Fences" August ilson
The Influence of Sports in Fences

Sports is one of the principle motifs in Fences, a play written by August ilson, and is utilized to facilitate the other themes that this work of drama explores. The protagonist, Troy Maxson (Gilmore), is a former Negro leagues baseball player who is still attempting to reconcile his attempts at a career in professional baseball with the fact that he was not permitted to pursue this option due to a racial barrier at the time he was playing. His son, Cory Maxson, is a high school football player with promise who has the potential to play collegiate ball. Due to these facts and their effects upon the characterization of both of these individuals, ilson utilizes the motif of sports to demonstrate a lot of the pertinent themes that Fences is based upon -- such as questions of race and justice (Burbank 118),…...

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Works Cited

Burbank, Sergei. "The Shattered Mirror: What August Wilson Means and Willed to Mean." College Literature 36.2 (2009): 117-29. Print

Dobie, Ann B., ed. Theory Into Practice: An Introduction to Literary Criticism. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. 2009. Print

Gantt, Patricia M. "Putting Black Culture on Stage: August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle." College Literature 36.2 (2009): 1-25. Print

Gilmour, Nathan. "Troy Maxson Goes To Heaven." The Christian Humanist. 2010. Web.  http://www.christianhumanist.org/chb/2010/11/troy-maxson-goes-to-heaven/

ilson, Fences
August ilson's Fences allows the ordinary objects of domestic life to acquire a larger symbolic significance in their dramatic use. The play uses these symbols to dramatize a crucial moment in African-American history: the 1950s, when the great advances of the Civil Rights era are taking place, but when an audience might very well question what tangible effect they had on the lives of actual African-Americans. In presenting the story of Troy Maxson, ilson's story predominantly dramatizes a story about justice: arguably, all of the symbols relate to this central theme.

The chief symbol that encapsulates the play's central themes of justice is, of course, baseball. Troy Maxson -- in his fifties at the time of the play -- is presented as having been a magnificent baseball player in his youth: Troy's friend Bono suggests only "two men ever played baseball as good as you. That's Babe Ruth and…...

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Works Cited

Wilson, August. Fences. New York: Plume, 1986. Print.

Black Bottom
August ilson introduces the importance of Christianity in African-American lives, especially in the characters of Toledo, Cutler, and Levee in the play "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." This play is not overtly about religion, but it is about the African-American experience and cultural identity. Religion plays a major role in the personal and collective identities of African-Americans. Christianity has an ambiguous and paradoxical position within African-American culture. As the religion of the white oppressor, it has ironically been embraced as a primary means of spiritual solace, social support, and existential salvation. However, Toledo, Cutler, and Levee occupy precarious positions in African-American society. Their relationship with Christianity reflects the conflicts embedded in African-American identity.

Christianity is indelibly part of the African-American experience, because of the ways Churches have become central to black community development and maintenance. As Toledo challenges Cutler and Levee about knowing the Lord's Prayer, Cutler responds that his dad…...

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Works Cited

DuBois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. Bartleby, 1903.

Elkins, Marilyn Roberson. August Wilson: A Casebook. New York: Garland, 2000.

Wilson, August. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Samuel French, 1985.

Fences" August Wilson
Breaking Out: Autonomous Independence in Fences

One of the principle characters of August Wilson's play entitled Fences is Cory Maxson, whose role as the son of the play's protagonist, Troy Maxson (Gilmour 2010), is fairly integral to the thematic issues that the author chooses to demonstrate within this dramatic work. As one of Troy's several sons, Cory represents the distinct ideology that is fairly endemic to all parents -- that of their offspring having a better life than they had. However, there are a number of similarities between Cory and Troy that seemingly suggest that Cory may be fated to incur a fate that is painfully similar to that of his father -- a fact that Troy is dutifully cognizant of and tries his hardest to prevent. Wilson imbues both of these characters with a powerful sense of responsibility and self-identity that revolves about their conception of asserting…...

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References

Gilmour, Nathan. "Troy Maxson Goes To Heaven." The Christian Humanist. 2010. Web.  http://www.christianhumanist.org/chb/2010/11/troy-maxson-goes-to-heaven/ 

Wilson, August. Fences. New York: Plume. 1986. Print.

His father cannot see him as a new hope; because he is too busy trying to protect him from the past. However, he cannot protect him, and in fact, he lets the past influence his own decisions. Wilson seems to be saying that many black men cannot learn from their past, instead they keep perpetuating the same mistakes generation to generation.
Troy is a liar, which also gives a clue to Wilson's ideas on fatherhood. Throughout the play he says he loves ose and does not run around on her, yet he has an affair with Alberta, sires a daughter with her, and ose has to raise the daughter when Alberta dies. Thus, he shows that he is not trustworthy - instead, he is cunning and sly. His life is about self-gratification at any cost, and he does not consider the feelings of others in his decisions. Wilson's cynical view…...

