Fences

"Fences" has become an undisputed classic of American theater. One of the famous "Pittsburgh Cycle" plays by August Wilson, it focuses on a slice of African-American life in a particular decade. The yard of Troy Maxson, set somewhere in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sets the scene. The year is 1957, a time when some opportunities begin opening up for African-Americans - at least in some parts of the country. Racial tensions still raged throughout the US, especially in the south. In that same year, school integration reached a fever pitch when President Eisenhower dispatched Federal troops to desegregate Little Rock, Arkansas' Central High School. This culminated from decades of overt segregation and discrimination, which continued to loom in the past and Troy Maxson, at 53, perfectly represents this era of transition. Understandably jaded and resentful, he remains so drained from his life experience that he has trouble acknowledging that times have changed. Once a talented baseball player in the Negro Leagues, he now has nothing to show for those glory years and makes a living collecting garbage. He played before Jackie Robinson entered the majors and apparently can't accept that he was too old to play after baseball desegregated, as his wife Rose tries to tell him.

The play's first tension arises when Troy openly asks his boss why all of the company's truck drivers are white. Rumors spread around the neighborhood that he has gone too far and likely faces dismissal. Later, the company promotes him to driver. He doesn't seem to appreciate the larger implications of this event. His employer also apparently doesn't know that Troy doesn't have a driver's license. His friend and Friday night drinking buddy Bono also warns him about "eyeing" other women. Troy tells him to mind his own business. Regardless, he still seems to have plenty of passion for Rose, as the end of Scene One shows.

Troy has also fathered two sons. Lyons, by a previous marriage, wants nothing more than to play music. Troy considers him a loafer and a freeloader, though Lyons does repay a debt to his father. Lyons also tries to convince his dad to come and watch his band play, but Troy shows no interest in supporting his son. His other son, Cory, he had with Rose and Cory has an opportunity to play football and go to college. Troy does everything in his power to prevent this from happening. Building on his own past experience with baseball, he only sees poverty and heartbreak for his son in sports. Rose tries to tell him that times have changed, but it doesn't register. His stubborn insistence of course permanently damages his relationship with Cory. This relationship provides one of the play's unforgettable dramatic peaks with the "How come you ain't never liked me?" scene. Instead of showing Cory a nano-particle of emotional support, Troy resorts to "fatherly duty." Sadly, Troy is likely projecting his own dejected childhood onto his own son. No one knows just how horrible he had it until later when he tells Lyons and Bono how he left home at age fourteen.

Another scene of absolute heartbreak occurs when Troy confesses to Rose that "I'm gonna be somebody's daddy." He uses baseball analogies as justification. The "eyeing" tryst that Bono foreshadowed turns to tragedy, especially when the "other woman" dies in childbirth. Rose agrees to raise the innocent child, but she thereafter rejects Troy completely. The confession also turns into a physical confrontation with Cory, who sees Troy forcefully grabbing Rose. Troy's old baseball bat makes a chilling appearance that results in Cory's departure. Throughout the play, Troy tempts Death with baseball in a "Seventh Seal" manner. Immediately following Cory's exit, Troy's final scene shows him in batting position, challenging Death to a pitch: "Come on! I be ready for you... but I ain't gonna be easy."

As always, death of course ultimately wins and the play's final scene takes place in 1965, following Troy's own death. The family gathers for Troy's funeral and Raynell, the product of Troy's infidelity, is now seven years old. Cory appears dressed as a Marine Corporeal, Lyons has served time for "cashing other people's checks" and Rose organizes the group. Cory tells Rose that he will not attend his father's funeral, but she gradually talks him out of this decision. She also points to Raynell as a sign of hope. Cory and Raynell then sing Troy's favorite song about a dog named Blue. Troy's brother, Gabriel, wounded horribly in World War II and now a near invalid who thinks he's the Angel Gabriel, was institutionalized in error by Troy. He appears again and leads the group to the gates of heaven. Earlier, Gabriel, always carrying his trumpet, had assured Troy that he saw his name in St. Peter's book.

The play utilizes a complex and multifaceted fence symbolism. It clearly states that fences can both keep people out or keep people in. Troy seems to build fences between himself, his family and everybody. Even Bono becomes alienated by the end of the play - he had also warned Troy about hurting Rose. Rose seems to want to contain her family within a protective fence, which fails with Troy, but hope exists for Cory and Raynell. Fences between races and generations also exist. Humans seem to have a penchant for dividing up and walling off. Troy, with his own physical and mental fences, represents the quintessential multi-dimensional dramatic character who remains both sympathetic and loathsome. As such, the audience can both comprehend his angst and recoil at his actions. Life seems to have put him in a precarious place, but he also doesn't face up to many of its challenges. These universal themes, along with great characters and great drama, make "Fences" a truly great play.

Written in the early 1980s, August Wilson's FENCES won both Pulitizer Prize and Tony Award in 1987. One of ten plays Wilson set in 20th Century Pittsburg, the play examines the lives of an African-American family in the 1950s, when attitudes toward race and equality have begun to evolve in a way that will ultimately catch fire in the 1960s. The play requires a single set, showing a family's porch and yard, and a cast of seven, five men, one woman, and a young girl.

The play focuses on Troy Maxson, who works as a garbage collector for the city of Pittsburg. In his youth Maxson dealt with an abusive father and was later jailed for manslaughter. While in prison he learned to play baseball, and when he was eventually released he became a noted player in the "Negro League"--but both age and culture were against him and he eventually settled into marriage with Rose. Although he loves his wife, he is dissatisfied with his sons and with his life in general, and as the play progresses he becomes more and more like his own abusive father, betraying his wife, his brother, and undermining his younger son's ambitions. The play is levened with moments of humor and humanity, but it is a distinctly dark portrait of a man who finds himself suffocated by circumstances but who cannot adapt to change of any kind.

The characters are strongly drawn and very memorable, with Troy the obvious focus of the drama, and in some ways it might be described as an African-American take on DEATH OF A SALESMAN. Like most plays, it is better seen than read, but it reads better than most. Recommended.

