate the essential activities of hazard identification and the analysis, assessment and management of risks. Key activities in this framework are the decisions that must be made on risk acceptability – whether to continue with an activity and monitor the risk, to implement risk reduction measures and then conduct a re-assessment, or...

Words: 14427 - Pages: 58

Premium Essay

Demand Side Management

...Module 14 Demand-side management sustainable energy regulation and policymaking for africa MODULE 14: DEMAND-SIDE MANAGEMENT page iii CONTENTS 1. MODULE OBJECTIVES 14.1 1.1. Module overview 14.1 1.2. Module aims 14.1 1.3. Module learning outcomes 14.2 2. INTRODUCTION 14.3 3. WHY PROMOTE DSM? 14.5 4. WHAT DRIVES DSM? 14.7 4.1. Cost reduction and environmental motives 14.8 4.2. Reliability and network motives 14.10 5. TYPES OF DSM MEASURES 14.13 5.1. Energy reduction programmes 14.13 5.2. Load management programmes 14.31 5.3. Load growth and conservation programmes 14.34 6. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ON DSM 14.37 7. CHALLENGES OF IMPLEMENTING DSM PROGRAMMES 14.39 8. CONCLUSION 14.41 LEARNING RESOURCES 14.43 Key points covered 14.43 Answers to review questions 14.43 Exercises 14.44 Presentation/suggested discussion topics 14.45 Relevant case studies 14.45 REFERENCES 14.46 INTERNET RESOURCES 14.47 GLOSSARY/DEFINITION OF KEY CONCEPTS 14.47 Case study 1. Lighting retrofitting in the United Republic of Tanzania 14.49 Case study 2. United Republic of Tanzania: Power factor correction 14.59 Case study 3. Zambia: Automatic load control and alternative energy supply at Lusaka water and sewerage company 14.67 Case study 4. Zambia: University energy assessment 14.73 Case study 5. Why DSM initially failed in Ghana 14.79 PowerPoint presentation: ENERGY EFFICIENCY Module 14: Demand-side management 14.87 SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REGULATION AND POLICY-MAKING TRAINING...

Words: 22667 - Pages: 91

Premium Essay

Financial Risk Optimal

...control’ issue, investigate the nature of the agency costs generated by the existence of debt and outside equity, demonstrate who bears costs and why, and investigate the Pareto optimality of their existence. We also provide a new definition of the firm, and show how our analysis of the factors influencing the creation and issuance of debt and equity claims is a special case of the supply side of the completeness of markets problem. The directors of such [joint-stock] companies, however, being the managers rather of other people’s money than of their own, it cannot well be expected, that they should watch over it with the same anxious vigilance with which the partners in a private copartnery frequently watch over their own. Like the stewards of a rich man, they are apt to consider attention to small matters as not for their master’s honour, and very easily give themselves a dispensation from having it. Negligence and profusion, therefore, must always prevail, more or less, in the management of the affairs of such a company. — Adam Smith (1776) Keywords: Agency costs and theory, internal control systems, conflicts of interest, capital structure, internal equity, outside equity, demand for security analysis, completeness of markets, supply of claims, limited liability ©1976 Jensen and Meckling Journal of Financial Economics, October, 1976, V. 3, No. 4, pp. 305-360. Reprinted in Michael C. Jensen, A Theory of the Firm:...

Words: 28422 - Pages: 114

Premium Essay

Methodology

...control’ issue, investigate the nature of the agency costs generated by the existence of debt and outside equity, demonstrate who bears costs and why, and investigate the Pareto optimality of their existence. We also provide a new definition of the firm, and show how our analysis of the factors influencing the creation and issuance of debt and equity claims is a special case of the supply side of the completeness of markets problem. The directors of such [joint-stock] companies, however, being the managers rather of other people’s money than of their own, it cannot well be expected, that they should watch over it with the same anxious vigilance with which the partners in a private copartnery frequently watch over their own. Like the stewards of a rich man, they are apt to consider attention to small matters as not for their master’s honour, and very easily give themselves a dispensation from having it. Negligence and profusion, therefore, must always prevail, more or less, in the management of the affairs of such a company. — Adam Smith (1776) Keywords: Agency costs and theory, internal control systems, conflicts of interest, capital structure, internal equity, outside equity, demand for security analysis, completeness of markets, supply of claims, limited liability ©1976 Jensen and Meckling Journal of Financial Economics, October, 1976, V. 3, No. 4, pp. 305-360. Reprinted in Michael C. Jensen, A Theory of the Firm:...

