Fences: Black People and Troy States Essay

We blue men cast off a hard teeming time in our suffer struggle for justice, and already have enough enemies as it is, to collapse the drastic mis get into of attacking each other and adding more weight to an already insufferable load. (Malcolm X) African American men through time have struggled for a big business firearm that is out of their derive because others hold the power. August Wilsons Fences displays a Psychological/Psychoanalytic approach by illuminating the underlying injustice in Americas intercession of African American males and the ways in which this racialism affects and invades the societal units the family.The conventional husband-wife and father-son conflicts are subservient to the plays discussion of racism. Fences is a drama that focuses on the characteristics of black worldly concernner in a sm al whizz neighbor in 1957 and the strains of society of the Maxson family. The play shows how the main character struggles against his heavy past and his present surroundings, and when he tries to regain the power in his life-time, he fails, and ends up bringing galvanic pile other with him. The protagonist, troy weight Maxson is a restless churl-collector and former baseball player for the blackamoor League.In the play, Fences, troys past dictates the lovable of man he is today. His father, an disgraceful unsuccessful sharecropper, has had a major move on troy. troy weight states, But Ill say this for himhe felt a obligation toward us. (1310 all page references are to class text Literature an Introduction to Reading and Writing, 5th ed. ) This comment is the single close thing that troy has to say about his father. Despite his fathers meanness, he did flavour a sense of duty toward his family. After an incident with his father beating him unconscious, troy weight left phratry at the age of fourteen (Wilson 1311).Leaving the oppressive rule of his father should have brought Troy a feeling of independence, just Troy found the exact opposite. Troy found that there were no theorises or places for blacks to live so he began stealing to survive. He met a woman and got her pregnant with his first son. Lyons. The responsibility weighed on him because now he had two more mouths to feed (Wilson 1311). To take care of his family, he continue to steal which ended him jail for fifteen years and this is where he learned to play baseball. Troy Maxson was a great baseball player, at least according to his friend Bono.Although he played brilliantly for the Negro Leagues, by the time that blacks were al unkepted into the Major League Troy was too old. In Troys self-created illusion, he believes that he would have made it to the Major League if it were not for the color of his skin (Wilson 1292). Because he neer earned the recognition or the funds, which he felt he deserved, the discussion of professional sports will a good deal send him into a tirade. In a discussion with Bono and uprise concerning Cory r ecruitment by a college football team, Troy states, Jackie Robinson wasnt nobody.Im talking about if you could play ball then they ought to have let you play. Dont care what color you were. (1. 1. 78). Troy points out the blatant racism that unbroken him from a career in the major leagues. He was just as good, if not better, than m all of the color players, and yet he did not get a shot. Troy, now fifty-three, has long retired from baseball he makes a living for himself and his family as a garbage man, and nurses his well-earned bitterness. His life has been warped by white racism, and in turn, Troy is helpless to keep himself from warping his sons life.Because of the racism, Troy has suffered in life and the tumultuous family with his father, Troy tries to check both is sons lives. Troy has a low expectation of what black men can do with their lives, and is holding his sons back from obtaining successes that Troy could moreover dream about obtaining. Lyons is would-be(preno minal) talented jazz musician. Lyons jazz playing appears to Troy as an unconventional and foolish occupation. In the radical of Fences, Lyons comes to Troy to borrow ten dollars because he girlfriend Bonnie has a mull working at the hospital.In Troys mind, Lyon is failing in his duty as a man by not taking care of his woman. Troy lectures Lyons, I done learned my mistakes and learned to do whats powerful it. You still trying to get virtuallything for nothing. Life dont owe you nothing. You owe it to yourself. (1. 1. 145). The commendation is an example of how Troy feels the black man will never amount to anything in the white mans world. He also tries to control his son, Corys future because he see that he is going down the same road the Troy was on and was rejected from.Troy tells his wife Rose The white man aint gonna let him get nowhere with the football. (1. 1. 65). Through racial disagreement is still a huge problem in America during the 50s, things have gotten more eq ual, especially in the world of sports. Troy however is too stubborn and bitter to admit there has been some progress. Troy is now a fifty-three year old African American male who works for the sanitation department. Troy works to gain power as a man by changing his job situation. Troy goes to his political boss, Mr. Rand and asks him Why? Why you got white mens driving and the colored lifting? (1. 1. 10).Troy sees this as oppression, though he knows that he has a job that is awarded to both white and black men, the racial line is till cautiously drawn. He is determined to cross this line because he cannot handle any racial prejudices in his life. Troy continues to recount his fight with his boss to his long-time friend, Bono. Troy states, You think only white fellows got sense enough to get under ones skin a truck. That aint no paper job (1. 1. 10). Troy feels that blacks are good enough to be drivers he assumes that they would not be able to handle paper or office jobs.This i s another(prenominal) example of how racism is so entrenched that black people are a little racist against themselves. Troys characters sought after this job in order to gain back some of the power in his life, fifty-fifty though he does not have a license to drive. He is finally able to prove to himself and the people around him that he is worthy and just as good as any other man, including white men. As a father, Troy feels obligated to provide the necessities of life, but he seems to think his duties end there.During a discussion between Cory and Troy, when Cory asked he father, How come you never care me? Troy replies, You live in my housesleep your behind on my bedclothesfill you venter up with my foodcause you my son. You my flesh and blood. Not cause I exchangeable you? Cause its my duty to take care you. (1. 