GFT, the store Reviewer

This was a masterfully written play by August Wilson. This captures the generational trials of the African-American community, Troy Maxson is the main character. He has survived a turbulent and painful life. He was abused by his father and forced to leave home as an adolescent. He did time in jail and became a great baseball player. His prime years were in the Negro Leagues. He wasn't given a chance to play in Major Leagues after Jackie Robinson integrated baseball. Troy had trouble with bitterness. He disparages the exploits of Hank Aaron claiming that he was nothing special and there were plenty of guys like him who were never fortunate enough to get a shot.

Troy had a son from a previous relationship named Lyons. Lyons was a struggling jazz musician who irked his father by asking for money. Troy had old-fashioned values that a man should always be employed and not caught up in creative pursuits that could be unprofitable at times. His brother Gabe was mentally disturbed after getting a major head injury in World War II. He was married to a long-suffering wife named Rose. She stuck with him despite some hurtful things he did and unfaithfulness to his marriage vows. Bono was his loyal friend.

There were several conflicts going on in this play. Troy challenged the segregated practices of the sanitation company he worked for. He became a black driver, although his stance was more motivated by practical reasons than an ideological stand. His mindset was a little before the modern civil rights era. His expectations were moderate and he was far from a radical. He believed in a self-improvement approach. He refused to give his son Cory a chance to get a scholarship playing football because it took him away from making a practical living.

His relationship with Cory was complicated. He did not display affection to him. He denied him his dream of playing football. He may have been motivated by some resentment that he wasn't given a chance to be an athlete. He expected that Cory would be controlled by fear and a sense of duty. He couldn't believe that Cory wouldn't fall in line with his wishes. He felt he was a good father because he put a roof over his head and food on the table. This was more than his own father had given him.

Another conflict was when Troy cheated on Rose and had a child. Rose was angry and their relationship never recovered. She was a noble woman of character who raised the daughter of another woman as her own. She also let her husband continue to live there. She only knew the path of loyalty and commitment.

Things culminate and come full circle after Troy died. Cory came back as a military officer. Another racial barrier had been broken. He is bitter at his father's poor treatment of him and the infidelity to his mother. He wanted to boycott the funeral. Rose took him aside and told him that his father did care for him, although it was far from an excuse for his actions. Self-sufficiency was the old path and Troy taught Cory not to expect and favors or breaks in life.

This was a brilliant play. It showed the painful and halting progress of the African-American community. Abuse often breeds abuse and many of the characters have some serious moral failings. However, a woman like Rose is the glue that kept the dysfunctional family together. The title "Fences" show that Rose desired to keep her family together and inside the home. Each generation of men was a little better than the one before it. Progress was slow, but it was the brave souls who tolerated and persevered through suffering ultimately brought about advances.

The first couple of paragraphs of this review have been used as introduction to other August Wilson Century Cycle plays as well.

Okay, blame it on the recently departed Studs Terkel and his damn interview books. I had just been reading his "The Spectator", a compilation of some of his interviews of various authors, actors and other celebrities from his long-running Chicago radio program when I came across an interview that he had with the playwright under review here, August Wilson. Of course, that interview dealt with things near and dear to their hearts on the cultural front and mine as well. Our mutual love of the blues, our concerns about the history and fate of black people and the other oppressed of capitalist society and our need to express ourselves politically in the best way we can. For Studs it was the incessant interviews, for me it is incessant political activity and for the late August Wilson it was his incessant devotion to his century cycle of ten plays that covered a range of black experiences over the 20th century.

Strangely, although I was familiar with the name of the playwright August Wilson and was aware that he had produced a number of plays that were performed at a college-sponsored repertory theater here in Boston I had not seen or read his plays prior to reading the Terkel interview. Naturally when I read there that one of the plays being discussed was entitled "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" about the legendary female blues singer from the 1920's I ran out to get a copy of the play. That play has been reviewed elsewhere in this space but as is my habit when I read an author who "speaks" to me I grab everything I can by him or her to see where they are going with the work. This is doubly true in the case of Brother Wilson as his work is purposefully structured as an integrated cycle, and as an intensive dramatic look at the black historical experience of the 20th century that has driven a lot of my own above-mentioned political activism.

The action of this play takes place in the mid-1950's in a black neighborhood in Pittsburgh (Wilson's home town) as do most of the plays in the cycle. This is the sixth play in the cycle and the first to reflect that notion that some profound changes were in the offing for black people, not all of them good and not all for the better. Both these facts are important in understanding the tensions of the play. Although Wilson's plays are almost exclusively centered in black life as it is lived in the neighborhood the various trials and tribulations of blacks elsewhere are woven into his story line. The white world, for the most part, except as represented by amorphous outside forces that have the access and control of the resources that blacks need to survive and break out of racial isolation are on the sidelines here. And that is as it should be in these plays on the black experience. Moreover, this truly reflects how it has been (and how it still is, notwithstanding the Obamaid) in that outer world.

I labelled this entry with the headline "Better Days Are Coming?" purposefully including the question mark. Surely, some progress toward the goal of racial equality, if not nearly enough, has been made over the last half century since the time period of this play. That is not the question. The real question is posed by the main character, Troy Maxton, who in his time was something of an exceptional baseball player, but who "came too early" to have it change the fortunes of his life. His reply: "ain't nothing should have ever been too early". Wilson hits the nail on the head here. After that remark nothing else really needs to be said.

