The interaction between father and son allow Wilson to introduce the bonding aspect of sports. Troy is so hurt from what has happened to him in prison and afterward, that he cannot believe that things could be any different for anyone else. When it is pointed out to him that there are successful African-American sportsmen, such as Wes Covington and Hank Aaron, Troy scoffs and says, "Aaron ain't nobody... Hell, I could hit forty-three home runs right now!" (1619). His clouded perception of the world refuses to let him see a future for any African-American male in football. It is important to realize that part of this refusal to accept that the world has changed would also mean Troy admitting his defeat. Furthermore, if Troy accepted the fact that Cory could be successful, it would mean that he was a failure. Troy's need for control does not allow Cory to compete with him and, in a sense, Cory does not stand a chance when it comes to success in his father's eyes.
The complexity of Troy's relationship with Cory emerges through Troy's efforts to control his son. They cannot agree and neither of them feel the need to give in. Cory has his dream of playing ball and Troy is being selfish when he does encourage him to do so. In fact, he not only discourages him, he talks top Cory's coach and seems to do all he can to destroy Cory's dreams. He forces his son to go back to work at the a&P and refuses to discuss things any further. Even though Troy hated his father for being so abusive,...
While it can be said that Troy only wants his son to have a decent, stable future, he is killing Cory because he will not let him make his own decisions. He is letting his past get in the way of his son's future and this is a shame.
Fences explores how the past plays an integral part in our present situations and our future plans. Troy is a man bruised by his past and rather than try to deal with it, he pushed it behind a masculine front. This machismo proves to be what destroys his relationships with those he loves because he cannot accept his lot in life. Because he lets his past cloud his life, Troy is stuck in a rut and the only way he can find relief is through drinking, telling his friends wild stories, and having an affair on Rose. Troy has the opportunity to have a good marriage and he also has the opportunity to see his son rise above the obstacles that he faced as a young man. Rather than embrace these aspects of his life with a positive attitude, Troy approaches them with regret and negativity. This is a recipe for a most unhappy life. Fences is about more than the fence in Rose's yard - it is about the intangible fences we build when we refuse to look for the good that come out of every situation.
Works Cited
Wilson, August. Fences. The Norton Introduction to Literature W.W. Norton and Company. 1991. pp. 1603-51.
