Symbolism In Fences By August Wilson - 1460 Words

Keep Love in or Lock it Out?: An Analysis of Symbolism in Fences Symbolism is defined as an artistic and poetic movement or style using symbolic images and indirect suggestion to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind. In Fences by August Wilson, symbolism is used heavily throughout the play in order to represent deeper meanings and add to the emotion of the storyline. In order for the play to have so much depth and emotion, symbolism is crucial to the work itself and the heavy topics that are being discussed. Wilson’s play examines racial barriers in the 1950’s as readers follow the life of Troy Maxson and his personal struggles. The audience is quickly introduced to Troy’s best friend Bono, his wife Rose, his brother†¦show more content†¦This is a representation of not only his poverty, but also his old and tattered baseball dreams. Continuously, toward the end of the play Troy and Cory fight each other with a baseball bat suggesting that Troy is sabotaging Cory’s athletic career due to his own failure with baseball and therefore will lose his son as a result of this betrayal. Baseball is a constant throughout the play and it ties everything together. It is a symbol that stands for the hardships in Troy’s life, as well as the way that Cory is so much like Troy, and even the poverty Troy has suffered through his entire life. Rose asks Troy to build a fence around their house, which takes Troy majority of the play to finally finish. When Troy questions why Rose is insisting on him building a fence Mr. Bono tells him, â€Å"some people build fences to keep people in...others to keep people out† (Wilson II.i). Rose sees the fence she asked Troy to build as a way to keep love and family in, but Troy sees it as a way to keep threats and people out, as well as for protection. To Rose, the fence is more than just a project. As Bono says to Troy, â€Å"Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves youâ₠¬  (Wilson II.i). The fence is a symbol of her love, and her longing for the fence to be built signifies the responsibility she takes on to nurture her family and create a loving environment. Troy works on this fence throughout majority of the play and he takes a while to finallyShow MoreRelated Racism Exposed in Fences, by August Wilson Essay1299 Words   |  6 Pages August Wilson’s play Fences brings an introspective view of the world and of Troy Maxson’s family and friends. The title Fences displays many revelations on what the meaning and significance of the impending building of the fence in the Maxson yard represents. Wilson shows how the family and friends of Troy survive in a day to day scenario through good times and bad. Wilson utilizes his main characters as the interpreters of Fences, both literally and figuratively. Racism, confinement, andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Setting Fences 793 Words   |  4 PagesSetting in Fences Fences written by August Wilson was focused on the life of Troy Maxson, an African American full of harshness towards the society because of the barriers he had to face in life back in the 1950’s. The title ‘Fences’ reflects the book’s story and overall symbol. The setting is used as a frame to the message and metaphorical meaning of the book. Troy struggles to define his rights and responsibilities as a husband, brother, worker, friend and father through the complex symbolism of theRead MoreFences: White People and Troy Essay1719 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of â€Å"Fences† August Wilson’s famous play â€Å"Fences† is a drama set in the 1950’s. Being a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for the best play of the year, this play has had many positive responses to blacks and whites in this society. It is about protagonist Troy Maxson as well as his african american family that is filled with drama and excitement. In Wilson’s Fences by Joseph Wessling he expresses, â€Å"Fences is about the always imperfect quest for true manhood. Troy’s father was less of a â€Å"true†Read MoreFences, By Eileen J. Morris966 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Fences† is a theater play run at Ensemble Theater located in Houston and it was written by August Wilson and directed by Eileen J. Morris. Fences is the African-American story of a black family trying to settle in the middle of the American Pittsburgh urban area in the 1950s. Wilson made special attention to the details of the time and brought them to the present, in a nice and or iginal every day production. Fences play starts on a Friday, when Troy and Bono go to Troy s house as usual for theirRead MoreFences, By Eileen J. Morris968 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Fences† is a theatre play run at Ensemble Theatre, located in Houston and it was written by August Wilson and directed by Eileen J. Morris. Fences is the African-American story of a black family trying to settle in the middle of the American Pittsburgh urban area in the 1950s. Wilson made special attention to the details of the time and brought them to the present, in a nice and original everyday production. Fences play starts on a Friday, when Troy and Bono go to Troy s house as usual for theirRead MoreFences by August Wilson791 Words   |  3 Pageshave built fences to keep enemies out and keep those they want to protect inside. In society today, people create metaphorical fences in order to fence in their feelings, while others create literal fences in order to keep the unwanted away. In the play Fences, the Maxon family lives in 1950’s America whose love for sports and one another are questioned at times when they need to be together the most. In the play Fences by August Wilson, two main characters Troy and Cory Maxon build a fence, literallyRead MoreFences Is A Play Written By August Wilson In 1983.The Play1181 Words   |  5 Pages Fences is a play written by August Wilson in 1983. The play investigates the evolving African- American experience and looks at race-relations, among many other themes. The main character of the play is Troy Maxson, a 52-year-old who struggled to satisfy his family need. Troy has had his dreams taken from him. He wanted more than anything to be a pro baseball player, but his career was stopped because of racial discrimination, which, lead to a misconception between Troy and his son. In thisRead MoreAnalysis Of George Wilson s Fences 965 Words   |  4 PagesTaking the Collar August Wilson was an African American man, born in 1945. The playwright never saw much of his father growing up. Instead, he was raised solely by his mother in a black neighborhood in Pittsburg. This being said, racial discrimination was impossible to escape. Wilson, like most colored people at the time, faced struggles day to day. Eventually, it reached a peak in high school when he’d written an excellent paper on Napoleon, only to be accused of plagiarism because â€Å"no black manRead MoreEssay on August Wilsons: Fences2481 Words   |  10 PagesAugust Wilson’s: â€Å"Fences† In â€Å"Fences†, August Wilson tells the story of an ex-negro league baseball hero, Troy Maxon. Troy is a bitter man, withering away in his own hatred for the way things â€Å"are†, as well as his inability to see the world has changed. Troy has an â€Å"iron grip† on his family in the beginning, however as the story progresses the family breaks loose of the physical and emotional ties that are holdingRead MoreAnalysis Of Fences By August Wilson1307 Words   |  6 PagesIn 1990, after Paramount Pictures and playwright August Wilson came to a disagreement about the adaptation of his play Fences, Wilson published an Op-Ed in Spin magazine titled â€Å"I Want a Black Director.† The Spike Lee edited piece discussed what Wilson saw as the penultimate disagreement between himself and the studio, stating specifically: â€Å"At the time of my last meeting with Paramount Pictures in January 1990, a well-known, highly respected white director wanted very much to direct the film