Fences, based on the play written by August Wilson, follows the lives of an urban African American family during the 1950s, and the struggles which they undergo in a constantly changing world. The story is shown from the persepctive of Troy Maxson, a former negro league baseball player who, due to his race, was unable to enter the major leagues. When the position was finally open to African Americans, Troy was deemed too old, and by the movie's start, he works a respectable, if unskilled, job as a sanitation worker. Disappointed over the direction his life has taken, Troy creates conflict within his family when he prevents his son Cory from meeting a football recruiter.
Trailer
Troy explains his own personal philosophy, showing his deep duty to his family but also his inability to properly express love to his son.
After Troy laments about the static nature of his life and the disappointment he feels regarding having never gone forward, his wife Rose bites back with ferocity, saying that she also desired greater things, but accepted her current lot out of love for her family.
Film Significance
Representing a specific era of American history, Fences is tied heavily to the African American experience of the 1950s. The film explores this through the coming of age dynamic shared between Troy and Cory, who are both at odds regarding how to see the world, and more specifically, how to interpret their current state of circumstances. The story touches upon inter-generational clashes between father and son, and how- for better or worse- the son inherits some of the father's traits. Thus, it is a story tied to the development of black masculinity and adulthood during one of the more awkward times of African American history, and the film executes all of these ideas well, with phenomenal acting that works to be as close to the play as possible and enhance the cultural aspects of the work.
Discussion Questions
1. In the film, Troy states that he does not "like" his son, instead stating that he has a responsibility to his family, and that this is what drives his actions, rather than any inherent love for them. What are your thoughts on this way of seeing the world? Does Troy's position have merit, or is it an attempt to remove himself from his family?
2. Troy's blocks Cory's attempts to play football, instead wanting him to take a menial job which he believes will more fairly employ black people. Cory interprets this as Troy being jealous of his success. Is Troy's position forged by a fear of Cory falling victim to racial prejudice, or a fear of his son surpassing him? Might they be intertwined?
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