Examining Troy Maxson's Role and Flaws in the Play Fences

This essay provides an analysis of Troy Maxson, the central character in August Wilson's play, Fences. The assignment explores Maxson's character, focusing on his tragic flaws, particularly his stubbornness, which leads to the downfall of his family, including his son Cory. The essay examines Maxson's actions, motivations, and their consequences, highlighting his role as the primary provider and his complex personality, encompassing both positive and negative traits. It delves into his storytelling abilities and compassionate nature while acknowledging the detrimental impact of his behavior on his family and the opportunities available to them. The essay utilizes references to support the analysis of Maxson's character and his impact on the play's narrative.

Running head: ENGLISH
English
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ENGLISH
Troy Maxson is one of the most critical characters in the Fences by August Wilson. He
can also be regarded as the protagonist of the play also. There are other characters in the play
like Bono, Raynell, Rose, Cory and others. The tragic flaw or hamartia within Troy Maxson has
led him to this kind of fall in the plot (Yaşayan, 2017). The stubbornness in the character of Troy
Maxson is the single most important thing in this scenario.
He intentionally ruined the chance of Cory to gain the scholarship in football. Actually he
believed that the white people would not have let Cory play in the football team. It should not
have been done because he should know that the world had completely changed (Weber, 2014).
Rather he continued with his stubborn attitude and this had brought about his fall completely. It
should not be forgotten that Troy is not a bad man at all.
Rather, he had quite good character attributes but his approach was very much cruel all
the time. He is the only responsible person for the condition of his family since he was the sole
provider for all the persons (Yaşayan, 2017). He could tell very good stories and hypnotize the
listeners through his art of storytelling. It should also be kept in mind that he was a
compassionate person too. Compared to other characters, he was not so full of guile but he was
the person with a happy heart but his tongue did not support him at all.

2ENGLISH
References
Weber, M. (2014). Rescuing the Tragic Bully in August Wilson's Fences. Southern
Review, 50(4), 648-674.
Yaşayan, V. (2017). Dreams Deferred: Exploring the Masculine Mystique in August Wilson’s
Fences. Journal of American Studies of Turkey, (46), 117-136.