Wilson's conceptual framework, as I have mentioned previously in a review of his "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", is impeccable. Placing the scene in 1950's Pittsburgh permits him to give a bird's eye view of that great migration of blacks out of the South in the post-World War II period at a time when they are shaking off those old subservient southern roots. Wilson is also able to succinctly draw in the questions of white racism (obliquely here), black self-help (as in building that damn fence) , black hatred of whites, black self-hatred, black illusion (that the `lifting' of the white boats was going to end, for blacks, the seemingly permanent Great Depression), black pride (through the link with past black historical figures and with the then current hero, Jackie Robinson, although Troy has some cutting remarks on the status of that figure), the influence of the black church (good or bad), black folk wisdom (as portrayed by Jim Bono, who is more grounded in his memories of his southern roots than the others) and, in the end, the rage just below the surface of black existence (as portrayed here by Troy's brother Gabriel's, a character who epitomizes one of the tragic aspects of black male existence) resulting from a world that not was not made by the characters in this play but took no notice of their long suppressed rage that turned in on itself.

Unlike some of the earlier play, however, there is a little ray of hope in the character of Troy's son (by his wife Rose) Cory whose struggle for his own identity with his father and the world is a sub-theme here. As always, if you get a chance go see this play but, please, at least read it. Read the whole cycle.

"Fences" (1987) is part of August Wilson's ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle, set in the 1950's. I have never seen one of his plays performed so I am at a distinct disadvantage in being able to judge this or other Wilson plays. On Broadway this play starred the bigger-than-life actor James Earl Jones as Troy Maxson, a bigger-than-life character. He's an unsympathetic man, an ex-con, a garbage collector who gets himself promoted to a driver; he's faithless to his loving and faithful wife; he's a blowhard, a taker, and ungiving (coldblooded) to his son Cory. He always thought he could have been a professional athlete which may be one of his pipe-dreams. His son wants to play ball, and scouts are interested in him, but Troy is too selfish to give the boy a chance.
He has taken advantage of his brother Gabriel who wears a steel plate. Troy took part of the brother's compensation in order to buy his own house. And though not playing with a full deck, Gabriel is a Wilsonian prophetic character of a kind seen in his other plays. Troy is so full of himself that there's no room there for others. His son, Lyons, by a previous marriage is looking for handouts, and when he does offer to pay back borrowed money Troy, the ornery one, refuses to accept it.
In some ways it is akin to a tragedy, almost like Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman," but the play doesn't quite reach the real eloquence or heightened language to take it into the realm of Miller's universal drama. Rose's long final speech to her son Cory about her husband Troy reaches dramatic and eloquent heights that, I think, are worthy of our best playwrights.
The protagonist is not heroic, nor was Willy Loman, but Loman's plight was framed in a larger dramatic context than the man himself and seemed to say something more holistic about the American dream and experience.
Wilson is painting a picture here of one specific man and of his particular family, not attempting larger implications or universal metaphors.
Wilson was a born story-teller who used details and incidents tellingly. His milieu was the Afro-American experience, the American black man in a white world. Flashes of humor enliven his plays. Troy talks a lot about death: Wilson does not shy away from serious topics. Troy battles Mr. Death by trying to fence him out. Troy's son defied his father just as Troy defied his father. But at the end Cory sings his father's song. This is a play that merits more than one reading.

I rated "Fences" as one of the most compelling, truly related books I've read this year. I found it interesting and captivating. I enjoy the fact that Troy was taught to take responsibility for his actions. Troy's negative perception of his father is that he doesn't really care about his kids and his only concern is delivering the cotton to his boss. Troy's father is poor sharecropper. Troy learns the same method from his father that responsibility comes first; therefore he teaches his son schoolwork and his after school job comes first. The father doesn't want Cory to become recruited by a college football team. He seems to think there's no life in football and opportunities for him especially being a black man. Another good point is made when Troy stands against the union concerning whites being the only ones driving the garbage truck. It was tough for blacks back then to get a decent job and still be treated fairly. But the world is slowing changing before Troy's eyes Troy has another obstacle he has encountered which deal with the fact that death is approaching and it comes in a form a spirit. He puts up a continuing struggle that doesn't let death overtake him; well, not yet anyway. Troy learns how to overcome death and realize that he can't leave now. Troy is happily married to Rose, his wife, for eighteen blissful years. He takes it for granted and he fools around and produces another child. At this point, I feel that Troy becomes selfish, he doesn't think of Rose. His excuses that he provided to Rose were poor and selfish. He explained to Rose that his mistress gave him a different idea and understanding about his self. Rose was very heartbroken that he fooled around on her and produced another child. My understanding of this activity occurred frequently in relationships in the south. This book brings a kind of black comedy that tells and relates back in the old days. As far as how difficult it was for blacks trying to make a decent living plus the upbringing of their children. It also focus on how some men are still having outside families and relationships being married. This type of behavioral of men makes it very difficult for women to trust men in today's society. So in essence nothing has changed for females, but it has gotten better for human rights.

I think Fences is August Wilson's best. Much meaner than The Piano Lesson, though no less fierce in it's symbolism, depth, rawness and emotional power. Fences is Troy Maxson. In Troy Maxson is every hard scrabble, dis-respected, dis-regarded soul, whose lot in life has been given to them by fools, and who can never let up against the demons and dread of a life unfair and barely endurable. That's not to say Maxson is a downer of a guy. He's a force, and one of the toughest characters I've read in a play.
His family, made up of a younger wife, Rose, an adult child, Lyons, from a previous marriage, a teenage son, Cory, with Rose, and a battle scarred younger brother, Gabriel, all orbit around him. His presence is daunting and secure, his past is too and his struggle with a faultering home life takes all of his considerable might.
What makes Fences so good is the brilliant flowing dialogue, featuring one character after another seemingly attacking the situations they are in, full of spirit, experience and interest.
The generational divide so prevalent a story line is here, and the equally common tradition of a father and son at odds, except in perpetuating their antagonism is too.
The sins of the father have come down, been bequeathed to everyone, as have the forces of a society apathetic to unequality.
A classic American play, and the best of a phenomenal writer.

