August Wilson's Fences Analysis

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August Wilson’s “Fences” is a remarkable commentary on the common struggles of African Americans during the 1950s. While racism, social equality and equal job opportunities have improved since then, one particular aspect of African American life has plummeted even further than before. In “Fences”, they label it “the walking blues”, or the inclination for a father to leave his family and inherent restlessness with one’s situation in life. Troy’s troubles with the “walking blues” began with his father. His father had struggled to support his children while showing a certain indifference towards them. When Troy made it clear that his father had a large family to take care of and nowhere to go, his son Lyons responded with a question- why did Troy’s …show more content…
While the majority of the black workers in the south were either working on plantations or domestic servants, the North offered higher wages in their booming factories that were fueled by the recent war. As Troy in “Fences” describes it, the reason he left was because he hated his father. But he describes his decision to head up north as follows, “I got up… and walked on down to Mobile. I was through with farming. Figured I could do better in the city. So I walked the two hundred miles to Mobile” (Wilson).This, “Coupled with the deep and persistent social obstacles faced by southern blacks (e.g., political disenfranchisement, inferior schools, and racially motivated violence) … represented a powerful incentive to pursue the greater opportunities available in the North” (Tolnay, “The Great Migration”). This was no small migration. In its zenith, one fourth of southern born blacks found homes in the North (Tolnay, “The Great …show more content…
Troy’s friend, Bono warns him subtly of this issue when he finds out that Troy has been cheating on his wife. Bono tries to remind him to stay satisfied with Rose. Bono tries to implore him to rise above his own father’s mistakes as well as his own. By refusing to listen, Troy once again chases the pleasures of life instead of staying content where he was. While not leaving his family, he displayed “the walking blues” when he cheated on his wife. When revealing to her that he was the father of another woman’s child, he voices his discontentment with his lot in life- a sign of the “walking blues.” “I [have] been standing in the same place for eighteen years” he remarks, adding that to be with the other woman was to “steal second” in his baseball allegory of life (Wilson). In sharp contrast, Bono resisted “the walking blues”, finding happiness in his life with his wife. Troy’s own son Corey hated him for what he had done to the family and avoided the same “walking blues” his father was afflicted with. The “walking blues” is a serious effect of the macrosystem. It is almost impossible to avoid or run away from. The social issues presented in “Fences” were commonplace for African Americans of that time period and region. And yet, as heavy as its weight may be, the macrosystem’s influence does not define who one is. In the end, it is up to the individual
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