Words: 28569 - Pages: 115

Free Essay

Nao Sei

...THE ART OF PERFORMANCE A CRITICAL ANTHOLOGY edited by GREGORY BATTCOCK AND ROBERT NICKAS /ubu editions 2010 The Art of Performance A Critical Anthology 1984 Edited By: Gregory Battcock and Robert Nickas /ubueditions ubu.com/ubu This UbuWeb Edition edited by Lucia della Paolera 2010   2  The original edition was published by E.P. DUTTON, INC. NEW YORK For G. B. Copyright @ 1984 by the Estate of Gregory Battcock and Robert Nickas All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper or broadcast. Published in the United States by E. P. Dutton, Inc., 2 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 79-53323 ISBN: 0-525-48039-0 Published simultaneously in Canada by Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, Toronto 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition Vito Acconci: "Notebook: On Activity and Performance." Reprinted from Art and Artists 6, no. 2 (May l97l), pp. 68-69, by permission of Art and Artists and the author. Russell Baker: "Observer: Seated One Day At the Cello." Reprinted from The New York Times, May 14, 1967, p. lOE, by permission of The New York Times...

Words: 38936 - Pages: 156

Premium Essay

Cyrus the Great

...critical theory today critical theory today A Us e r - F r i e n d l y G u i d e S E C O N D E D I T I O N L O I S T Y S O N New York London Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square Milton Park, Abingdon Oxon OX14 4RN © 2006 by Lois Tyson Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Printed in the United States of America on acid‑free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number‑10: 0‑415‑97410‑0 (Softcover) 0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) International Standard Book Number‑13: 978‑0‑415‑97410‑3 (Softcover) 978‑0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data Tyson, Lois, 1950‑ Critical theory today : a user‑friendly guide / Lois Tyson.‑‑ 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0‑415‑97409‑7 (hb) ‑‑ ISBN 0‑415‑97410‑0 (pb) 1. Criticism...

Words: 221284 - Pages: 886

Free Essay

Essay on Girrafes

...Giraffid   Newsletter  of  the  Giraffe  &  Okapi  Specialist  Group       Note  from  the  Co-­‐Chairs   Volume  7(2),  December  2013   Wow  –  what  a  bumper  issue  and,  of  course,  only  befitting  for  the   renamed  Giraffid  newsletter  of  the  IUCN  SSC  Giraffe  and  Okapi  Specialist   Group  (GOSG)!     Inside  this  issue:   It  has  been  an  exciting  last  six  months  and  this  issue  brings  you  lots  of   stories  and  tall  tales  from  across  the  African  continent  and  beyond.  From   species  conservation  strategies  and  Red  List  updates,  interesting  wild  and   captive  behaviours  to  translocations,  hooves  and  DNA,  this  is  truly  a  fully   loaded  newsletter.  An  inspiring  read  to  keep  us  all  going  over  the   imminent  festive  season  and  a  relaxing  winter  or  summer  break.   Unusual  sightings  of  wild  giraffe  behaviour  4   GOSG  together  with  the  Zoological  Society  of  London  (ZSL),  the  Institut   Congolais  pour  la  Conservation  de  la  Nature...

Words: 32485 - Pages: 130

Premium Essay

Report

... . . .4 Office of the Chief of Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Strategic Plan Audit and Compliance Bureau Office of Internal Affairs Public Information Chief's Community Advisory Board Magnolia Station Grand Opening . . . . . . . . . .11 Riverside Police Department Facilities . . . . . .13 Administration Public Safety Communications . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Support Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Personnel Bureau Training Bureau Management Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Finance Payroll Grants Administration Fleet Services Facilities Management Court Services Unit (CSU) Alarm Enforcement Unit (EAU) Records Management Front Counters/Telephone Report Unit Automation and Digital Records Crime Analysis Unit (CAU) Property/Evidence Unit Operations Field Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Neighborhood Policing Centers (NPCs) Management Accountability Program (RPD~MAP) Watch Commanders Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Bike Team El Protector University Neighborhood Enhancement Team (UNET) Crime Statistics Special Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Community Services Group Citizen Academy Crime Free Multi-Housing Neighborhood Watch Business Watch Youth Court METRO/SWAT & Aviation Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Mobile Field Force (MFF) Emergency Negotiations Team (ENT) Aviation Unit Traffic Bureau Field Accident Investigators Police Motor Officers Major Accident Investigations Team (MAIT) Traffic...

