Abstract
According to this paper, August Wilson wrote his plays in a non-sequential manner that set about depicting the lives of African Americans over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries by decade. Yet, the paper shows how as Wilson wrote the plays, the ideas for the work became vivid in his imagination instead of through a planned and organized presentational manner. Like his manner of writing the ten cycles of plays, his work was often composed through a series of multiple changes that he made while the plays were in production.

Tags:august, wilson, plays

Abstract
This paper examines August Wilson play "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" as symbolic of loss and redemption after the abolition of slavery. The author points out that Wilson uses Bynum's "binding song" as a main point of reference for the characterization of Bynum and Loomis.

From the Paper
" In Joe Turner's "Come and Gone" the audience is faced with characters who are most certainly out of place in their surroundings. By setting his work during that period of American History known as The Great Migration, he opens our ..."

Tags:joe turner, august wilson, binding song, bynum, loomis

Abstract
This paper explains that sociologist and anthropologist Marcel Mauss' theories of self and personhood are apparent in the play "Fences" by August Wilson. For example, the author describes Mauss' theory on names and points out that, in Wilson's play, the ability of an individual to be called by his first name or last name is significant for African Americans, who are often not addressed by the honorific title of "Mister" in white society. The paper concludes that, unlike Mauss' concept of the fully evolved Western man, identity is still intensely performance-based in Wilson's vision of society; however, the use of masks and performances are seen as merely surfaces and concealing a deeper psychological reality.

From the Paper
"The role play in "Fences" does not come without a psychological and social cost--Wilson suggests it is psychologically damaging, calling into question the ease of assuming different identities, and to some extent affirming Mauss' suggestion that there is something superior to the Western concept of the interior and unchanging self that exists beyond a world of performance and masks. In contrast to the other characters of the play, Troy in particular feels contempt and hatred for white society, given that his great gifts as an athlete were denied full and free expression because of the segregation of white and 'Negro' leagues until the signing of Jackie Robinson with the Brooklyn Dodgers broke the color barrier. Because of Troy's evident psychological damage, the play suggests that a core side of Troy's self, a desire for mastery over his environment is fixed and unchanging in a way that it is not for Mauss' so-called primitive individuals.

Tags:name, masks, segregation, self, context-dependent

Abstract
This paper discusses female characters and metaphorical murders in August Wilson's plays. It describes Wilson's women in his plays and how the evolution of his female characters is played out in his ten-cycle play format. The paper argues that the status of these women is complicated and that each strong female character builds upon the experiences of another.

From the Paper
"Tonya understands this specter of prison, and like Martha, Rose, and Risa, finds a metaphorical murder necessary in order to end her own involvement in the cycle. For Tonya, an abortion is the only way to take control of her life. At the same time, this metaphorical murder is different then Wilson's earlier plays. Although Tonya is metaphorically murdering King's legacy, she is no longer a castrating threat. Her control and self-directedness, are accepted by King. Although he disagrees with Tonya's desire for an abortion, there is a sense that he will accept her decision. He tries to convince Tonya; he does not command her. The metaphorical murder is no longer as strong a threat because the men and women are becoming more equal partners."

Tags:experience, plot, violence, relationship

Abstract
The paper relates that August Wilson's work, "Fences", gained immediate recognition for its ability to convey the struggles and hardships among African Americans and the societies that they live in. The paper focuses on Troy and Cory's tumultuous relationship that emphasizes the difference of struggles between past and current generations of African-Americans. The paper also touches upon the issue of marital infidelity and the literary device of the fence.

From the Paper
"In 1983 August Wilson wrote one of America's most loved plays entitled "Fences." This literary piece gained immediate recognition and awards for its ability to convey the struggles and hardships among African-Americans and the societies that they live in. The play embodies the past issues that these individuals deal with, along with the present ones. Several African-American generations of conflict and discrimination are examined in this play by the use of strong characters who share their lives with the audience."

Tags:discrimination, African-Americans, race, infidelity

Abstract
This paper discusses August Wilson's play, "Fences." It specifically discusses the concept that the past is an important player in the present and the future and that when we refuse to accept our past and deal with it constructively, it haunts us in ways that we cannot imagine. The paper examines how "Fences" portrays this concept.

