Fences Play Analysis

Words: 864
Pages: 4

Theater productions have been a world wide form of entertainment for thousands of years. But, as technology advances, the concept of theater is being brought to the big screen. This change of pace would not have even been imagined by William Shakespeare when his first plays took place in the early sixteen hundreds. But, this newer way to bring a drama to life may have been thought of by August Wilson who wrote the play Fences. Regardless, his play, meant for a stage, still required many adaptations and director interpretations when being brought to film. For as many know, a stage production is vastly different from a film production. Fences is a play set in the 1950’s dealing with the current life of a former semi-professional black baseball player, Troy Maxson. His inability to play in Major League Baseball due to his race leads to tension with his family as he grows older. He causes his son Cory to miss out on an opportunity to play college football. He also blames the affair he has on his lack of self satisfaction from baseball. The whole play …show more content…
The play is in the backyard since that is the place in which the fence is being built. Throughout the whole play the fence is an important symbol. Not only is it the title of the play, but a fence is physically being built in the back yard. At one point Troy questions why they have to be building the fence and Bono replies “Some people build fences to keep people out...and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you.” Unfortunately, although the fence does hold Troy in it, he finds the fence as a burden for him. Which, similarly, is how some may say he feels about his relationship with Rose. Although he may love her, ultimately his cheating and child with a different woman causes them to pull apart from each other. This parallels with his inability to complete the fence for