Along with the 4th of July and apple pie, baseball is a famous symbol of America. Since its invention more than 150 years ago, the game has served as a powerful metaphor for the American dream, as well as the democratic hopes and ideals that accompany the idea. However, in 1957, when August Wilson's film Fences was set, baseball was still in the early stages of desegregation, a process that had begun ten years earlier. This racial revolution left Wilson's protagonist, Troy Maxson, a 53-year-old former Negro League star, angered by the opportunities he was denied in his own baseball career. Troy's disappointment affects not only his life, but also that of his family, especially his 18-year-old son, Cory. Working from his outdated assumption that discrimination still exists in sports despite cultural changes, Troy attempts to protect Cory by denying him a football scholarship and a chance to achieve the American dream. Troy explains his actions entirely through baseball terminology. Troy also draws on baseball imagery to depict an extramarital affair and its relationship with death itself. Using these striking baseball images and charged rhetoric, Troy Maxson challenges the constraints of racism and the banality of his own life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Consumed with bitterness, Troy dwells on memories of his former playing days while trying to distinguish himself as unique. After having his wish to play baseball professionally denied, Troy focuses on the biggest obstacle to his former dreams. In Troy's mind, the only reason he hasn't been successful in baseball is his race. After Rose suggests that Troy was just too old once baseball's color barrier was broken, he says, "What do you mean, too old?" Don't come and tell me I was too old. I just wasn't the right color. Hell, I'm fifty-three and I can do better than Selkirk's .269 right now! (39). Troy's clear awareness of the power of race in determining opportunity is the primary source of his discontent. Troy feels the need to stand out, as shown by his use of "just" to justify his anxiety. His comparison to New York Yankees outfielder George Selkirk, an average white player, also demonstrates his desire to make others understand that he was indeed talented enough to play in the major leagues. He goes further to compare himself favorably to Selkirk, saying, “A .269 batting man, get it? .269. What kind of meaning does this have? I was hitting .432 with thirty-seven home runs! » (9). Troy even goes so far as to compare himself to other black baseball players. He notes: "Jackie Robinson was a nobody...Hank Aaron is a nobody." (34) Bringing these legendary African American players to his own level, Troy suggests that it is truly impossible for a black athlete to succeed in white-controlled professional sports. These claims, however, seem futile and unjustified coming from embittered Troy. His repeated use of the word "nobody" also serves to illustrate one of the reasons why Troy could never have succeeded in professional baseball, a reason that he himself does not recognize. Wilson portrays Troy as a stubborn and confrontational man, far less conciliatory than would have been necessary to deal with the difficulties of being black in the major leagues of the 1940s and 1950s. other players and the racist culture of baseballthus make him appear as a provocateur rather than as a victim. His prejudice and bitterness also affect his son Cory's baseball career. Believing that African Americans will never have a fair chance in sports, Troy denies Cory the chance to play college football. The confrontation between Troy and Cory persists throughout the play. It begins when Cory learns that he has won a scholarship to the University of North Carolina. Troy's immediate reaction to this news is to assume that Cory won't even have the chance to succeed. Troy says, "The white man ain't gonna let you go anywhere with this football now." (35) This echoes Troy's own complaints about his baseball career, but his concern for Cory's future is even more acute. Troy lumps every sporting organization or person with power under the name “white man.” This generalization shows how disillusioned and prejudiced Troy is after experiencing so many disappointments in his baseball career. So when his own son is given a chance far greater than any chance Troy received, he instantly rejects it due to his long-held fear of exclusion and rejection by those in power. When Rose tries to convince Troy to let Cory play, she explains that Cory is just trying to be like his father. She said, "Why don't you let that boy play football, Troy?" There's nothing wrong with that. He’s just trying to be like you in sports” (39). The indignant language that Troy uses in response suggests that Rose has touched on a very sensitive topic. Having Cory be exactly like him is precisely what Troy wants to prevent. Troy tells Rose, "I don't want him to be like me!" I want him to stay as far away from my life as possible... I decided seventeen years ago that this boy would not get involved in any sports. Not after what they did to me in sports” (39). The way Troy protects and cares for his son is confusing to