Jaymes Ngo 2/14/14 World Literature II Fences by August Wilson PAPER GOAL When I first encountered Fences in my sophomore

year, what left the greatest impact on me was the play s realism! Wilson s treatment of family life in Fences is unapologetically honest and pointed! "he facade of a cohesi#e, happy family $uic%ly melts away as the first act progresses, re#ealing the &itterness and unspo%en suffering that they har&or! "he image of the '#eryman suggested &y "roy and (ono in the first scene is $uic%ly flipped on its head as secrets shatter and tempers flare! )ll the while, the tension within the family is matched with an e$ual, outside struggle for a &etter life in a racially di#ided city! I plan to e*amine the characters and setting in Fences, one of ten plays in )ugust Wilson s +itts&urgh ,ycle! I &elie#e that Wilson s use of character dynamics and social and socioeconomic status are intended to illustrate the more uni#ersal struggle of coping with family affairs in an oppressi#e society! )lthough the characters are &lac% and li#e in a racially charged era, I theori-e that )ugust Wilson intended for his play to ha#e a greater reach, to spea% to the .'#eryman.!

WORKING THESIS )ugust Wilson uses character relationships and the setting of a racially di#ided +itts&urgh in the 1/012s to illustrate the greater struggle of li#ing family life within the restraints of social oppression!

PRELIMINARY BIBLIOGRAPHY 3antt, +atricia 4! Putting Black Culture on Stage: August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle ,ollege Literature, 5ol! 67, No! 2, )ugust Wilson 89pring, 211/:, pp! 1;20 <oprince, 9usan! Baseball as History and Myth in August Wilson's "Fences")frican )merican =e#iew, 5ol! 41, No! 2 89ummer, 2117:, pp! 64/;60> Lyons, (onnie! An Inter ie! !ith August Wilson,ontemporary Literature, 5ol! 41, No! 1 89pring, 1///:, pp! 1;21 4ills, )lice! "H# WA$%I&' B$(#S: An Anthro)ological A))roach to the "heater o* August Wilson"he (lac% 9cholar, 5ol! 20, No! 2, (lac% ?rama @ Film 89pring, 1//0:, pp! 61;60 Wilson, )ugust! FencesNew Aor% ,ityB 9amuel French, Inc!, 1/>C! +rint!

TOPIC OUTLINE Introduction (rief &ac%ground of Fences +lot synopsis "hesis statement Distory +itts&urgh cycle Fences may &e located in +itts&urgh (rief conte*t on +itts&urgh locations and 1/012s en#ironment Ese of setting +resent importance of setting +ull e*amples from te*t Fence +resent the idea of "roy &uilding the fence Include (ono2s $uote a&out %eeping people in ?iscuss use of fences to %eep out death 8"roy2s idea, setting: ?iscuss use of fences to %eep in family 8=ose2s idea, family: Familial ties '*plain family dynamics and relationships 3i#e &rief &ac%ground to each character "roy 4a*son '*plore significance of main character Fuestion role as protagonist or anti;hero, &ased on treatment of others Ese of relationships '*plain general $ualities Goom out from specifics to an He#erymanI #iew +ull e*amples 8i!e! "roy and (ono, ,ory2s foot&all, etc!: ,onclusion =eintroduce thesis 9ummari-e ideas to ma%e way for new thoughts ,onclude

Isherwood, Charles. "August Wilson, Theater's Poet Of Black America, Is ead at !"." The New York Times. The #ew $ork Times, % Oct. %""&. We'. %& (e'. %")*. +htt,-..www.n/times.com.%""&.)"."0.theater.newsandfeatures."0wilson.html1 2r3"4ad5nnl3)4,agewanted3%4ad5nnl53)0600&7%8)9:)u ;$m. <;0:=,>8sc:"?@.

