Troy Selfish in Fences Essay Example

In the play, Fences, by August Wilson, contains characters with different needs which create conflict that is serious as well as emotional. This takes place in the late-1950s, where racial discrimination was ubiquitous in the United States at that time. It teaches a lesson on boundaries and responsibility, and the metaphor of it was the fence being built around the Maxson family's residential abode. A close-minded and narcissistic middle-aged man named Troy Maxson only cares about his own needs rather than his own family's. In Act 1, Scene 3 of the aforementioned play, Troy refuses to allow Cory to be part of a college football team, as well as rejects his son's needs for a television. This reveals how selfish Troy can be and his close-minded character. According to his wife, Rose, Cory demands respect and acceptance from Troy sometime, revealing he never attains it. In Act 1, Scene 4 of the play, Troy informs his friends that he went down to the A&P workplace and found out that Cory was lying to him, which causes a problem that Troy oversteps Cory's boundaries by not letting him play football for the college ever again. This reveals that Troy is serious about his son's progress. Troy expects better from his son, that he goes way too far to ruin his life. I conclude that Troy is revealed to be a selfish, close-minded and narcissistic protagonist in the play, that he does this to his own son. Troy is not only selfish to his son, but also to his wife, Rose. In Act 2, Scene 1, Troy tells Rose that he has been seeing another woman behind her back named Alberta, also that woman is pregnant. This presents his selfish character more broadly than ever. Rose revealed that they have been married for eighteen years and that she's unhappy hearing this hurtful news from Troy. In Act 2, Scene 3, in the scene prior to this one, Alberta recently gave birth to the baby, but died due to childbirth. In the exact scene, it takes place about six months later or so, Rose takes custody of the baby daughter, which results in both Rose and Troy breaking up with each other. This also presents how Troy's selfishness backfires as a result. Rose has more common sense and is more open-minded than Troy, which makes them polar opposites. I can conclude that Troy is selfish towards all of his family, and he only cares about what's good for him.

In the epilogue of the play, things get better for the Maxsons. In Act 2, Scene 5, Raynell, the new daughter for the family, is now seven years old and her new older brother, Cory is part of the Marines. This reveals the needs are met for the family, but not the needs they had in mind. In the same epilogue scene, Troy is dead after all his time metaphorically "fighting with Death." Funeral arrangements are taking place as a result of that. Cory had refused to go to the funeral, but Rose made him change his mind after all those years of his father treating him badly. In conclusion, the family needs are met, but ever better needs, the conflict began when Troy was getting overly involved in his friends' lives. One of the main points of the story was attempting to build a fence around the house which is a metaphoric meaning because Troy has overstepped his friend's boundaries. Real-life lessons from this play could be to not ask for people's personal information about their lives nor be narcissistic and careless about other people, and yes, I notice the irony in this moral. That concludes this essay.