BLOG VII

Heritage is Stronger than Modern Changes

            August Wilson in his play Fences exposes feelings of excluded people for discrimination. The play is set in 1957 time when start to change the USA vision about black people. Wilson through Troy exposes a frustrated person who wants to play in the Mayor League of Baseball, but he cannot do it because of his color; instead he has to resign himself to play in Black League of Baseball; teams that do not have the same recognition that white people. Troy vision life is about baseball; Troy tries to connect all around him to baseball because it was a desire that he cannot make real. Baseball in the play is the beginning to set all characters issues, but there is a background that affects the whole family: heritage. It is what really make fences around them, and what it is going to destroy family relationship.

            Wilson strategy was the usage of fences in the whole play, which have a symbolic meaning around each character, but fences have two important meanings: protection and destruction. The first one is represented by Rose who only wants to see finished her fence to protect his family and conserve them together. Even though she came from a broken family, she has the necessity of having a family, a home where she can peace and stability. She can have all above because she has a good advisor: Jesus. Rose is in continuous communication with Jesus through out church, she never loose her faith: “Jesus, be a fence all around me every day/ Jesus, I want you to protect me as I travel on my way/ Jesus, be a fence all around me every day/ Jesus, I want you to protect me/ as I travel on my way” (p 1297). Her love in Jesus is her support to help each member of her family, even when her husband cheats on her. She forgives him and accept Troy’s daughter. Jesus fence is stronger than Troy’s destructive fence.

            When the reader starts the play, it would be easy to say all issues are around the baseball, but Troy’s problems not only are baseball issues but heritage. Even the character does not that baseball are not only the origin of his problems but his father image. He did not have a good background, his father was abusive and cruel, Troy’s words: “My mama couldn’t stand him. Couldn’t stand that evilness. She run off when I was about eight. She sneaked off one night after he had gone to sleep. Told me she was coming back for me. I ain’t never seen her no more. All his women run off and left him. He wasn’t good for nobody” (p. 1310). Troy cannot make it with his father, so he left his house when he was fourteen year old. After that his life was auto destructive because he started to steal and when he get married of Lyons mother, he robbed even more. He also killed a man because Troy wanted to rob him: “They told me I killed him and they put me in the penitentiary and locked me up for fifteen years. That’s where I met Bono. That’s where I learned how to play baseball. Got out that place and your mama had taken you and that fifteen years cured me of that robbing stuff” (p. 1311). That was his beginning for a new life because in baseball and Rose, he found a new life, but his heritage was stronger that his desire of change because he continues with his father’s tyranny. Even though he tried to change his environment pull him back to his father attitude because he get frustrated by discrimination; he wants to be a famous baseball player, but his color does not allow him do it. It brings him a feeling of useful life where only job bad paid can be the future for black people, and big opportunities are only for white people. That feeling makes him to demand his children work hard and forget their dreams: Lyon’s music and Cory’s football.

            Troy destroys Cory football career and his opportunity to go to college, a chance that was not common in black people. Troy did it because he was no jealous but because Cory could be discriminated like him. He believes that black people was used only a few times and not in important games, Troy words: “If they got a white fellow sitting on the bench… you can bet your last dollar he can’t play! That colored guy got to be twice as good before he get on the team. That’s why I don’t want you to get all tied up in them sports. Man on the team and what it get him? They got colored on the team and don’t use them. Same as not having them. All them teams the same” (p. 1302). But Cory is sure that he values such as a great football player, and because he was a good student. But Troy beliefs were stronger than Cory desires, and he finishes his career.

            The fence of protection was finished with Troy’s death; it brings all family together and their relationship was reestablished. Troy was a villain was a victim of his own destructive fences; he refuses to see modernity changes, and he decidided for a useful life where there are no dream of improvement. At the same time his death was a protective fence for all his family.