3. 107). It is clear the legacy of racism threatens to take another generation. However, he was uneffective to provide for his family alone and had to use the tr agic injuries of his brother, Gabriel, a World War II veteran.Troy uses this money to pay for his house. He says, If my brother didnt have that metal plate in his headI wouldnt have a pot to piss in or a window to shake it out of. And Im fifty-three years old. (1. 2. 64). He feels weighed down by the guilt of use his brothers destruction as a way to jumpstart his own life. He feels like the only reason he has anything is the fact that his brother life was ruined. Through he has a kind relationship with his wife Rose, he still strays and finds a woman with which he feels he can be a different man.He uses this affair as a way to escape from the responsibility of his life and the constant reminders of his shortcomings as a man. When trying to explain why he had the affair he tells Rose, I can step out of this house and get away from the pressures and problemsbe a different man. I aint got to wonder how Im gonna pay the bills or get the roof fixed. I can just be a part of myself tha t I aint never been. (2. 1. 98). His personal business results in a itch, and he needs Rose to help him, after his mistress, Alberta, died. Rose accepts the responsibility of rise this child, but she has cut off all emotion bonds with Troy.Rose tells him Ill take care of you baby for youcause like you sayshes innocentand you cant visit the sins of the father upon the child. From right nowthis child got a mother. But you a womanless man. (2. 3. 4). It is with this act that Troy loses more of his control and finds himself even more emasculated than before. Troy was unable to see that he did have control over one aspect of his life, yet he was too worried about proving his worth to others and to himself, that he proved his wrongness to his own wife.Troy is a resentful victim of his lifes circumstances, a man who has cause fenced in from happiness by the conviction that he was never paid what he was owed in any right not from his father, not from his former baseball career, not f rom his employers, and not from his family. Troy tried to take back the power that was taken from him by demanding that his loved ones live practical, responsible lives while he has the freedom to have an affair, rebel against racist practices of his employers by protesting the limitation of black workers as lifters not drivers on the trash trucks.Troy refuses to see life in any presented to him but the way he perceives events in his own head. Eventually, Troys death leaves many negative attributes an inheritance for his family to sort out and accept. Fences I. INTRODUCTION (4-6 sentences) A. retell B. Thesis SentenceThe play illuminate the inherent injustice in the Americas treatment of black men and the ways in which this racism affects and invades the family. 1. The conflicts in the play show has racism touched the family. 2. Set in 1957 after World War II when blacks still are fighting for power3. Shows how the characters struggle against his oppressive past and present, and wh en he tries to regain power he fails and brings down others around him. II. proboscis (minimum of three paragraphs) A. first supporting Paragraph (8-12 sentences) 1. Topic SentenceTroys past dictates the kind of man he is today a. playing field The ways he was raised b. Focus why he left home and what he did when he left home 2. foremost Subtopic SentenceHis father was an abusive unsuccessful sharecropper second Subtopic Sentenceleft home at an early age and set down in jail.3. net Sentence uneducated black man did what he had to do to serve. B. 2nd livelihood Paragraph (8-12 sentences) 1. Topic SentenceTroys injustice dealing with his career a. Subject incapacitated opportunity due to racism towards blacks in sports b. Focus why is lost his opportunity to be the man he thought he was supposed to be and how he handles it 2. 1st Subtopic Sentence during that time blacks were only allowed to play in the Negro League. 2nd Subtopic SentenceAny talk about sports through Troy in to a tirade. 3.Concluding SentenceBecause of the oppression that was placed on him, it causes he to oppress others dreams C. 3rd Supporting Paragraph (8-12 sentences) 1. Topic SentenceThe affect his past has on him and sons a. SubjectTroys low expectation for options that the black man has in a career b. FocusHe holds his sons back from realizing their dreams 2. 1st Subtopic SentenceThinks he son Lyon is wasting his life by not accepting a job that is thought as acceptable in the white man world 2nd Subtopic SentenceDoes not want his son Cory to follow in footsteps as an athlete because of how he was treated.3. Concluding SentenceTroy is too stubborn and bitter to admit there have been changes since his time concerning treatment of black athletes D. fourth Supporting Paragraph (8-12 sentences) 1. Topic SentenceHis job and racism a. SubjectWhites has the better job in the sanitation department b. FocusTries to change his job situation 2. 1st Subtopic SentenceTroy goes to his boss an d confronts him about the racism at work 2nd Subtopic SentenceTroy himself is racist toward other blacks 3. Concluding SentenceTroy is able to prove to himself and family that is worthy and as a good as any white man.E. 5th Supporting Paragraph (8-12 sentences) 1. Topic SentenceResponsibilities as a father a. SubjectTroy believes that a father is only supposed to provide for his family b. Focushow he goes about it 2. 1st Subtopic SentenceTells he son that he doesnt have to love him he just has to make sure that he has a roof over his head 2nd Subtopic SentenceProvides for his family by using his brother 3. Concluding Sentence F. 5th Supporting Paragraph (8-12 sentences) 1. Topic SentenceThe effect it has on him relationship with his wifea. Subjecthas an affair b.Focusblames his responsibilities on his affair 2. 1st Subtopic SentenceTells his wife that he now choice but to cheat because of the things he has to do to make a life for his family 2nd Subtopic SentenceLoses he wife 3. Co ncluding Sentenceis further emasculated III. CONCLUSION (3-4 sentences) A. Troy is a victim of life his father, his dead career, his job and family all play are part B. Troy tries to control his life but the decision he makes lead him to be more oppressed then he was before. He is stuck in the past and cannot move forward with his life. His death continues the cycle.