From the Paper
"Troy's disruptive past is seen immediately with Rose. While he stays married to her, he has no respect for her in a way that she deserves. He often chides her for her behavior but his greatest act of disrespect is his affair with Alberta. What makes this affair more reprehensible is how Troy justifies it. He Bono tells that he loves Rose and he knows that she is a "good woman" (1632) but despite that fact, Troy cannot "shake" (1632) Alberta loose. Even when he tells Rose that he is going to father another woman's child, he is cavalier about it, comparing it to a forest. He tells his wife that Alberta gives him a "different idea, a different understanding about problems" (1635). His nonchalant attitude toward an affair after being married for 18 years illustrates his inability to deal with his parents' broken relationship and how it affected him."

Tags:character, future, present, relationship

Abstract
This paper examines the play "The Piano Lesson" by August Wilson set in 1936 which looks into the worldly affairs of a black family that struggles to maintain the family heritage. It analyzes how the piano ,which is central to the story, serves as a potential metaphor for the history of the past pertaining to the enslavement of those ancestors that were chained in slavery. It looks at how the play is based on the legacy of the piano and what the protagonists Boy Willie and Berniece decide to do with it.

From the Paper
"From the title of this learned victory by August Wilson, it is evident that there comes a profound understanding of the sense of family values, morals and cohesiveness of the black Americans along with the title of the play. Every scholarly effort is geared towards conveying a message appended with an insightful moral and The Piano Lesson is no exception. The soul-searching lesson that we have learned all along is that past injustices and tormenting experiences leave a strong adverse impact on the lives of the people who suffer the blow of racial discrimination and other prejudices. "

Tags:slavery, blacks, south

Abstract
This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the play "The Piano Lesson" by August Wilson. Specifically, it discusses the situation of the main character at the end of the play whose protagonist is Berniece, the main character and the most affected by the piano in the play. The paper notes that her brother, Boy Willie, is also a central character in the play, and the antagonist in a way, because he is the one who wants to sell the piano to buy land. The paper discusses that, although it is not human, the piano is also a central "character" in the play, because it is the element of the play that holds it together and it is the main issue of contention within the family.

From the Paper
"I thought the plot of the play was pretty solid. Families often have tension and difficulties, and it was easy to understand why it was so important to Boy Willie to buy the land where his ancestors worked as slaves. He says, "I take my hat off whenever somebody say my daddy's name. But I ain't gonna be no fool about no sentimental value. You can sit up here and look at the piano for the next hundred years and it's just gonna be a piano. You can't make more than that (Wilson 51). I think everyone wants to own land, or their own place, and his reasons were even more important. I also thought the piano was a good way to drive the family apart and then bring them back together."

Tags:heritage, exorcising, the, ghosts, plot

Abstract
This paper takes a look at August Wilson's play, 'Fences'. The paper focuses primarily on the character Troy Maxson and his decision to live in a world of fantasy instead of reality.

From the Paper
"This shows that Troy's problems are based in his character and not clearly linked to whether or not he accepts religion. Shannon also uses the character of Gabriel to make her point. She states that Gabriel represents God reaching out to Troy because of his claims that he is an angel. However, I find this meaning to be questionable. Most importantly, it is clear that Gabriel is not really an angel despite his claims. Therefore, if Troy did accept Gabriel's statements it would seem unreasonable. As it is, refusing to accept that your brother really is an angel seems like a logical choice. I see Gabriel as serving two purposes. Firstly, he shows that Troy can see reality and is not accepting of all fantasy. This emphasizes that Troy is sane and understands the difference between what is real and what is not. However, he chooses to see fantasies when it is related to him. This shows that Troy's decision to live in a fantasy world is how he chooses to cope with the world. "

Tags:coping, method, American, dream, escapism

From the Paper
"This study will examine August Wilson's play Joe Turner's Come and Gone, focusing on the characters' search for their "song." The play offers a number of definitions of what this "song" is, but it is roughly equivalent to one's individual spirit or purpose in life. The study will consider in greater depth what this song is, its significance, which characters have found theirs, which are still searching, and which will probably never find it. The thesis of the study will be that those who have found their songs have come to a state of acceptance about life and its difficulties, and have as a result discovered within themselves what the others are seeking in vain outside themselves. Those who have not found their songs are still doing battle with life, with people, and with themselves. The significance of the song, then, is found in the fact that the ..."