Fences: Racism and its influence on Cory and Troy’s relationship

Over the course of the years, the conception of the term “race” has been widely discussed as a legitimate field of study in literature. According to Malpas and Wake (2006), the perception of “race” is merely a social construct, a peculiar “modern invention” (p. 128). This invention has served to separate one “class of human being” from the other with the belief that human beings can be divided into different morphological categories. In accordance to Appiah (as cited in Malpas and Wake), nowadays, the system of division between races is still present in English literature (p. 132) predicating, for instance, the idea of a “black essence” in African American literature. With this, in the play Fences (1985) written by August Wilson, it is possible to observe some racial aspects that play an important role throughout its plot. In a 1950’s American society, Troy Maxson is a 53-year-old hard worker man who struggles with providing his family with his job as a trash collector in a racist environment. Unable to be in the Major League of Baseball, he blames social segregation of his failure and that motives him to reprove the wishes of his son, Cory, to have a football scholarship at college. Those factors lead them to have a problematic father-son relationship through the story. Having this in mind, in my opinion it can be argued that in Fences (1985), the racial perceptions Troy has on society and, as a consequence, his need to be the dominant figure in his family influence his relationship with Cory. 

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According to the African American Literature (2011) website: “Racism has influenced Troy’s bitter attitude” (par.2) since living in an environment of segregation in which white people were privileged over the African American community shaped his beliefs and how he transmits it to his son, Cory. This can be noticed in the act I scene III of the play in which he explains to Cory why, for him, is so important to have a job and quit football:

The white man ain't gonna let you get nowhere with that football noway. You go on and get your book, learning so you can work yourself up in that A&P or learn how to fix cars or build houses or something, get you a trade. That way you have something can't nobody take away from you. (Wilson, 1985, p. 890).

With this, in my opinion, it is possible to argue that the main objective in Troy’s attitude is to protect Cory from the discrimination he suffered when he played in a Negroes Baseball League. In this sense, he tries to give Cory the tools for subsisting in an unequal social system.

Additionally, Ampensard (2007) asserts that not only racism but also masculinity and the overlapping of them played an important role in the attitude presented by Troy throughout the play, “Troy is consumed by his own need to “be a man,” and if [it is] possible to be the biggest man.” (par. 6) In this manner, it seems to me that Troy’s attitude is not only protective towards a racist context but also can be considered a controlling position over Cory. In other words, A mixture between two masculine figures (Cory and Troy) contesting in order to be predominant in a specific space. This can be seen when Cory finally confronts his father in the second act, scene IV:

CORY: You don't count around here no more.

TROY: Oh, I see ... I don't count around here no more. You ain't got to say excuse me to your daddy. All of a sudden you done got so grown that'your daddy don't count around here no more ... Around here in his own house and yard that he done paid for with the sweat of his brow. You done got so grown to where you gonna take over. You gonna take over my house. Is that right? You gonna wear my pants. You gonna go in there and stretch out on my bed. You ain't got to say excuse me cause I don't count around here no more. Is that right? (Wilson, 1985, p. 904).

In this scene, it is evident to me that both masculine figures are disputing for gaining power and the other for maintaining it. Moreover, I consider that from Troy’s perspective, the fact that Cory was chosen for a football scholarship diminishes his supremacy over Cory since Troy could not develop a successful baseball career due to the racist social system in which he grew up. Similarly, Ampensard (2007) agrees that “Troy’s principle route to establishing and maintaining his manhood — a legendary career as a baseball slugger — was closed off to him by racism.” By all this, it is possible for me to infer how a controlling authority based on masculinity and a protective behavior facing racism play intrinsic roles in Troy’s attitude and therefore how this influences his relationship with his son.

Finally, it seems to me that in this play, racism is one of the most important aspects to be discussed since, maybe, without this conception and division of “races” the character of Troy would be different. His entire life was affected by racist conceptions that took away many opportunities he could have to aspire to a better life. Without those opportunities he developed resentment towards his own life and the chances white people could have and he could not. Therefore, that resulted not only in a problematic relationship with himself but also with the people surrounding him, especially his son, Cory.

This illustration of segregation is not as distant to reality as we would like to think. In fact, the exclusion of minorities has been an important aspect widely discussed and treated throughout the history of the United States. At present, there are still problems of racism but they are not as visible as previously they were in history. That led me to think that although The United States declare to be a country of opportunities and equal rights, in a under level, they are still “separate but equal.”