Fences is one of ten plays written &y )ugust Wilson as part of the +itts&urgh cycle! "he +ulit-er +ri-e winning play offers a glimpse into the li#es of a wor%ing class )frican;)merican family in 1/012s )merica! "he play is a concentration on 21th century racial relations, generational di#ides, and family life! Wilson details the creation of a fence to outline the character relationships within the play, contri&uting to the themes of communicating across generational gaps and sur#i#ing in a socially oppressi#e society! "he greatest thematic representation of the relationships in Fences hides itself slyly in plain sight throughout the entire play! "he maJority of the first act sees "roy &uilding a fence to erect around the yard at =ose2s re$uest! When they $uestion her intentions, (ono shrewdly o&ser#es, Hsome people &uild fences to %eep people outK and other people &uild fences to %eep people in!I 8Wilson 0/:! )lthough (ono is referring to =ose, I &elie#e this statement is a reflection on all the relationships &etween the characters! 4uch of the conflict &etween the characters is heightened the limitations the characters attempt to impose on one another and the conse$uences of o#erstepping those &oundaries! "he fence growing around the 4a*son2s yard is the ideal representation of these limitations and their effects on the relationships within the family! "he primary conflict in the first act occurs &etween ,ory, who wants to pursue foot&all, and "roy, who &elie#es that sports will get ,ory nowhere! In a clear e*ample of a generational di#ide, "roy employs his own e*periences with racism in the Negro leagues to for&id ,ory from pursuing a future in foot&all! ,ory, howe#er, &elie#es that times ha#e changed since "roy2s pursuits in &ase&all, and he may ha#e a chance at succeeding in an integrated sports league! When ,ory challenges "roy, "roy lays down the near;impossi&le conditions that ,ory can play foot&all if he %eeps up his chores as well as a Jo& at the )@+! "hese limitations create the tension that underlies the first act! (y %eeping ,ory from playing foot&all, "roy effecti#ely fences him in, which is reflected in the physical manifestation of the fence! (ecause Fences is a play, the stage directions can &e implemented to further the idea that the fence is a representation of the generational di#ide &etween "roy and his sons! "roy2s distance from his sons is argua&ly heightened &y the generational differences &etween them; while ,ory and Lyons see% ways to integrate themsel#es into society, "roy is con#inced from his earlier years that the &est way to con$uer racism is to conform to it! "he stage directions of the play suggest that this generational di#ide can &e further e*plored with the use of the fence! 'ach time Lyons enters to as% "roy for money or ,ory e*its to go to foot&all practice, they must pass the fence that "roy is &uilding! "he act of passing through the fence could &e seen as a physicali-ation, howe#er su&tle, of the control "roy implements on his sons! '#ery time they lea#e or enter the house, they must pass through "roy2s fence, as though they must recei#e his clearance &efore they ma%e any decision! Lyons must recei#e "roy2s permission to &orrow money from the family and ,ory must chec% in with "roy &efore he can lea#e the house to play foot&all, Just as how either of the two &oys must pass through the fence to enter or e*it the yard! "he theme of &eing fenced in recurs throughout the entire play! When "roy confesses to sleeping with another woman, he e*presses that he felt Hloc%edK into a

pattern trying to ta%e care of L=oseMI, essentially fenced into his own house and marriage 8Wilson 77:! "his situation is a more literal reflection of how =ose tries in #ain to %eep her family in and how "roy continues to &uild a fence around himself, pushing e#eryone else away! (y the end of the second act, "roy has fenced himself in so completely that he no longer has any&ody to connect with! =ose has disowned him as her hus&and, Lyons is no longer financially reliant on him, ,ory has lost his respect for him, and his friendship with (ono has grown wea%! )ll four ha#e fleeting interactions with "roy &efore lea#ing him and "roy finds himself alone in his yard, closed off from the others &y the fence he &uilt! "he image presented onstage is a complete 1>1N from the &eginning of the play, when he had complete control o#er the other people in his lifeB =ose, who had remained loyal out of duty, Lyons and 3a&riel &y need, ,ory &y fear, and e#en (ono, who was indicated in the stage direction as &eing Ho&#iously the followerI 8Wilson C:! Now, the fence "roy has erected represents the emotional walls he has &uilt up &etween himself and those he lo#es, and he stands alone in his yard, accompanied only &y his omnipresent fear of ?eath! ,on#ersely, the scene immediately following shows the reunion of the 4a*son family a few years into the future, after "roy2s death!