August Wilson's play, Fences is a dramatic, realistic story of many problems in life that an African-American family go through.Troy Maxson's(a main character) infedelity and cruelness towards his family brings them problems. Others economically and emotionally which really changes their lives. In this script, Troy Maxson is an African-American who goes through problems mainly with his wife when he's unfaithful and son when he treats him like crap, while he stuggles to maintain his family. His mistakes have an impact to the lives of his family. I think that the theme of this script is to move on with life no matter how unhappy you are about something you did, because you can't change what happened. I think that people need to move on instead of living with anger and hatred for something that somebody did or for something that you did that's wrong. Life is too short, so you should try to be optimistic and make the best of life. Forget the past and work on the future. I think this was a good script. I think many people can relate to the script. I could easily relate to the script because Troy's the man of the house just as my Dad tries to be, and when Troy thinks that what he does is okay, it brings many problems to his family. I enjoyed reading this script because there's constantly something happening and I would recommend this script to someone who likes drama.

Martel Arroyo Fences Fences, by August Wilson, is a book that has a lot of interesting and specific information about an African-American family,who lived during the 1950s and the 1960s. The author tells the story of Troy Maxson, born to a sharecropper father who was frustrated by the fach that every crop took hiim farther into debt. Troy learns the value of work andf the fact that a man takes pesponsibility for his family. The Maxson family was trying to overcome the abstacles of teh racial times, because if we bo back in the History, we immediately will know that teh 1950s and 1960s were dufficult for a black family to have equal opportunities. This book tempted me to reaf it, because I studied American History and I know how teh black people were living, and how thanks to teh Civil War they won some rights. The 13 Amendment of teh American Constitution prohibits Slavery in this nation. Although the members of this family were not slaves, they were acting as if they slaves the way they think, and the way they distruted white people. I think that the author wans us to know from this book how an black family was trying to overcome the racial times,and how the members of this family forgive each athers.

"Fences," by August Wilson, takes place in the sixties when a black man and his family go through the struggles and conflicts of life. Cory Maxon is a teenage boy who loves the sport of football and is living a fun and free high school life. However at the same time Cory is having to live up to his fathers rules and expectations. I think that throughout this play a very important lesson is reaveled; a lesson that families should always attempt to work out their problems no matter what it takes. I truly belieive that a sucessful family relationship is vital to a childs personality and character. I thought that this play was phenomonal. It opened my eyes to a whole new perspective on the life, problems, and struggles that an african american family can experience; just like any other family can experience. I realized that they are the same as any other family, and their lives can be rough and rocky just like anybody else's. Cory Maxon, was the character that I could associate with the most. My he4art went out to him during his times of struggle. Cory was an incredible young man but I think that his father Troy Maxon held him back from being the person that he had the potential to become. -zack zarcone

"Fences" by Agust Wilson is a well written play about a family, in between the 1950's and 1960's, dealing with each other differnces, while trying to make as a poor black family in the south. Troy Maxon is the un-yeilding father of two and loving husband to his wife,Rose,of 18 years. In the play Troy continuosly questions his son devoution to his future. After Troy himself was un-able to succed in the proffession of his choice (pro- baseball). This conflict leads Troy and Cory, his son, to engage in quite a few arguments, dealing with this subject. Troy Has already done a-less-than-stellar job raising his un-employed free-loading, musican, son Lyons. Troy has realized his mistakes as an absentie father and tries not to do the the same with his youger son, Cory. I think someone is really able to feel for all of the charecters flaws and innocsence in this play. People will, in a way, be able to see parts of there friends and family in the charecters of the play. to me the important message in this play would have to forgiveness because eventuly you got to forgive. My personal reaction to the play,Fences, was that it is a great play. It takes you in right away and leads you through on a emotional roller-coaster we call life. With its twist and turn we still manage to get thought it with out losing are lunch. -Jen verduzco.

Fences,by August Wilson,is a good play that teens and adults can relate to because it deals with the struggles that parents and their kids go through. It doesn't matter what race you are,there are things that go on in this book that you or someone you know can relate to because in the story their is relationship ploblems like husband and wife have.It shows that everybody goes through hard times and it doesn't matter what the time period is. The main character is Troy Maxson,a man like any other middle-aged man that works all day and on friday just likes to have fun.Troy used to play baseball when he was young,but never could get over the fact that he didn't make it to the big leagues.He has a family to support and tries to keep them together.Troy has has been married to Rose for 18 years and a son with her.He has another son with another woman he was with before he was with rose.Troy has a hard time raising his two sons and faces new struggels with each passing day.He made mistakes in his life that mess everything up. I think it was a good book because it deals with real life situations(the struggles that people go through to keep a family together.)(to forgive people for their mistakes and try to learn from them.)I think this is a book that people in the 60's through today and in the the future can relate to.I recommed fences.

Sergio Sanchez
Changes of Life
Fences by August Wilson is both a thrilling and dramatic story, but it is also very funny. This play takes place during the sixties I think this is why Troy does what ever he wants to is family members, specially because at that time there were no laws that stop im. Like when he didn't want Cory to play football. This play revolves around Troy and Cory, the main characters. Rose is Troy's wife a major character too. The problems in this family start when Cory quits is after school job so that he could play football. Another thing is that Troy doesn't really show any type of love towards is son Cory. Troy says that as long as he takes care of his responsabilities, like putting food on the table as long as he did that he could do what ever he wants. The lesson of this play is to never take what you have for granted, like Troy did when he did something real bad to get Rose really angry at him. So in this play Troy took for granted the family and life he had made for himself, and because of this is son Cory didn't like him any more. I think the scrip was real good, it's exciting and real dramatic. This play wasn't like other plays I'v read before like Romeo and Juliet, that play was borring and it didn't have anything I liked.

"Fences", by August Wilson is a mixture of tradgedy and triumph. It shows how real life doesnt always go the way that you expect it to. In this play, cory the son of troy maxon has to get through many problems which are very common with teenagers in the sixities. His father Troy is too controlling of him in his opinion and troy thinks cory needs to take more responsibility. Along with that troy is having to deal with desires that could possibly ruin his family life as he knows it. What will troy do? Tell his wife about his secret or never tell anyone and live with his secret forever. I think that one good thing about this play is that it shows how real life isnt always as good as in the movies. It shows that you can get through a lot in life, no matter what. This play was better thatn i expected it to be. It was very realistic and anyone of any age could read and enjoy this book. I can relate to cory and how he wants to do many extra things other that school even though his father wants him to work and make money. I usually dont like to read books in school because they are boring but this book was actually interesting and kept me wanting to read on. It told you about society in the fifties with out boring you with facts.

