Fences: Quotes and Symbols in Relation to the Plays Drama - Essay Example

Sur Fences (Quotes and Symbols in relation to the play’s Drama) The play Fences the life of a family who is a product of the great depression.People of that time, especially the Negroes, had tough times proving their worth as citizens in America. No matter how good they are, just like Troy, they are not given equal opportunities like the others – Whites. Though racism is not really a topic in the play, the dramas each character in the story experiences is an effect of the inequalities being observed in the play’s setting.

“How come you aint never liked me?” is what Cory says to his father, Troy, in one of their dramas in the play. (Wilson, 37) Cory exposes his deepest feelings towards his father’s lack of concern to his family, especially towards him. But this is not totally true. Wilson depicts a typical man in that era who doesn’t show vulnerability to which Troy believes showing affection is one. At the same time, he cannot like Cory because he is not able to turn his son to be like him. We build fences for two main reasons; to keep people out, and to keep them in.

A fence is a major symbol in the play which connotes the reasons of the Wilson’s characters behind building one. Troy wants to keep his family and he takes building the fence as a sign of the thing he is getting tired of – responsibility. Unfortunately, this fence keeps people out – his family. “Some people build fences to keep people out.and other people build fences to keep people in.”(Wilson, 61)Fences is an effort to explain the effects of racial discrimination in the past. It builds huge blocks between people of different races.

It depicts the challenges of the black Americans have to go through due to discrimination. Psychological and emotional effects are vividly observed in the play. Wilson, August. Fences. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2007. Print.