In the play, Fences, August Wilson uses the conflict of Troy vs. Society to drive the other battles and elements of the story as evidenced by showing Troy’s overlook of his life, and the struggles he had to face. Troy had been an ex-convict and fought daily to not blame society for everything he had to suffer since he had left his home at age fourteen. The way he looked at life and regularly accuses how he had to steal and even killing to survive, created conflict with his family, himself, and even death.
Wilson used the struggles African Americans went through in the play Fences, using society's racism and beliefs about the black underclass, domestic workers, criminals, and drivers in the 20th century (Nittle, 2017). Troy blamed society for what he had done to live 'Got up here and found out...not only couldn't you get a job...you couldn't find any place to live (Wilson, 1985, act 1, scene 4, line 125). In the 20th century, African Americans struggled to find jobs and at a young age, they had it worst, and deal with racism. Troy goes to the city came to find out it wasn't what he thought it would be. Wilson showed in Fences a different way for society to look at African American, by showing a man of color that worked as a sanitation worker and also had a life, feelings, and responsibilities. Troy feels that society was to blame for becoming a convict, it hadn't given her the opportunity because of his color 'Color folks living down there on the riverbanks in whatever kind of shelter they could find them self (Wilson, 1989, act 1, scene 4, line 128). Troy describes how ow the people of color struggle to find shelter and how they live because white people looked down on them, Troy's only way was to follow the people of color in city life, and had no other choice. ' Messed around there and went from bad to worse. Started stealing. First, it was food. Then I figured, hell, if I steal money, I can buy myself some food (Wilson, 1985, act 1, scene 4, lines 130-134). Troy's lives change because society looked down on him for being too young, but only Troy saw his color and how society feels about black people.
The conflict Troy had with society created a conflict with himself. Wilson in Fences play had to show how society had affected the lives of families of color by showing Troy's story. A man of the 20th century in a time when things were changing, but Troy fought with his demons that wouldn't live his past behind. Troy hadn't had it easy, he had to the sill and even kill people for money, he would find a decent job due to his young age. He made bad decisions in his life and didn't want to go back to that person; he had fought to have a family, be responsible and not affect his past with his future. ' When I found you and Cory and a halfway decent job . . . I was safe. Couldn’t nothing touch me? I wasn’t gonna strike out anymore. I wasn’t going back to the penitentiary. I wasn’t gonna lay in the streets with a bottle of wine. I was safe. I had a family. A job. I wasn’t gonna get that last strike. I was on first looking for one of the boys to knock me in. To get me home' (Wilson, 1985, act 2, scene 1, line 100). When Troy explains to Rose how he had built a fence around his family not to go back to the wrong person, he had been before, but he struggles to keep it up, how his job stress and lack of money suffocated him he wanted to feel free but fail. The demons within himself had surfaced, by sheeting on Rose and becoming a father of a baby from another woman was he fear all the time would happen. Once again society plays a role in the conflict, not only Troy vs. himself and Troy with his family, the pressure he had of the responsibilities he had carried through his life, not having a good job, and not earning a good income all had created the sense of feeling society was to blame. Even though times had changed and there were better opportunities for people of color, the fight Troy had within him and society didn't let him see things had changed.
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August Wilson's play Fences character Troy is like Wilson's life, he was born on April 27, 1945, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in an area where African Americans were looked down upon as the child of divorced parents and had himself has been married three times (Biography Editor, 2018). Analyzing Wilson's life, there are similarities in how the play Fences is set. Wilson not only wanted to show how African American people lived in the 20th century but also wanted to express how he feels and the way thing changes if they let others or fear govern the way, should live. Troy made society decide his future, instead of fighting for what he believed, he gave others through him under their feet. Troy let the fear of confronting society affect everything around him, even the fear of losing the people he loved. Troy allowed his conformity to take him to the point that he couldn't longer fight to be a better man.
Troy vs. society evolved everything around the story. The organization pushed Troy to steal and kill, created a fence around Troy's family, created conflict with himself being afraid of change of conformity, and battled with death. The story begins with Troy running away, not finding a job due to society's racism. After fourteen years Troy decided he needs an anquere to keep him in a safe place and married Rose. After a year of struggling with his part and the demons behind him, he states on Rose and has a child with another woman. The demons the wrong person he had become came out in another way. Troy let the pressure of work and responsibility affect the stability of his family.
In conclusion, Troy vs. society defense is the element of the story. If it hadn't been for how society looked down on African American when Troy was fourteen his account had been different. Society moves the story of Troy to develop and move on. The conflict between Troy and how society treated him when he needed the support most created a demon that had no respect for others. Troy only looked for his well-being he didn't want to die and have to go to heaven as the wrong person. Wilson's plays Fences Conflict give an emphasis on how society affected the lives of African Americans in the 20th century, the experiences that followed, and the conflicts that hunted them throughout their lives.
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