Antonio Mora
Fences of life
Fences, by August Wilson, is a good combination of comedy and drama with high clamatic episodes. It also deals with issues of racism that Africam-Americas went through during the sixties, affecting such areas as economics and job oportunities.
Troy Maxson is an African-American who thinks that being a father is an abligation. He said it's a responsibility. Troy maxson deals with the tentations that life throws him for example ,Troy has an affair with Alberta and that relationship had consequences like having a child. Troy has to make some serious choices that will chanche his life. He has to decide if he wants to stay with Alberta or with Rose.
I think this play is very realistic because alot of men are not faithful to their wives. Real families have problems raising their children and also have issues with alcoholic persons in their life.
In my opinion you should read this play, what I liked about the play was that you can learn things like not to be man without an accupation like Lyons.

The story Fences by August Wilson is the most influencing book I have ever read.I have read alot o books but none as realistic as this one.This book seemed so real from the icebox on th porch to the ball made out of rags hanging from the tree.Fences is about an Africa-American man in hi early 50's whose name is Troy Maxson.He's had both good and bad thing happen to him.One of them is Rose,his wife.She is a loving mother to her son Cory and a faithful wife to Troy.Troy is always in Corys face Troy always tells him what to do and what no to do.Rose is a good house wife and she always aggres with troy.Bono is Troys best freind for about 10-15 years.He respects Troy and is loyal to their freindship.bono seems to be the follower of both the man,he is the kind of freind tha tells you if your doing wrong.Faced with the problems of racisim and dicrimination,Troy seems to be stumleing on some big issues.He loves baseball like he loves rose.He could have been one of the best,if not the best player in the game,but the racial issues made him the garbage man he is now.he was always mistreated by white people,this explain why Troy does not let cory to play in the schools fottball team,he is afraid that cory migth be crushed by the white paople.When i first started to read this script i thougth that it was going to be another boring and stupid,but whe n we started to read the lines ourselves, i felt i wanted the characteres to be real

"Fences," by Agust Wilson, a drama that takes place in the sixties, about a family that goes through dramatic situatons and problems. Troy Maxon, the central character is a middle aged African American who had a harsh life as a child. He struggles to raise his son and keep his family together. I think that the theme of this play is that it is never to late to say forgive or say "I am sorry." Also that when a father makes decisions for his son even though his son disagrees he does it for the best of his son. Out of the few books I have read I think that this is one of the best ones. I thought the begining was pretty boring, but as I read on further, it was like something totaly caught my attention. I got interested in the play. I was anxious to read further. I thought this play was pretty realistic, it had lots of real life situations. I would recomend it to anybody. I am not really into dramatic stories, but this one caught my complete attention. Therefore, I think that FENCES is a great play.

"Fences", by August Wilson, is a wonderful play full of reality, comedy, which has a sad ending. If you read this play while in class or with friends you will enjoy it. The author is basing the story on Troy Maxson and his family to basically show how black families in the 60s compare to black families now. In this two-act play, Troy Maxson is the husband of Rose, and the father of two young men by the name of Lyons and Cory. He also has a brother name Gabriel and a best friend name Bono. The main character Troy is basically the man of the house, everyone that lives under hes roof goes by his rules and obeys him. When Troy comes home, he expects dinner cooked and ready to eat. Does he get what he wants? Well that's why you should read this book. In the beginning of the play, their lifestyle was kind of boring. As you get further into the play, it gets interesting. The Maxson family basically ends up in a struggle trying to keep the family together. The message that I get from this story is that you can't trust everbody, no matter how long you've known them. I think one of the things that makes this play nice is how it relates to African-American families. It gives you an actual idea of what black families have to go through, and what is spoken in their homes. If you are one of those curious people who would like to know how most African-Americans live, you should read this book. If you are the type of person who doesn't really like to read, you should just try it and you just might enjoy it like I did.

Fences,by August Wilson,is a great and strong play,which tries to teach it's audience about a poor African-American family that goes through a lot of changes while trying to achieve their dreams. In this play,Rose Maxson,a middle-aged woman who is a good mother and wife, tries to keep her family together,while dealing with Troy Maxson's faults and infidelity.She dedicated her life to Troy,but slowly everything changes everyone's life,especially Troy's surprise. I think one of the things that makes this play so dramatic is the way the people in the play lose trust in one another.It's really hard to forgive their faults. Even though they loved each other so much,one little mistake ruined it. I think this play was great.It talked about a lot of things that happen now in real life.Troy reminded me of my father,who is a hard-working and honest man.Rose relates a lot to my mother because she is very religious,a good mother,and also fears a future without my father.The lesson I learned was that you should never trust a person if you're not sure about their feelings towards you.Also,don't let problems get between your love ones.I enjoyed reading this two-act play.I learned a lot of important things about life.This is an intresting story.

"Fences", by August Wilson is a mixture of tradgedy and triumph. It shows how real life doesnt always go the way that you expect it to. In this play, cory the son of troy maxon has to get through many problems which are very common with teenagers in the sixities. His father Troy is too controlling of him in his opinion and troy thinks cory needs to take more responsibility. Along with that troy is having to deal with desires that could possibly ruin his family life as he knows it. What will troy do? Tell his wife about his secret or never tell anyone and live with his secret forever. I think that one good thing about this play is that it shows how real life isnt always as good as in the movies. It shows that you can get through a lot in life, no matter what. This play was better thatn i expected it to be. It was very realistic and anyone of any age could read and enjoy this book. I can relate to cory and how he wants to do many extra things other that school even though his father wants him to work and make money. I usually dont like to read books in school because they are boring but this book was actually interesting and kept me wanting to read on. It told you about society in the fifties with out boring you with facts.

