Fences | Fences

At a glance:

Author: August Wilson
First Published: 1985
Type of Work: Poetic drama/psychological realism
Time of Work: The 1950’s
Setting: A black neighborhood of a northern industrial city in the United States
Principal Characters: Troy Maxson, Rose, Cory, Gabriel, Lyons, Jim Bono
Genres: Domestic realism, Drama
Subjects: 1950’s, African Americans, Discrimination, 1960’s, Family or family life, United States or Americans, Racism, Communication, Marriage, Alienation, Yards or backyards, Adultery, City life, Working class
Locales: Pittsburgh, PA

Fences depicts the quiet collapse of an ordinary African American family in the late 1950’s. The breakdown of Troy Maxson’s family centers on the struggle between father and son over conflicting visions of black identity, aspirations, and values. The first act presents Troy as a dutiful provider for his wife, Rose, and his son, Cory; he has steady employment as a sanitation worker. Troy’s past, however, has left him a scarred man—a man of boundless energy and boisterous bitterness. Troy’s childhood was soured by a stern and overbearing father. Troy...

Fences | Fences

At a glance:

The Play

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