In August Wilson’s Fences,
we are introduced to a low class Negro family in the 1950s. The story shows the
relationships between Troy and his sons Cory and Lyons, also about Troy’s
relationship with his own father. I feel Bono’s story just kind of sets Troy
off to talk about his father, which it seems he doesn’t like doing at all. It
is almost as if he has built a wall to block those memories.
Troy tells the
story about his father, he mentions that his father stayed with them to raise
him instead of running off, but even though he stayed to support them he wasn’t
very nice. “He stayed right there with his family. But he was just as evil as
he could be” (1.4.109). He
remembers his dad beating him with leather straps and that’s when he made the
decision the fight back, “I picked up the same reins that he used on me. I
picked up them reins and commenced to whupping on him” (1.4.109). This made
Troy the hard man he is in the play. At 14 years of age he was on his own, to
fend for himself causing him to grow up quickly and cold.
He has different attitudes to his two sons. Lyons get better
attitude from him. Even though Troy knows Lyons only comes to borrow money he
treats him a little better than Cory. “I’ll be damned! I’ll die and go to hell
and play blackjack with the devil before I give you ten dollars” (1.1.113).
This is Troy’s response to Lyons’ request for ten dollars, even though Troy
says this he eventually lets Lyons the take the money. They have more easygoing
conversations throughout the play.
Now with Cory it seems like Troy is always criticizing or bossing
him around. Telling him to do this or do that instead of being a father figure
to him. Even though it seems like Troy just want Cory to be different from how
he turned out he is actually holding him back, making Cory more like himself.
In act 2.4 Cory and Troy had been not Seeing Eye to eye ever
since Troy messed up Cory’s chance at being recruited by a College. The
altercation starts with Cory trying to pass over Troy. They finally start
yelling at each other. “I ain’t got to say excuse me to you. You don’t count
around here no more” (2.4.66). This makes Troy furious and he goes off on Cory.
Cory just tells Troy he is nothing more than an old man, meaning that he didn’t
do anything in life; he is just like any old man in the world. This leads to an
exchange of more words and eventually the two of them getting into a physical
altercation, and Cory leaving the house for good. Even though they do not get
along, Troy never beats on Cory like his father did to him. Even when he had
the chance and reason like right after the physical fight when he wins control
of the bat. “Troy ultimately is the stronger and takes the bat from Cory and
stands over him ready to swing. He stops himself” (2.4.95-96). Troy’s father
would have beaten him but Troy doesn’t want to be his father and for that he is
somewhat superior.
The play ends at the gathering for Troy’s funeral; Cory has
joined the Marine Corps and hadn’t talked to Troy since the Incident. They
never resolved they’re problems and Cory feels he needs to get away from the
shadow of his father. Rose, Troy’s wife, tells Cory that Troy only wanted what
was best for him, and didn’t want Cory to turn out like himself. “Your daddy
wanted you to be everything he wasn’t…. and at the same time he tried to make
you into everything he was” (2.5.78). She talks about that he meant to do good
and help but was a hardened guy, he caused harm without meaning to. “Sometimes
when he touched he bruised” (2.5.78). Even though he just wanted to touch them,
or help them he was rough and blunt with them which came off as him being a
prick .