Fences, by August Wilson, is a drama about what black people were going through during the sixties. This play contains two acts about the life of Troy Maxson, a middle-aged African American who is trying to raise his son, keep his family together, and deal with an ever changing society. One of Troy's problems is that Troy's son, Cory, wants to play football and get a college scholarship. Troy, on the other hand, continues thinking that the white person wouldn't truly allow his son to play. In addition Cory has a job at a grocery store called the A&P and his job interferes with football. Troy deals with this problem by making Cory drop football for his job because Troy wants Cory to have some resposibility. Cory dosen't like Troy for that, but Troy is one of those 'You live under my roof, you live by my rules and when I ask you to jump you say how high!' type of dad. During this play one gets an understanding of the social classes. The white garbage men get to drive the truck while the colored do the lifting; the white person gets all meat in his soup, while the black person gets nothing but vegetables in restaurants. This play was like a documentary of a sixties black family. I think the best way to relate to the people of this play is to act out the play in one's class or at home. I thought is was a good play that seemed realistic and I would recommend this "script," although as a warning, I caution that few people in my class thought it was boring.

The play "Fences," by August Wilson, is a realistic, but fictional play. In this hilarious, heartwarming play, a black family in the 60's struggles to stay together while dealing with racist differences. The main character, Troy Maxon, a middle aged father of three, feels he has to be the backbone of his household, letting his ego steer his family into a dark hole. One he realizes his family isn't there for him, it's too late. The lesson in this play is to keep family close. Another lesson is the little things you do can mean a whole lot to the ones you do it to. I could relate to some of the characters dealing with choices in life. For example, Troy wanted one of his sons not to attend school and play football, but to work and become a "man" like him. The boy made his own decision and became a very wealthy football player with a lot of knowledge. I had a similer experiance after my mother didn't tell me I had ot watch my little sister. But I did anyway . Ever since then, I've watched other peopl's children and got money to do so. This play did not capture my attention at the beginning. But in the middle, I began to enjoy it because of the humor. You should try this story because many families deal with the same problems as the Maxons.

"Fences", by august wilson is a mixture of tradgedy and triumph. It shows how real life doesnt always go the way that you expect it to. In this play, cory the son of troy maxon has to get through many problems which are very common with teenagers in the sixities. His father Troy is too controlling of him in his opinion and troy thinks cory needs to take more responsibility. Along with that troy is having to deal with desires that could possibly ruin his family life as he knows it. What will troy do? Tell his wife about his secret or never tell anyone and live with his secret forever. I think that one good thing about this play is that it shows how real life isnt always as good as in the movies. It shows that you can get through a lot in life, no matter what. This play was better thatn i expected it to be. It was very realistic and anyone of any age could read and enjoy this book. I can relate to cory and how he wants to do many extra things other that school even though his father wants him to work and make money. I usually dont like to read books in school because they are boring but this book was actually interesting and kept me wanting to read on. It told you about society in the fifties with out boring you with facts.

Fences written by august Wilson, is a thoughtful book about a strong black man who tries to keep up with the times, but can't escape his father's grip, his father was a mean abusing man . Troy would like to control everything in his life but he is usually unable to do that, this results in frustration in his life. The main focus of the book is his relationship with his son cory , an up and coming football player. His father however had a bad expierience with baseball and won't let cory play. Troy slowly loses his battle against his father and starts to become a bad guy. Troy also battles against his lust for less tame women like his wife. This is a very realistic story that even puts a mentally handicapped person in as troys brother a man who believes he is Gabriel a fallen angel. The play introduces lots of life lessons in an interesting fashion. the reader gets a good understanding of life of the black man in the time period. this play makes me more sympathetic to the black men in that time period

The plays of August Wilson afford us the rare opportunity to hear African American History from a unique perspective. In an engrossing manner, he takes a slice from the lives of ordinary people and tells the entire twentieth century history of the Black Experience in America. His greatness as a playwright is his ability to personally tell this history behind the masks of his many rich characters.
"Fences", his masterpiece, focuses on a conflicted man named Troy Maxson who is in the process of building a fence around his yard. With this backdrop, Wilson analogously depicts the numerous metaphorical fences which his protagonist builds around himself at the expense of his relationship with his family. Extending the parable, we see the fence that his wife, Rose, is trying to build around Troy and her family in an attempt to hold them all together.
"Fences" is a brilliant essay on the miscommunication and misunderstandings that inhabit most families and the corresponding regrets that inevitably exhist when it is too late to do anything about it.

Fences, by August Wlison, is a play that potrays the many roles of an African-American family that lives during a difficult period of time when Africans were being segagrated. In the play, Rose Maxosn, a house wife in her early-fortys, has a difficult time handling her family. She always finds herself battling between the decisions that her husband, Troy Maxson, makes and with what she thinks is right. Throughout the play, life for Rose was a graet challenge, but even though the pain was great, she always holds her head up high and waits for better days. This play teaches us that being able to forgive and go on with your life potrays a lot of who you really are inside. When this script was placed in my hands, my head ached to the thought of having to read another boring book. To my surprise, when it was read out loud with great feeling, my heart jumped with excitment and joy. After I had gotten a sense of the characters feelings and language, I was unable to put it down. This book reached out to me like no other book has ever done before. The way that Rose was able to forgive so many inappropiate acts is very astonishing to me. I franckly admire Rose for being able to be a strong women and for sticking to what she says. I wish that everyone that reads this script is able to take a bit of sweetness from Rose.

