Fences -- by August Wilson (1987)

Description
Fences is the 6th of Wilson's Pittsburgh Plays. Set in 1957 Pittsburgh, the story centers on Troy Maxson. Troy is a garbageman who files a complaint to become a driver of the truck. He eventually does get this position. He glorifies his baseball playing abilities and sets out for his son, Cory, to not become like him. Cory fails to meet his father's expectations because he refuses to work at the A&P, and he is dedicated to his football team. Cory's older brother (from another mother), Lyons, also disappoints his father because he asks to borrow money and tries to make a life as a musician. Troy's brother, Gabriel, has recently moved out of the house to live across the street. Gabriel has a metal plate in his head from an accident in WWII. Gabriel always treats Troy's wife, Rose, with great affection. Rose provides for her family and holds Troy accountable for his actions. She is only able to hold him accountable for his actions when he admits to what he does. Troy's friend, Bono, encourages Troy to be honest with Rose.

The play originally starred James Earl Jones in the role of Troy. Do yourself a favor and watch his interpretation of one of Troy's most well-known monologues here. The production won Best Play, Best Leading Actor and Best Featured Actress.

In 2010, the play was revived on Broadway with Denzel Washington (Troy) and Viola Davis (Rose). It won Best Revival, Best Leading Actor, and Best Featured Actress.

In 2016, the acclaimed revival was adapted into a major motion picture. The movie was incredibly true to the play, and Davis won an Oscar for her portrayal of Rose. Watch the trailer here. 

Candid Reactions

• I never really paid much attention to the quatrain Wilson wrote at the start of the play. The snippet of writing could spark a lengthy conversation. 
• I appreciate how Wilson defines each of the characters in relation to Troy. Before the play even starts, it is clear that Troy is the center of attention. 
• Wilson's descriptions of the characters in the text are rich: "It is this largeness that [Troy] strives to fill out and make accommodations with" (1). 
• How telling that the first line of the play is Bono telling Troy not to lie. 
• Troy is so defensive. 
• Wilson captures his characters simply and effectively. In describing Rose, he writes, "Her devotion to [Troy] stems from her recognition of the possibilities of her life without him" (5). 
• Thank goodness Wilson gives us some laughs from Rose. 
• The "pot to piss in" line reveals much about Troy and his background. 
• The death/baseball motif is wonderfully introduced. 
• One of the subtler and more vulnerable moments from Troy is at the beginning when he states, "The fact is I'm scared to stop paying it" (16). 
• Lyons seems to be both wise and a moocher. 
• Uh-oh. Any time an accusation flies, the atmosphere changes. 
• Gabe's pride seems to clash to with Troy's persistent struggle. 
• The moments between Troy and Gabe are essential for Troy to become a more sympathetic character. 
• As highly as Troy thinks of himself, it is somewhat surprising that he says he doesn't want Cory to be like him. 
• That was a satisfying end to Act One!
• Each character is given such great lines. Bono asserts, "Some people build fences to keep people out . . . and other people build fences to keep people in" (61). 
• I've never before noticed Gabe's line, "I'm gonna keep this quarter till it stop shining" (67). I love how sneakily Wilson throws this line in. It builds on several themes. 
• Oh, shoot. That confrontation between Rose and Troy is EPIC. 
• I think there is a difference in Rose's iconic line between the play and movie . . . I'll be looking into this . . . 
• I am always gutted when Rose says, "From right now . . . this child got a mother. But you a womanless man" (79). 
• I never caught the thematic parallels between Troy wanting to go back to being a garbageman and Troy returning to his family life. 
• Cory's role would be very difficult to play, I would imagine.  
• That ending is magical. 

Top Two Aspects/Reasons for Winning
1. Troy Maxson
Lady Macbeth. King Lear. Hamlet. Mama Rose. Amanda Wingfield. Willie Loman. Prior Walter.

Some roles capture humanity so perfectly that they dominate the work and become household names. The names I listed above are the most common. Troy Maxson deserves his spot on that list without an argument. He represents a great deal of struggle, particularly for the African-American community, but also on a transcendent level of humanity/spirituality. While no reader would like to identify with Troy, every reader is Troy.

2. Perfect Balance
Wilson provides commentary on family, race relations, sports, responsibility, etc. with a short script and small cast. He employs several subplots. He incorporates a handful of motifs. None of the plots or motifs are overdone or undeveloped. He paces the story like a master composer.

Classroom Implications
I think this text could be perfect for high school students. The plot is engaging, the characters are captivating, and the literary devices are bountiful. Theme, symbolism, and character development could all be target areas. 

Personal Takeaway
If a work of literature is great, it can reveal something new with each read.

Ranking

	Dialogue	Characters	Plot/Conflict	Symbol/Literary Devices	Overall Enjoyment	TOTAL SCORE 9.75
0	Unfollowable; unrealistic; diction does not match character	Undeveloped; does not reflect humanity	Not engaging; predictable; reader can step away from text because it isn’t gripping	Devices are apparent for cleverness and do not enhance the story	Reader has no interest in re-reading play
1	Not consistently realistic	Well-developed; most depictions reflect humanity	Semi-engaging; some unnecessary plot-points	Devices somewhat enhance story	Reader would re-read with pleasure and reminded of work
2	Realistic; connotative; diction matches characters (2)	Fully-developed; depictions reflect humanity (2)	Engaging; unique; reader finds it impossible to put down text because the conflict is so gripping! (2)	Devices seamlessly enhance the story and provide rich interpretation (2)	Reader would re-read the play on own volition, enthusiastically (1.75)