Fences Group

Question:

coolie
coolie
Student
High School - 10th Grade

In regards to "Fences," how is the life of a black living in a racist society a difficult one?

My question should have many evidence in it to back up my question.

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Posted by coolie on Wednesday June 4, 2008 at 3:53 PM and tagged with characters, fences, racist, society.

Answers:


  1. amy-lepore Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The title "Fences" should begin your answer.  The black characters in this play and in daily life often feel as though fences have been put up to either keep them out of something or to keep them back in an effect to suppress their potential success.  For instance, Troy's profession in the play is a garbage man.  He witnesses that only white men seem to be promoted, and even though he does not have a license to drive, he complains that this is unfair...the fence (a license) allows the advancement of the whites but holds the blacks back.

    His boss promotes Troy because he has complained, but there is another fence:  Troy crosses it, but his friends don't, so it's not as fun to work there for him.

    Troy has long had a dream to play professional baseball, but at this time in history (before the racial tensions come to a head in the 1960's) there were no black ballplayers.  Troy feels that this fence has destroyed his dream...he is held back from that because of his skin color.

    Unfortunately, Troy's entire life has been spent on the outside of fences, & he has trouble seeing the benefit for his son when the college recruiter comes to visit to watch Cory play football.  Since Troy cannot bring himself to trust the white man (whom he considers to be the epitome of the devil), he begins an entire life of exclusion for his son as well by forbidding Cory to play football.

    It is a vicious cycle of suppression by both the white and black.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/fences

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    Posted by amy-lepore on Thursday June 5, 2008 at 5:03 AM