I enjoyed this play. August wilson brings to light how difficult it was for african-americans to survive during segregated times. It was written as a drama with a dash of comedy. Wilson also gave an outstanding visual of family dynamics. I'm glad I read it and I cant wait for the movie to come out December 25th

Araceli Tapia
Fences a book of family goals. Fences,by August Wilson,is a wonder play mixed with family conflicts and comedy.It helps other people understand that everyone has family conflicts, not just the people in play. In this play,Rose Maxson is 10 years younger than Troy Maxson A middle-aged Afican American who is always by TRoy's side to understand him.But she doesn't agree with Troy, by keeping Cory away from playing football.Cory is the son of Rose and Troy Maxson. I think two of the things that make this play great is when Rose forgives Troy of cheating with another women.The second thing that makes this play great is when Rose takes responsibility by taking care of Troy's daughter without her being her mother.When the baby was born withouy a mother

Fences by August Wilson is a very intersting book. When you read it your in. Fences would hit you all ways. Its a powerfull,stunning,drammatic and very dramatic."Rose... I dont mess up my pay. I give it to you. I give it to you I dont have no money but what you give me back. I just want to have a little time to myself... a little time to enjoy life" very passionate. Troy Maxsons is one of the main character is the play. His a father having problems with his son. Troy whats the best for his son, but he whats to play football. That's not in Troy dreams he what's a men not a player. This is a play that's going to make you think. This play we stunn you. Its so powerfull Read it and find out.

This play was an excellent display of the African American society and familial disputes during this time period. Responsibility and family play hand in hand and make up the central ideas and themes of the play. After everything Troy and his family goes through the resounding ides of family and responsibility bounce back. The play is only 100 pages yet Wilson manages to depict the passing of a lifetime for a man and his family. The writing is laced with emotions and emphasizes the importance and strength of family and what people do in the name of responsibility.

This is a great play. This is possibly August Wilson's greatest venture into the world of playwrights. Originally he was a poet, which provides an excellent twist for the play. He implies poetic feel into the play itself, but it is also well-balanced. About the play, it is a wonderful and thought-provoking piece about one family and their attempts, hopes, and fears about making it in America. It creates many interesting features such as "baseball" as a form of communication (in the sense that the family is sort of tied together through an interest in the sport). Wilson is a combination of Tennessee Williams and the author of A RASIN IN THE SUN (who's name always escapes me). When reading this, focus on character interactions between father and son. See how it reflects the stress on each respective character. I have no doubt that you will enjoy the play, but beware, if you are someone who has the inability to saw through a thick southern African-American accent, this book may not be the best for you.

This book(play) is an apparent testament to August Wilson's talent to write and write so that people want to read other material by him. He combines a knack for humor, an ability to describe vividly the atmosphere in which the story takes place, and powerful portrayals to concoct a literary masterpiece worthy of being read(and seen) over and over. I am not a avid fan of reading and viewing plays but if there were more like this I'd be in a theater every chance I got. I recommend this book to anyone and every one looking for a good book to just settle down and relax with.

Yesterday i opened my eyes to this amazing play called "Fences" by August Wilson. This play was extremely well writte. It was set in the late 50's in Pittsbhurg.The main characters in this play consist of Troy Maxson, Rose Maxson, Cory Maxson, and Gabe Maxson.

The Play was amazing it always kept me on my feet. Generally I will give little to no examples of its greatness to prevent ruining your reading experince. But i will tell you, you will laugh, you will be happy, and you will be sad. The basic concepts of father son relationship and how they break & bend keep the sentamental feeling always flowing. I personally understand the way this feels and i know a lot of people in this world have loose ends they may never be able to tie.
This play greatly opens your eyes to this situation. This play will be forever called a classic.I see now why it has won a Pulitzar Prize.

If you ask me I would defenatly recomend it to you. The reason for this is becuase it is one of the most influential and spectacular plays of the 90's!!

- Anthony Williams

I am (intermediate level) learning English and we are reading this book in my bad English school in Philadelphia. The language is horrible in the book.It is not true English an all dialogs in it. Really hard to understand ! I had another textbook when we read in Temple university, it's name is "Great American Stories".It is a very good book to learn English and also very good English in it.There are 8 different stories and practices after each story. If I compare the 2 books, I can give 5 stars for Great American Stories(Longman)

"Fences", by August Wilson was a great script. "Fences" was a story about a black family in the 1960's, trying to overcome racisum and all the problems the family endures. The script was a good comedy and drama with a sad ending. I thought "Fences" was boring script that the teacher picked out, but I was wrong and I am glad I was.
In this play, the character that stood out to me was Cory, because he knew that his father Troy wants him to succeed, but under his rules. Cory wants to have a career in football. Troy knows what it was like to be a pro ball player, but he didn't get the respect he deserved because he was black. Now it is Cory's turn and he doesn't want Cory to get hurt.
The script was very good, I think it was mainly about a family who is just getting by, then all of the sudden the family takes wrong turn and falls into a down-ward spiral, by a bad mistake by Troy. But the family manages to pull together and overcome all the diversity. I really liked this script. To me, there are no borring scenes in this script. I think the lesson of this script was, family should always stick together and never turn your back on family.
I really liked the script, it was funny and very real. I could really relate to Cory, because we both love football and we both put our jobs behinde football and ignore our fathers about finding a job. Both our dads don't want us to devote all our time to sports. But want us to get jobs and focus on school and our responsibilities. This script is good, I would recommed it to anyone.

"Fences," by August Wilson, is a wonderful mix of drama and comedy that emphasizes the tribulations and confusions people were going through, during the changing sixties. In this two-act play, Troy Maxson is a middle-aged African American who is struggling to raise a son, keep a family together and deal with the new desires and needs everybody is beginning to feel as social standards slowly begin to change. As a child growing up, Troy did not have a great father figure, and he was not able to persue his dream of becoming a great baseball player as he grew older, because of racial limitations of the time period. Now as things begin to change for the better, he is still afraid of these limitations and overcoming them. His son wants to play football, but Troy doesn't want him to. He wants him to get a job and become good with his hands. As he refuses to let his son play, he pushes him away. He begins to push his wife away too, because he feels he needs his own space and has new desires. This play becomes a struggle for Troy to try to pass on morals he thinks are right and to be a proud man in a time where hatred is strong and boundaries are being broken. Troy Maxson is having to change his ways according to change and he grew up doing what he could to survive, so changing after so many years of living a certain way to survive is harder than anything he has had to deal with before. Will he come out of it successful?
A wonderful blend of characters, hysterical, beautiful, bold, courageous and passionate; this play is sure to win your favor.