Words: 22303 - Pages: 90

Free Essay

Blink - the Power of Thinking Without Thinking

...ALSO BY MALCOLM GLADWELL The Tipping Point To my parents, Joyce and Graham Gladwell Introduction The Statue That Didn’t Look Right In September of 1983, an art dealer by the name of Gianfranco Becchina approached the J. Paul Getty Museum in California. He had in his possession, he said, a marble statue dating from the sixth century BC. It was what is known as a kouros—a sculpture of a nude male youth standing with his left leg forward and his arms at his sides. There are only about two hundred kouroi in existence, and most have been recovered badly damaged or in fragments from grave sites or archeological digs. But this one was almost perfectly preserved. It stood close to seven feet tall. It had a kind of light-colored glow that set it apart from other ancient works. It was an extraordinary find. Becchina’s asking price was just under $10 million. The Getty moved cautiously. It took the kouros on loan and began a thorough investigation. Was the statue consistent with other known kouroi? The answer appeared to be yes. The style of the sculpture seemed reminiscent of the Anavyssos kouros in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, meaning that it seemed to fit with a particular time and place. Where and when had the statue been found? No one knew precisely, but Becchina gave the Getty’s legal department a sheaf of documents relating to its more recent history. The kouros, the records stated, had been in the private collection of a Swiss physician named Lauffenberger...

Words: 74585 - Pages: 299

Premium Essay

Pr Cases

...Public Relations Cases This collection of contemporary international public relations case studies is an invaluable resource for teachers, researchers and students working in public relations, corporate communications and public affairs, as well as offering practitioners an indepth understanding of the effective use of public relations in a range of organizational contexts. Including cases from the UK, Norway, Sweden, Spain, South Africa, Canada and the USA, with a focus on such global corporations as Shell, BBC America, Worldcom, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Marks & Spencer, it offers important insights into the development of public relations and communications strategies. These include: • • • • • • • • Corporate identity change and management Global reputation management Crisis management in the oil, shipping and tourism industries Developing strategic alliances between voluntary and private sector organizations Public relations support for international branding and market entry The importance of internal communications during international mergers The integration of public relations and marketing communications Business-to-business communication The cases examined in this book demonstrate the breadth of contemporary public relations practice and the increasing importance of the public relations function in both public and private sector organizations worldwide. Danny Moss is Co-Director of the Centre for Corporate and Public Affairs at the Manchester Metropolitan University...

Words: 107599 - Pages: 431

Free Essay

Surveillance in Schools

...Surveillance Surveillance in Schools: Safety vs. Personal Privacy A project created by Kathy Davis, John Kelsey, Dia Langellier, Misty Mapes, and Jeff Rosendahl Project Home Security Cameras Metal Detectors Locker Searches Internet Tracking “Surveillance…n. close observation, esp. of a suspected person” [emphasis added] --Reader’s Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder, 1996 In 1995, “The total number of crimes committed per year in or near the 85,000 U.S. public schools has been estimated at around 3 million” (Volokh & Snell, 1998). Our educational system is evolving all the time, and one factor that is constantly changing is the aggressiveness within our schools. In 1940, a survey of teachers revealed that the biggest behavioral problems they had from students were “talking out of turn, chewing gum, making noise, running in the halls, cutting in line, [violating] the dress code, [and] littering” (Volokh & Snell, 1998). In 1990, the toprated problems were “drug abuse, alcohol abuse, pregnancy, suicide, rape, robbery, [and] assault” (Volokh & Snell, 1998). In 1940, we had little need for surveillance beyond a teacher’s observation and intervention. Today, however, we live in a much more diverse society with troubled youth and adults who have easy access to weapons, drugs, pornography, etc., which have enabled students and staff to bring their violent and/or inappropriate tendencies into the naïve schools. What worked in 1940 (teacher-student confrontation) is not as realistic...

Words: 17490 - Pages: 70