Table of contentsFather-son relationship in FencesTroy and his father's relationshipTroy and Cory's relationship in FencesLyon and his father (Troy)ConclusionWorks citedFather-son relationship in Fences “Fences” by August Wilson is one of the pieces that can be used as a good example to illustrate the theme of father-son relationship. The play is a masterpiece by August Wilson. There are three seemingly complex and confusing father-son relationships. We can observe that the relationships that exist between Troy and Cory, Troy and his father and Troy and Lyon do not flourish through love. In all of these relationships, sons attempt to escape the constraints imposed by their fathers. At the end of the play, the sons find themselves in a difficult situation since their fathers seem to have an unbreakable bond with their sons, making it difficult for them to escape a fate similar to that of their father. To analyze the relationship between Troy and Cory in Fences, this essay will evaluate the relationship between fathers and sons in the play, as well as the effects of this relationship in the characters' lives. It will also evaluate literary elements such as characters, theme and conflict. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay “Fences” has different characters. Troy Maxson is the main character of the novel. He is the father of Cory Maxison and Lyons Maxison. Rose Maxison is the wife of Troy and the mother of Cory and Lyons. Troy has a long-time best friend known as Bono. The two men met a long time ago in prison, when they were young. Gabriel is Troy's brother. He is the only other sibling. He was injured during World War II and therefore has a metal plate in his head. Troy's father was also featured in the play. They say he is very naughty. He ended up treating his family so ruthlessly that they had to flee him. Characters like Troy, Cory, and Lyons are still chasing the dream of breaking ties with their fathers. However, fathers seem to cling so tightly to the bond that sons are unable to break it. This leads to conflicts and poor relations between the parties. Troy, once escaped from his father due to his evil nature. However, the way Troy was treated seems to have affected him so much that he ends up treating his sons and family the same way. Just like the father, Cory and Lyons were unable to achieve their dreams and thus ended up being failures, just like their father. The relationship between Troy and his father One of the most important themes in the play Fences is the father-son relationship. The bond between Troy and his father was far more complex than anyone could have imagined. Troy was heavily influenced by his relationship with his father, the way he behaves towards his sons is a perfect mirror of the way he related to his father. Troy says, “Sometimes I wish I didn't know my father. He doesn't care about the children. (…) But I will say this for him… he felt responsible towards us. Troy was fourteen years old when he was forced to become a man and leave his father's house. However, Troy is a hypocrite because he tries to act towards his children, like Cory, the same way his father behaved towards him, although he speaks so negatively about his father. Troy recounts how he and his mother left their father because they "could not stand the evil that their father possessed." Troy's recognition of his father's faults, but his failure to recognize the similarities between the two, foreshadows similar consequences. Eventually, Cory and Rose leave him. Troy's relationship with his father is influenced by the times, as Troy's fatherTroy grew up in the 1800s after the abolition of slavery, and the fact that he grew up in that environment ultimately influenced the way he painted his children and how he showed affection for them. The relationship between Troy and Cory is more bitter and strained than between Troy and his father. Troy's combative attitude comes from his past. He blames discrimination for preventing him from realizing his dream of playing major league baseball, and he can't let go of that bitterness. Cory resembles the change happening in the late 50s, which Troy is reluctant to believe. Cory is offered opportunities that his father turned down, which is primarily the root cause of Troy's resentment towards Cory. Cory breaks the cycle of the broken father-son relationship by returning home for his father's funeral. Troy never returned to his father after he left. The relationship between Troy and his father was far more complicated than anyone could have imagined. Yet Troy is so affected by this relationship that the way he acts on his sons perfectly mirrors the way he bonded with this father when he was young. Troy says that “sometimes I wish I didn’t know my father. He doesn't care about the children. (…) But I will tell him this… he felt responsible towards us. (Wilson, I, IV, p50). As Troy recounts his life with his father, he talks about a time when he tried to escape from home when he was young. However, Troy is a hypocrite since he tries to act on his children like his father tried to act on him despite the fact that he talks about his father in a degrading way. It is evident that Troy and his mother left their father because they “could not stand that wickedness” which possessed their father (Wilson, I, IV, p51). The similarity of Troy's actions to those of his father portends similar consequences. As a result, Cory and Rose eventually leave him. The relationship between Troy and Cory in Fences The dream that Cory had in his life is shattered by his father Troy since he forbids it. This makes the relationship between the two very strained. Cory tries to escape his father's intentions, but it doesn't bear fruit as his father's presence in his life seems permanent. As Troy tries to refer to his son, he states, "I don't want him to be like me!" I want him to stay as far away from my life as possible. (Wilson, I, II, p39). Troy is still bitter, which creates a strained relationship between him and his son. This, however, is a result of the life Troy lived in the past. Troy is still bitter because racism didn't allow him to realize his dream. When his son Cory follows in his footsteps in sports, Troy does not allow his son to pursue this dream because he fears that what happened to him will also happen to his son. He wants his son not to face the racism he faced in his time, but at the same time he acts jealously and overprotectively. According to Lochman, John and Karen, like any other parent, his intentions were mostly sincere, but his methods were extreme. He wants to dictate his son's life by shaping him rather than letting him explore possibilities. Troy doesn't want to accept the possibility that racism has been eliminated and fears his son will face the same thing. Cory wants so badly to escape the path his father followed but it's ironic that he ends up falling in his father's footsteps. At one point, Cory tells his father that "just because you weren't lucky, you're just afraid that I'm better than you, that's all." (Wilson, I, IV, p58). This strained relationship lasted until Cory could no longer pursue his dream of becoming a baseball player. He ends up a Marine Corps, which makes him as disillusioned as his father. Lyons and his father (Troy) Lyons did not either.