First of all, part of the reason the fence takes the whole play to be completed is because Troy has been neglecting its construction. He fusses at Cory for not being around to work on it, but Cory points out that Troy, "don't never do nothing, but go down to Taylors'" 1. By this point in the play, it seems pretty obvious that anytime Troy "goes to Taylors'," he's going to see his mistress, Alberta.
Therefore, you could say that the neglected fence is a symbol of Troy's neglect of his family. The fence can also be seen as symbolic of the things Troy wants to keep out, the things he separates himself from. This symbolism is pretty obvious with the last dialogue we get between Troy and Cory: Cory: "Tell Mama I'll be back for my things. By winning the climactic fight with Cory, Troy establishes that he's still the alpha male.
The fence now marks the boundaries of Troy's territory; he is still the king of the castle, and his son is no longer welcome within its walls. While the fence is now a literal barrier between the two, you can also see it as representing the emotional barrier that Troy places between them.
The fence also becomes symbolic of the barrier that Troy tries to put between himself and Death. After Troy learns that Alberta has died in childbirth, he cries out: "All right. See now. I'm gonna tell you what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna take and build me a fence around this yard. I'm gonna build me a fence around what belongs to me. Similarly, in Saturday Climbing, Barry is extremely protective of his daughter, Moira, and is afraid of letting her to have too much responsibility.
When Eveline's mother is on her deathbed she ask Eveline to promise her something that creates a sense of duty that Eveline can never escape. Eveline's promise to her mother on her deathbed creates in her a sense of duty that will not let her leave with frank. In this promise is the largest contributing factor to the sense of duty that prevents Eveline from leaving her house and her father. Open Document. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. August Wilson uses the symbol of a 'fence' in his play, Fences, in numerous occasions.
Three of the most important occasions fences are symbolized are by protection, Rose Maxson and Troy Maxson's relationship, and Troy against Mr. Throughout the play, characters create 'fences' symbolically and physically to be protected or to protect. Examples such as Rose protecting herself from Troy and Troy protecting himself form Death. This play focuses on the symbol of a fence which helps readers receive a better understanding of these events. The characters' lives mentioned change around the fence building project which serves as both a literal and a figurative symbol, representing the relationships that bond and break in the backyard.
Throughout the play the reader sees how 'fences' are used to protect the characters mentioned. Early on, Rose protects herself by singing, 'Jesus, be a fence all around me every day. Jesus, I want you to protect me as I travel on my way' Wilson By Rose signing this song, one can see Rose's desire for protection. To Rose, a fence is a symbol of her love. Her longing for a fence signifies that Rose represents love and nurturing within a safe environment. Troy sings, "Please Mr.
Engineer let a man ride the line," but in other words he is crying out to his wife, Rose to let him back into her home. Like the voice in the song, Troy is homeless and has nothing to offer the one he needs something from in order to keep going. Especially with a baby in hand, Troy has no future without his wife. In order to come back into her life, Troy knows he is asking Rose to give him a free ride of forgiveness.
If she does take him back, Troy knows life with her will never return to the life they once had together because he lost her trust and respect when he committed adultery. The train song also connotes the time Troy and many other men of his generation spent wandering North during the Great Migration.
He sings, "I ain't got no ticket, please let me ride the blinds," which represents the poverty the released slaves and the failed sharecroppers experienced in Troy's father's generation. Troy sings the song to his newborn daughter, passing on a song that tells an important story of her past and links that past to the present. Troy's song exemplifies the tradition in African American history to make something from nothing-like the song.
Troy hopes his love for his daughter and her innocence will change Rose's heart and allow Troy another chance at fatherhood and marriage. August Wilson did not name his play, Fences, simply because the dramatic action depends strongly on the building of a fence in the Maxson's backyard.
Rather, the characters lives change around the fence-building project which serves as both a literal and a figurative device, representing the relationships that bond and break in the arena of the backyard.
Theme Wheel. Everything you need for every book you read. The way the content is organized and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:.
Act 1: Scene 2 Quotes. Related Characters: Rose Maxson speaker. Related Symbols: The Fence. Related Themes: Family, Duty, and Betrayal. Page Number and Citation : 21 Cite this Quote. Explanation and Analysis:. Act 2: Scene 1 Quotes.
Page Number and Citation : 61 Cite this Quote. Act 2: Scene 4 Quotes.
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