Rose and infuriating to Cory. In Troy's mind, he is protecting his son from the same disappointments. The world of sports and baseball have come to represent such evils to Troy that he lets his past shape Cory's future, determined not to allow racism to dictate Cory's life. Wilson leaves it ambiguous why Troy waited so late in Cory's life to stop him from playing sports. Perhaps it's because Troy realizes that because Cory plays a different sport in a different era, he might actually have a better chance of success than his father. This clash between Cory and Troy ultimately renders Cory unable to live in the same house as his father. As Troy moves further and further away from his dream of playing baseball, he begins to merge the playing field with his home life. Troy begins to use baseball imagery to lead his family and challenge white culture. Wilson describes the play's only setting as "a small, partially fenced dirt field...A baseball bat leaning against a tree." This description suggests that Troy still treats his surroundings like a baseball game. The dirt of the yard provides a field on which to go and fight with whomever he wants, just as he did while playing the real game. Baseball imagery is central to how Troy makes sense of his world . He describes his attitude toward life to Rose by saying, "You're born with two strikes on you before you get to the plate." You have to guard him closely... always looking for the curveball in the inside corner” (69). This powerful image shows a defiant Troy as a perpetual fighter in the batter's box of life, striving to make a decent living in a world that will always discriminate against him. Troyattempts to pass this beleaguered, truculent mentality onto Cory as well, but after learning that Troy has crushed his football prospects, Cory becomes so enraged that he begins making angry accusations against his father. He says, “Just because you didn’t have a chance!” You’re just afraid that I’m better than you, that’s all” (58). Full of idealism about the promise of the American dream, Cory's reaction reflects the generational conflict between father and son. In response to Cory's accusation, Troy responds with the same imagery of baseball as a battlefield. He said, “I will tell you what your mistake was. You see... you hit the ball and you didn't touch it. This is the first shot. See you in the batter's box now. You swung and you missed. This is the first shot. Don't walk away! » (58) For Troy, baseball is inextricably linked to pain and disappointment. He equates Cory's failure to the physical action of missing a throw, a "strike." This depiction of disappointment in the form of physical action shows the effect that disillusionment and racism have had on Troy's life, as well as how Troy perpetuates this in his parenting decisions. As Cory approaches a "strike," or rather being kicked out of the house, Troy increasingly merges his baseball imagery with ominous warnings. Eventually, Cory gets into a physical fight with Troy and leaves the house, serving as the final blow to Cory's potential sports career. This conflict also has serious consequences for Troy. Shortly before the play's conclusion, Troy shifts his baseball rhetoric toward death and marital conflict to emphasize his proud defiance. After exposing his affair to Rose, Troy again attempts to justify his actions using his traditional baseball terminology. He said, “I was at first base for eighteen years and I thought...well, damn it...keep going! » (70) This explanation opens a window into Troy's character by showing how his life had been focused on responsibility. He assures that he had the right to seek and achieve more because he had led the same “decent” and “useful” life for “eighteen years”. It is telling that he uses "first base" imagery to explain his period of stasis, as his baseball career was also stalled. Through this display of pride, the reader can see how important it is for Troy to differentiate himself and challenge his static life. This theme of defiance continues as the play progresses and Troy begins to address death itself. By linking baseball and death, he convinces himself that he is invincible and close to immortal. Troy says of death: “Death is nothing. I've seen it before. I'm done arguing with him. You can't tell me anything about him. Death is nothing but a fastball to the outside corner” (10). A common habit of Troy's is that he often hides his fear and dismisses reality by using baseball terminology, the one thing he knows best. Troy's dream of becoming a professional baseball player is dashed, and because men were not allowed to show their weaknesses, he consistently uses baseball terminology to downplay his flaws and greatest fears, including death. . Wilson further illustrates this connection between baseball and death, as Troy dies holding a baseball bat in his hand: "He was out here swinging that bat...he swung it and stood there with that smile on the face… and then it fell. » This final connection and symbolization of baseball and death allows Wilson to convey this final message about Troy and his life. Troy equates death to a pitch he could hit to score a home run. This speech echoes.