Theme of Change in Fences

Running Head: THEME OF CHANGE IN FENCES
THEME OF CHANGE IN FENCES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors Note

Running Head: Theme of Change in Fences
Fences is an American playwright written by August Wilson. This drama is set in the
1950s and it explores on the major theme of African-American experiences. This drama has
been so popular that it won Pulitzer Prize Drama in 1987 and in the same year in won Tony
Award for Best Play. This play revolves around the characters named Troy who is also the
protagonist of the play; he is in wedlock with Rose and is father to Lyons, Cory and Raynell.
He also has a brother named Gabriel. One of the dialogue by Rose, suggests that, there are
some people who are not aware that they possesses the ability to improvise their condition of
their standard of living (Wilson). This essay will explores the various ways in which the
above-mentioned particular theme has affected any three characters of the play. The three
characters that this essay will represent are Troy himself, Cory and Raynell Maxson along
with Rose.
Troy Maxson who is the protagonist of the play is a responsible man but lives in his
self-created illusionary world. The illusions that he creates gives him the utter sense of
pleasure and in this way, he build the comfort zone where he feel safe and secured. The
charms of the this particular comfort zone is so enticing that Troy even engages with small
and trivial conflict with his near and dear ones so that his illusion can be sufficed. In his
youthful days Troy was also in Negro league but never got the chance to make the game his
career. This was due to the restriction that was applied to the blacks and it is one of the
epitome of racist ceiling that was imposed on Troy. Due to this setback, he started building a
form of mind-set, where he just refuses to move up the ladder. In this play, the contrast of
both the generation has been well depicted. Cory, son of Troy wishes to participate in the
upcoming Football league but Troy vehemently refuse to approve for his participation.
Instead of letting his son explore the newer avenue, he insists him to get back to his Grocery
stores shop. In this way, Troy resists change that was allowed to his coming generation.

Running Head: Theme of Change in Fences
However, it is important to note that Cory represent a freer society was willing to embrace
the change.
The character of Troy is half-full of hope and half-full of disappointment. This is also
the reason he enquires on why a blacks is always a garbage picker not a garbage driver. He
shows such a resolute nature in the act of embracing change that he even run case in court for
the opportune be a garbage driver. The duality that is shown in the character makes his
character the tragic end. Initially his family member loved him but with two bad fight with
Cory, his son and having an extra marital affair with Alberta he also cheats his wife. The
character is filled with dilemma where on one side he only wishes that things would be
served to him and on the other side, the turn come to him for services he acts in a rude way.
In this play Troy, the main character of the play had enough chances to embrace the
changes that are taking place outside. However, he only shows effort for the changes that can
in turn affects for his favour. Thus, the statement of Rose seems appropriately fitting for him
because he is not willing accept ways in which he can improvise himself. Even the gesture
with baseball bat depicts the ways that he feels superior to the almighty god. However, at the
end of the play, he loses the battle with death and finally death embraces after giving two
chances where he could changes in lifestyle. Wilson’s characters like many other characters
in other shows the trap in which they are caught. Troy is caught between the changing tides
of the history and tries every means to a keep on the holding the iron grip to his own-
sanctioned methods. Again, it can noticed that there were some changes, which came quite
soon for him, and some changes were too old to reap-apart. However, the changes that he
accepted was derived by his personal interest thus Troy at the end of the play has tragic
ending.
Cory on the other hand represented the new generation were the racist ceiling no
longer had a firm grip anymore. He is a man with full of aspirations to better his future. He