Fences Questions and Answers

Fences

August Wilson makes notable use of metaphor in Fences. The most notable metaphor comes from the play's title itself. The action of the play revolves around a fence that Troy and his son Corey are...

5 educator answers

Fences

The title "Fences" in August Wilson's play symbolizes both physical and emotional barriers. It represents the characters' struggles to protect themselves and their loved ones, as well as the...

9 educator answers

Fences

The relationship between Troy and Rose is marked by contrast and complexity. Rose is depicted as a long-suffering, selfless woman who endures Troy's selfishness and infidelity, embodying resilience...

2 educator answers

Fences

The moral of Fences by August Wilson is that love prevails even through the trials of life and the wrong choices people make. Troy Maxson has a rough life and makes many wrong choices, but he does...

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Fences

In "Fences," baseball symbolizes the American Dream and the racial barriers that prevent African Americans from achieving it. Troy's unfulfilled dreams of playing professional baseball, due to racial...

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Fences

The song "Old Blue" in "Fences" holds significant emotional and cultural weight, linking Troy Maxson to his past and the broader African American experience. The song, which evokes nostalgia and...

2 educator answers

Fences

In Fences, Gabriel symbolizes innocence and a connection to the spiritual world. His mental disability and belief that he is the Archangel Gabriel highlight themes of redemption and judgment,...

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Fences

The central conflict in Fences revolves around Troy Maxson's struggles with his past and present. He grapples with the limitations imposed by racial discrimination and his unfulfilled dreams, which...

5 educator answers

Fences

In *Fences*, the three strikes Troy warned Cory about are: first, Cory lying about working at the A&P and continuing to play football; second, Cory standing up to Troy to protect his mother...

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Fences

In "Fences," father-son relationships are depicted as complex and strained. Troy Maxson's harsh and demanding nature creates tension with his son, Cory, who seeks his father's approval while also...

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Fences

Fences contains several symbolic and/or ironic names. Rose's name symbolizes love and loyalty, and indeed, she is completely loving and loyal to her family. Lyons's name suggests the pride, majesty,...

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Fences

Troy's approach to fatherhood and his shortcomings as a father and husband in "Fences" are deeply influenced by his own harsh upbringing and life experiences. Scarred by his father's cruelty and his...

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Fences

Two examples of situational irony in Fences are: first, Troy builds a fence to keep death out, but death still finds him, leading to his funeral. Second, Troy becomes the first African-American...

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Fences

Troy in Fences is a tragic hero because his flaws and decisions lead to his downfall. His inability to move past racial injustices and his infidelity strain his relationships, particularly with his...

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Fences

The main differences between the film and play Fences include the film's faithfulness to the original dialogue and the loss of some intensity in the transition to screen. Critics note the theatrical...

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Fences

Troy was imprisoned in Fences for accidentally killing a man during a robbery. He was trying to protect himself after being shot, which led to the man's death. This experience significantly shaped...

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Fences

The evolving dynamic between Bono and Troy in Fences highlights Troy's increasing flaws. Initially, Bono admires Troy, but as Troy's actions, such as his infidelity, become more apparent, Bono's...

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Fences

The irony of Troy's job as a garbage truck driver in Fences lies in his lack of qualification for the position he demands. Despite championing fairness and equality, Troy lies about having a driver's...

3 educator answers

Fences

In Fences, Troy is mean to Cory because he doesn't want him to pursue a career as a professional sportsman and suffer the same prejudices and unfair treatment that he received as a young black...

2 educator answers

Fences

In Fences, music plays a crucial role by symbolizing the characters’ lives and cultural heritage. Rose's gospel hymn reflects her faith and desire for protection, Lyons' jazz represents his...

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Fences

Gabriel's dance and his line "That's the way that go!" in Fences signify a celebration of Troy entering heaven. Gabriel's dance, described as "eerie" and "life-giving," connects to his African...

2 educator answers

Fences

Obstacles preventing Troy Maxson from achieving his desires in Fences include racial discrimination, his own personal flaws, and societal limitations. Racial barriers prevent him from advancing in...

2 educator answers

Fences

In August Wilson's play Fences, Raynell and the garden are symbolic of the Maxson family's fresh start and of new life. Further, they both symbolize beauty and love.

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Fences

The message of "Fences" by August Wilson revolves around the struggles of African American families in the 1950s, highlighting themes of racial discrimination, personal dreams, and generational...

3 educator answers

Fences

In "Fences," Troy Maxson's relationships with his sons, Cory and Lyons, are strained due to his own flaws and expectations. Troy's harshness and inability to support Lyons' musical ambitions or...

