Fences, a 1983 play written by Wilson, was set back during the period of 1950`s which explores the evolvement of the African American people and tries to examine the race issues during this time. The plot of the play focusses on a 53 years old house head called troy who struggles much to make ends meet for his family. Although the play dwells much on the theme of family life and crime existence, the most dominant theme in the play is racism. The reason why Wilson decided to portray this theme throughout the play is the fact that in the 1960`s, African Americans were undergoing so many cases of racism which they had to fight every day. This paper addresses how Wilson brings out the theme of racism and how it relates to American society.
Wilson's Fences illustrates a black American who both opposes
...white mastery and experiences dissatisfaction essentially due to the absence of chances and financial stability. Despite the fact that America developed as the superpower of the world after the Second World War, things had not changed much for the dark populace. The more established era spoke to by Troy had disguised mistreatment so they rely on upon the instruments which they got in the social setting of their own times. A few changes have surely occurred and the new era sees life contrastingly in the light of the changed social environment (Wilson, 97). Fences presents blacks without instruction because of which they are left with couple of decisions and inadequately prepared for overcoming the issues of life.
The Maxson family lives in a dark apartment in Pittsburg in the America of 1950s. It
is in that setting the entire show of their battle, defiance, dissatisfaction, struggle and issue unfurls. The blacks in the New America are not living the one reflected in the Lincolnian meaning of majority rules system and the Jeffersonian thought of characteristic rights (CHEISHVILI, 82). It is an American where the blacks are not ready to appreciate an indistinguishable offices and openings from the whites. At the point when the play opens, we discover Troy and his companion Bono discussing the previous' test to the organization and the union about the blacks' capacity to do similar simple work that whites do.
Troy's defiance and disappointment set the tone of the whole play. In his maturity, he is searching for his rights and his life is an account of missed open doors. This conveys to light the sort of life the Blacks are living in America (Wilson, 254). Because of the absence of instruction and different trainings blacks think that it’s hard to go for a cubicle work. The whole social framework in light of prejudice is in charge of it. Troy's battle for keeping the family together gives us bits of knowledge into the life of blacks in America.
Troy lived during a period when the blacks were generally regarded as second grade nationals. In spite of the fact that he had the excitement and vitality to play in the real classes, he was constantly consigned to the Negro alliances (Wilson, 254). The sort of social environment in which he developed made him disguise the mistreatment practiced by the decision whites. The way he was dealt with blinded him to any probability of whites offering chances to
the blacks. The legacy he got from his dad shapes him positively and he tries to pass similar insight on to the new era. The time in which his child Cory is growing up is not quite the same as his.
Troy is against his child's choice to play in the real alliances. He sees everything in the light of his own experience and his treatment in the hands of the whites. In a way he is correct too in light of the fact that blacks' association in games won't give them a lasting way out of the life of monetary hardship and he is supportive of going for an occupation that can bring cash to take care of the issues of regular day to day existence (Wilson, 24). In spite of the fact that this might be valid, the child can't see things from his dad's perspective. The child too is spot on his own part since he needs to exploit the progressions that have occurred in the America of his own time. What lies at his foundation of these issues, clashes and battles of the blacks are the bigger social framework that regards blacks as debased and mediocre compared to the whites.
Many people argue that racism is everywhere. It always happens around us in all that we do. It can be used to refer to the characterization of individuals depending on their race, skin color or ethnicity. America consists of a wide range of races and ethnic groups (Gullestad, 62). Wilson wrote this play back in the 1960`s to 1965 which is a period when American was going through segregation and blossom results (Steinberg,
et al 212). This is a period when African Americans were going through high levels of discrimination and mistreatment from the white people. Wilson used this idea of time setting to make sure that he attracts as many people as possible towards reading and watching his play. In the modern world, the idea of racism has been well fought with and is rarely heard of.
Work cited
- Wilson, August. Fences Samuel French, Inc., 1986.
- Gullestad, Marianne. "Invisible fences: Egalitarianism, nationalism and racism." Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 8.1 (2002): 45-63.
- CHEISHVILI, TAMAR. "Writing ‘Race’: Fences by August Wilson" TAMAR SHIOSHVILI (2011): 82.
- Steinberg, Stephen, and Steven Michael Teles Turning back: The retreat from racial justice in American thought and policy Boston: Beacon Press, 1995.
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