Fences by augusta wilson

Q 6. Troy is unsympathetic character, agree or disagree ‘ Fences’ by Augusta Wilson is an outstanding play which depicts the African- American life of nineteenth century. The play bagged several awards including 1987 Pulister Prize for Augusta Wilson.
Troy, the son of an unsuccessful sharecropper, is the protagonist of the play “ Fences”. . He seems to have complicated relations with the other characters of the play. The African Americans were looked upon as less than citizens at that time. Troy has to suffer under such a condition and was reflected throughout his life in all the relations especially to that of his sons.
He is a typically drawn tragic hero and is considered as one of the greatest characters of American Stage. He is a person believing in fictious world by creating self illusions. We can consider the play as a story of Troy. All The other characters in the play are closely related to the protagonist. The conflicts arises in the play are due to his self illusion and philosophy. He is a person living between two contradictory ideas like that of his name ‘ Maxon’ a fusion of Mason and Dixon.
To some extend we feel that he is an unsympathetic character. The illegal relation with Alberta visibly shows that he is a hypocrite. He was insisting others to be perfect in their life, but he was not so. At the same time he enjoys the freedom of choice. Troy never learned how to treat people close to him and he never gave any one a chance to prove themselves because he was selfish.
. Troy’s relationship with his son ‘ Cory’ reveals the essential quality of a tragic hero, i. e. doing whatever they think right. Troy never allows his son to play football claiming that he doesn’t want Cory to suffer like him. He says “ The white man are not gonna let you get nowhere with that football no way” Cory accuses his father and says ‘ you just scared I’m gonna be better than you, that’s all “.
When the play move forward, the relation become more destructive when Troy admits his relation with Alberta. She dies leaving the baby Raynel in the hands of Rose. But even at that time Troy is found a self –destructive human being.
Work cited
Wilson, August, Fences, 1983
http://www. 123Helpme . com