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References

Alexander, Elizabeth. "The One Who Went Before: Remembering the Playwright August Wilson, 1945-2005." American Scholar Wntr 2006: 122+.

Perry, Shauneille. "Manhandled: African-American Masculinity -- And Black Womanhood-Are Examined in August Wilson's Oeuvre." American Theatre Apr. 2005: 64+.

Shannon, Sandra G. The Dramatic Vision of August Wilson. Washington, DC: Howard University Press, 1995.

Wilson, August. Fences. New York: Plume, 1986.

When a person understands the history of baseball, much of what Wilson has to say makes more sense, because the jargon of the book can be problematic for others who have no concept of the game. This does not mean that the book cannot be enjoyable to people who have no real concept of baseball, but most people in America today at least know the basics about the game of baseball and how much significance it has had throughout history. Having a basic knowledge of baseball is good before reading Wilson's work. Having a strong knowledge of baseball is even better, because it makes it much more likely that a reader will get all of the references that are made and have a much better idea of the deeper meanings that Wilson is imparting in his work.

From the very beginning of Wilson's work, the audience is dropped right into his…...

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References

Block, David (2006). Baseball Before We Knew it: A look at something I don't remember. Bison Books. 0803262558.

Sullivan, Dean (1997). Early Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball, 1825-1908. U of Nebraska Press.

Ward, Geoffrey C. (1994). Baseball an Illustrated History. New York: Alfred a. Knopf.

Wilson, August (1986). Fences. New York: Plume

Piano Lesson
In August ilson's play The Piano Lesson, Berniece is the protagonist or the heroine and main character, who represents the traditions and heritage of the family going back to the times of slavery and even to Africa itself. illie on the other hand is the antagonist, a violent and angry man, a thief and a murderer who takes revenge on the Sutter family but now intends to use the money from the sale of the piano to buy their land. In short, he is a young capitalist who intends to move up in America and take the place of Sutter, but Berniece decides against this. From the start, she refuses to cooperate with illie, but for most of the play she is reluctant to accept the piano at all during the first two acts of the play, but in the climactic scene at the end, she uses its power…...

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WORKS CITED

Wilson, August. The Piano Lesson. Penguin, 1990.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom august wilson. Plume publishing New York Mr. ison a poet a playwrighter. His play
Levee's physical appearance is very important to his conception of self-identity, which helps him to make up for the fact that he has no distinguishable identity of his own. For instance, he appears in the first act of the play with a pair of extremely expensive shoes. The importance of these shoes is underscored by the fact that they are identified by manufacturer (they are Florsheim shoes). Additionally, they are more expensive than the shoes that most of the other band members have on, and perhaps even more so than the rest of their clothes as well. It is also extremely significant to note that the money used to earn these shoes was partly illicit, since the musician won some of the funds he splurged on his footwear the previous night in a…...

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Works Cited

Wilson, August. "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." New York: Plume. 1985.

Piano Lesson, by August Wilson, who one a Pulitzer Prize for the work in 1990. Specifically, it will address the form, protagonist, and analyze a character in the play.
THE PIANO LESSON

The Piano Lesson," written by August Wilson is a climatic play with the climax coming when Berniece finally sits down to play the piano, something she has not done for many years. She conjures up the spirits of her dead ancestors to help her save the piano, and let go of her own personal turmoil. "I want you to help me Mama Esther... I want you to help me Papa Boy Charles... I want you to help me Mama Ola" (Wilson 107). She calls forth the ghost that Willie Boy literally wrestles at the end of the play, leading up to their ultimate reconciliation. Boy Willie gives up the piano because he finally realizes the importance it plays in…...

Ma ainey's Black Bottom
Ma ainer's Black Bottom

Ma ainey's Black Bottom is an ancient play set through chronological and sequential events from the real experiences of the people represented. It is a playwright by August Wilson. It has a characterization of musical characters with 8 males -5 white and 2 blacks- and 2 African-American females. This musical presentation presents the undying thematic concerns of racism, art, religion, self-hate and exploitation (Wilson 1985). The play has brought to the limelight humorous, salty, carnal and expressive experiences from its characterization. The music-oriented play lightens up a dramatic blend that snakes through agonized periods of blacks to the American life. This context concentrates more on the role of representation of Levee, a young band member and a central character that bring out the odds portrayed by collaborations of the whites and blacks in the music entity.