"Fences"by August Wilson,was a great book because people can relate to it.In my case I kind of found myself in Corys position because sometimes my dad doesn't give me per motion to go were i want to go.Like when I asked him if I could get a part-time job he said that I would start to pay my own bills and be independent. Troy Maxon is thought as man of the house.Troy struggles to raise his son cory,because Troy wants to educate his son the way troy was raised.

The play Fences by August Wilson was a interesting read. It had a captivating story line and the conflicts that the characters dealt with were real. One of the good qualities of a play is that it keeps making you want to hear more and more. If it did not have that kind of effort on a person than the play was not fulfilling its purpose. I personally did not find this as interesting or as captivating as some other books that I have read but it was not terrible dull. When a screen writer is writing a script that deals with such real issues as thoughts dealt with in this play, then he has to add a little action because just talking or having internal conflicts does not make for a excellent play. The arguments were very real and I liked the accent that all the charactershad. It made you feel more a part of them, which is very important because you are reading the play and not watching it. Troy was not the typical character that we normally read about so it made me adjust more to this book than to others I have read in the past. Forgiveness is a major player in the plot of this book. Cory and troy have to forgive each other for everything that had happened between them. Rose had to forgive Troy for having a affair and thus giving her another burden, because of the child that they produced. I think one of the things that makes this play great is the way that it portrays forgiveness. That any one can do it and that no matter how long it takes you, you still should try because it is not only better for you at heart but also the person that you are forgiving.

Fences, a play written by August Wilson was exceptionally well written. Fences is Mr. Wilson's greatest piece to this day. This play is a must read. Not only is it the winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for drama, it received numerous remarks from critics "A work of tremendous impact that summons up gratitude for the beauty of its language, truth of its character, the power of its portrayals."-Chicago Tribune, "A moving story line and a hero almost Shakespearian in contour."-Sylviane Gold, The Wall Street Journal, just to name a couple. Even if you might dread dramas or plays, this is something you should really pick up and read. It may get dull and boring at times but it is worth it, given that it is a true classic piece of what Mr. Wilson truly is. Fences is about two middle age men Jim "Bono" and "Troy" Maxson and their lives. The two men meet in jail over thirty years before. Both men are sanitation workers trying to get by in life. Troy being an African American, he has a hard time getting by. Troy has a brother who fought in World War II named Gabriel. Troy also has a wife (Rose), daughter (Raynell), and a son (Cory). Throughout the play Troy has a larger-than-life sort of journey with the "Devil" and the reality of death. Troy ends up dieing from a heart attack. Overall Fences is a great theatrical piece that is quite difficult to follow and fully comprehend what is going on. I found it very difficult, probably because I had to read the entire play in a matter of a couple of days. I do plan to read it over again and I suggest the same for others.

Fences, by August Wlison, is a play that potrays the many roles of an African-American family that lives during a difficult period of time when Africans were being segagrated. In the play, Rose Maxosn, a house wife in her early-fortys, has a difficult time handling her family. She always finds herself battling between the decisions that her husband, Troy Maxson, makes and with what she thinks is right. Throughout the play, life for Rose was a graet challenge, but even though the pain was great, she always holds her head up high and waits for better days. This play teaches us that being able to forgive and go on with your life potrays a lot of who you really are inside. When this script was placed in my hands, my head ached to the thought of having to read another boring book. To my surprise, when it was read out loud with great feeling, my heart jumped with excitment and joy. After I had gotten a sense of the characters feelings and language, I was unable to put it down. This book reached out to me like no other book has ever done before. The way that Rose was able to forgive so many inappropiate acts is very astonishing to me. I franckly admire Rose for being able to be a strong women and for sticking to what she says. I wish that everyone that reads this script is able to take a bit of sweetness from Rose.

The play "Fences," by August Wilson, is a realistic, but fictional play. In this hilarious, heartwarming play, a black family in the 60's struggles to stay together while dealing with racist differences. The main character, Troy Maxon, a middle aged father of three, feels he has to be the backbone of his household, letting his ego steer his family into a dark hole. One he realizes his family isn't there for him, it's too late. The lesson in this play is to keep family close. Another lesson is the little things you do can mean a whole lot to the ones you do it to. I could relate to some of the characters dealing with choices in life. For example, Troy wanted one of his sons not to attend school and play football, but to work and become a "man" like him. The boy made his own decision and became a very wealthy football player with a lot of knowledge. I had a similer experiance after my mother didn't tell me I had ot watch my little sister. But I did anyway . Ever since then, I've watched other peopl's children and got money to do so. This play did not capture my attention at the beginning. But in the middle, I began to enjoy it because of the humor. You should try this story because many families deal with the same problems as the Maxons.

Fences a play by August Wilson. This book I enjoyed more then most of the books I have read for school the last couple years. I am not a big reader I never read a book unless I have to for school but even a person like me who hates reading I somewhat enjoyed reading Fences. I think reading this book was worth my time because I am a 16 year old boy like having sports and fighting. If you read this book the things you can get out of reading it is you get the feel have the hard times being an African American in the past, and some of the small struggles they must go through. One weakness of the book is that it is written like a play so it gets confusing at times when it hops from one person talking to another. This book would be a lot easier to read if they would write a version of it written like a normal book, like when one person tells the story. The parts of the book that caught my attention the most were the parts where Troy the father and his son Cory would fight, like when troy got mad at his wife rose and grabbed her arm Cory came and punched Troy right in the chest, and when troy went to go after Cory, Rose grabbed Troy back. Another time this happened when Cory and Troy got in a fight and Cory swung a baseball bat at Troy. If anyone wants to read a good short book I recommend you try out Fences.