Father-Son Relationships in "Fences"

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the play "Fences" by August Wilson. Specifically, it discusses the conflicts between the father Troy and his son, Cory throughout the play. The paper reveals that, using baseball analogies and terminology, "Fences" tells the story of two men, one struggling to care for his family and the other one growing up to become his own idea of a man.

From the Paper:

"The conflict begins with Act One, where Troy and Cory face off about Cory's desire to play football. Troy thinks he is doing the best thing for his son by banning him from playing football, because he does not want him to believe he can make a living by playing the game. Things come to a head at the end of the fourth scene in Act One, when Cory accuses his father of being fearful his son is actually better at sports (and indirectly life), than he was. Cory says, "Just cause you didn't have a chance! You just scared I'm gonna be better than you, that's all" (Wilson 58). Cory sees his father's weaknesses, but he cannot accept them, because he is still a boy that wants to look up to and respect his father. However, his father is now stepping in and altering his dreams, and Cory cannot deal with that."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Jacobus, Lee A. The Bedford Introduction To Drama, Fourth Edition.
• Savran, David. "Interview with August Wilson." In Their Own Words: Contemporary American Playwrights. New York: Theater Communications Group, 1988. 288-305.
• Wilson, August. Fences. New York: New American Library, 1987.

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