Levee

As rendered by reading and analysis of the play,…...

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References

Wilson, A. 1985. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Chicago: Samuel French.

ilson's play Fences, one of the primary conflicts is between father and son, a conflict of a sort that recalls many such encounters between fathers and sons. Troy is the father and Cory the son. They are much alike, which is likely where the conflict develops in their case. As is often true between father and son though, the primary conflict derives from their different experiences, with Troy having a long history to remember, a history of hardship and hard lesson, s while Cory has had a softer life and is not learning the lessons that Troy learned, at least not soon enough to satisfy his father.
Troy's experience is clear in the play because he and Bono talk endlessly about it, recalling the days of their youth. Troy has particular memories of his own relationship with his father, a man who taught him much and who was also harsh…...

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Works Cited

Wilson, August. Fences. New York: Samuel French, 1986.

The interaction between father and son allow ilson to introduce the bonding aspect of sports. Troy is so hurt from what has happened to him in prison and afterward, that he cannot believe that things could be any different for anyone else. hen it is pointed out to him that there are successful African-American sportsmen, such as es Covington and Hank Aaron, Troy scoffs and says, "Aaron ain't nobody... Hell, I could hit forty-three home runs right now!" (1619). His clouded perception of the world refuses to let him see a future for any African-American male in football. It is important to realize that part of this refusal to accept that the world has changed would also mean Troy admitting his defeat. Furthermore, if Troy accepted the fact that Cory could be successful, it would mean that he was a failure. Troy's need for control does not allow Cory…...

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Works Cited

Wilson, August. Fences. The Norton Introduction to Literature W.W. Norton and Company. 1991. pp. 1603-51.

She hid the severity of ilson's condition from the public, controlling access to him to everyone except herself and his doctors for a time (Thurston). However, historical evidence suggests that ilson was incredibly weakened by the stroke. Even controlling what reached him and what did not gave her a considerable amount of power. Her actions were barely within the confines of acceptability at the time. It is not surprising that many saw her as "President" at the time.
Historians debate whether to call her the first woman president, or whether, as she stated, she was only acting as ilson's help mate at the time. Certainly, in the context of her time period, she was acting as no women had ever dared in the past. Instead of going to the President's advisors and asking them for advice, she took on the role herself, essentially snubbing their authority as males. She did…...

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Works Cited

Ashby, R. Woodrow and Edith Wilson. Canada: Byron Preiss Visual Publications, Inc. 2005.

Cory at first refuses to attend his own father's funeral, but his mother convinces him that will not make him any more of a "man." In fact, allowing himself to be so stubborn and unforgiving is just like his father, so he is more like his father than he might care to admit. It takes Troy years, but he finally comes to terms with his relationship with his own father, and begins to give up his feelings of anger and hatred. He says, "I got to the place where I could feel him kicking in my blood and knew that the only thing that separated us was the matter of a few years" (Wilson 53). The reader can only hope that someday, Cory will have the same revelation, and when he does, he will do things differently when he has his own son. As the two brothers talk before…...

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References

Jacobus, Lee a. The Bedford Introduction to Drama, Fourth Edition.

Savran, David. "Interview with August Wilson." In Their Own Words: Contemporary American Playwrights. New York: Theater Communications Group, 1988. 288-

Wilson, August. Fences. New York: New American Library, 1987.

Boy Willie's father, Boy Charles, set out to steal the piano with pictures of his family carved by his father, to return it to the rightful owners. As far as Boy Charles was concerned, the piano "was the story of [their] whole family and as long as Sutter had it . . . he had [them]," (Wilson, 1990, p. 45). Similarly, Boy Willie wishes to sell the family piano in order to receive something far more valuable to him -- Sutter's land -- in a move which would symbolically avenge the slavery his family endured under Sutter in the past. Boy Willie's impetuousness to this end and defiance of anyone to stand in his way, along with his fierce ambition to avenge his family's traumatic past allows him to carry on a legacy begun by his father.
Even if Berniece and Boy Willie were not so adamant about manifesting the…...

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References

Wilson, August. 1990. The Piano Lesson. New York: Penguin Group.

In August Wilson’s Fences, the author explores several themes as they relate to the central themes of race, fatherhood, and manhood in the United States.  One of the themes that he tackles is the concept of fate, though the approach is less about life being preordained as it is an examination of how history, social circumstances, and upbringing can combine to make some events appear preordained or fated rather than the intervention of some type of divine or supernatural fate.  This contextual analysis of manhood in a political situation that seems designed to challenge it was explored by