6 educator answers

Fences

Themes in August Wilson's play "Fences" include racial discrimination, family dynamics, and personal failure. These are reflected through dramatic elements such as character development, dialogue,...

3 educator answers

Fences

The failing trumpet at the end of Fences signifies the culmination of Gabriel's belief that he is the angel Gabriel. Despite the broken mouthpiece, Gabriel's singing and dancing symbolize a spiritual...

1 educator answer

Fences

August Wilson uses the "three strikes" metaphor in Fences to highlight the limited opportunities and struggles faced by the protagonist, Troy Maxson, and his family. Troy uses the metaphor to...

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Fences

Traits which make Troy Maxson in Fences an unlikeable protagonist include his adultery and disrespect for his wife, his constant disrespect for his son's ambitions, and his violent temperament.

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Fences

August Wilson's play Fences is a drama, or more specifically, a family drama. We know this work is a play because there are stage directions and characters speaking dialogue. The play is about an...

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Fences

August Wilson entitles his play “Fences” in order to establish ambiguity as to which fences are truly the most detrimental to his characters’ ability to cope with everyday life. He explores a...

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Fences

In Fences, the attitude towards women is generally marginalizing. Rose, the primary female character, is often relegated to a domestic role, reflecting societal expectations of the 1950s. Although...

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Fences

The setting of Fences reveals that the Maxson family is poor and somewhat divided. Their old, unpainted house and unfinished fence symbolize their financial struggles and incomplete aspirations....

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Fences

Troy Maxson deserves to enter heaven because he has shown deep care for his family and has suffered significantly due to racism. Despite his flaws, like committing adultery, he redeems himself by...

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Fences

Troy's life is paralleled with baseball in several ways in August Wilson's Fences. He often uses baseball metaphors to describe his struggles, viewing life as a series of pitches he must hit. His...

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Fences

To a great extent, Wilson has created Troy's character as representation of one large flashback.  Troy has not been able to sort through the wreckage of his own past to make sense of the...

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Fences

Rose undergoes the most dramatic change in Fences. Initially devoted to her husband, she is devastated by Troy's infidelity and the birth of his child with another woman. Despite her pain, Rose...

2 educator answers

Fences

In August Wilson's Fences, the American Dream is depicted as largely unattainable for African Americans due to systemic racism and class barriers. Troy Maxson's experience highlights this, as his...

2 educator answers

Fences

Racism and social injustice deeply affect relationships and conflicts in "Fences." These themes contribute to the protagonist, Troy Maxson's, bitterness and frustration, influencing his interactions...

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Fences

Are you perhaps referring to Robert Frost's poem 'Mending Wall' here? Of course he is not the only writer to discuss the themes of barriers, divisions, fences and walls in our society and in...

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Fences

Troy Maxson views family as a responsibility and often imposes his own rigid beliefs and frustrations on them. His domineering attitude and inability to express love create tension and alienation,...

3 educator answers

Fences

Wilson's motivation to write Fences was to articulate the condition of African- Americans in the early stages of integrated society and to depict the reality of how African- Americans navigate social...

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Fences

In August Wilson's Fences, the characters of Troy Maxson and his family live out the epigraph as they deal with their sins from their past. Troy uses baseball as an analogy to life, but Rose gets...

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Fences

In August Wilson's play Fences, Troy Maxson tries to justify his unfaithfulness by appealing to his feelings instead of listening to his reason, which tells him that his actions are wrong. When she...

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Fences

Fences by August Wilson is set in the 1950s in an African American neighborhood in Pittsburgh. The plot centers around Troy Maxson, a former baseball player who now works as a garbage collector, and...

2 educator answers

Fences

In Fences by August Wilson, Lyons helps build the fence between himself and his father by his refusal to get a job and his tendency to borrow money from Troy. Cory helps build a fence through his...

1 educator answer

Fences

In August Wilson's Fences, flowers symbolize beauty, honor, and love. Gabriel gives Rose the flower that bears her name out of love and respect for her. Rose feels like a flower that has failed to...

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Fences

In August Wilson's Fences, Cory develops from a hopeful teenager into a disillusioned adult, shaped by his strained relationship with his father, Troy. He learns the harsh realities of racial...

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Fences

In Fences by August Wilson, Troy Maxson works as a garbage collector, but he used to play baseball.

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Fences

Gabriel's final, "frightful realization" might be the understanding that he is not the messenger angel of God, and that it is not up to him to decide if Troy is to be let into heaven and that...

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