Ms. Haskell
English II
NAME: __________________________________
Fences Study Guide
Act I, Scene i
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What year is it?
Describe Troy Maxson.
Describe Bono.
Why are people calling Troy a “troublemaker”?
Describe Rose.
Do you think Troy has been faithful to Rose? Why or why not?
Who is Cory? Describe him. Why does Troy not want him to pursue football?
Troy states that “Death ain’t nothing but a fastball on the outside corner” (10). Explain what
Troy means by this statement.
9. Who is Lyons? Describe him.
10. On page 15, Troy tells about how the Devil gave him credit to buy furniture, and Rose states,
"Troy lying." Why does Troy create these stories? Who could the Devil represent?
11. Troy states that “Life don’t owe you nothing…” (18). Explain Troy’s philosophy.
12. Describe Troy’s relationship with Lyons.
13. Troy cannot understand Lyons’ dream of being a musician. Have your parents/guardians
never supported you? How did you feel?
Act I, Scene ii
1. The song Rose is singing uses a metaphor comparing Jesus to a fence. What does the fence
symbolize for Rose?
2. Rose likes to play the lottery or numbers. Why do you suppose Troy does not?
3. Who is Gabriel? Describe him.
4. Who is the Archangel Gabriel? Who is St.Peter?
5. Gabe states that he saw Troy’s name in St. Peter’s book, but that Rose’s name is on another
page. (26) Explain the possible significance of Gabe’s words.
6. How did Troy pay for his home? Is he proud of this fact? Explain.
Act I, Scene iii
1. Where is Troy returning from in the beginning of this scene? How do you know this?
2. What does Troy want for his son, Cory? Do you think Cory NOT going to college will help
him to achieve this? Explain.
3. How does Troy view fatherhood? His marriage to Rose?
4. Is Troy a man who finishes what he starts? Give examples from the play.
Act I, Scene iv
1. What happens to Troy at the commissioner’s office?
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What does the expression, “searching out the new land”, mean?
Do you think Troy is similar to his father? Explain.
When did Troy say he became a man?
How did Troy end up in prison? Was it a learning experience for Troy? Explain.
What does Troy say is “strike one” for Cory? This is an example of what figure of speech?
Do you believe that Troy ruined Cory’s “only chance”? Explain.
Act II, Scene i
1. What do the italicized scene directions reveal about Cory?
2. What is Bono trying to find out about Troy?
3. What is the significance of Bono’s reason for building fences? In other words, what does he
say is the purpose for building a fence?
4. According to Bono, what caused him to admire Troy? What did he learn by following
Troy?
5. What does Bono say that Troy tells him all the time? Is Troy following his own wisdom?
Explain.
6. What is the deal that Troy and Bono strike up, right before Bono leaves?
7. Why is Gabe arrested? What does Rose think would be best for Gabe? Why does Troy not
agree?
8. What news does Troy have for Rose? What is her reaction?
9. How does Troy’s news affect what Rose wanted for her and her family’s lives?
10. What is Troy’s reason for his relationship with Alberta?
11. What metaphor does Troy use for his life? Why does it seem fitting?
12. What does Rose say is the matter with Troy? What is his reaction to Rose’s observation?
13. Describe what happens when Cory enters the house?
14. Explain the symbolic significance of the name Rose.
Act II, Scene ii
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How much time has passed since the end of Scene i?
What question does Rose want Troy to answer? Why?
Why does Troy want to go to the hospital to see Alberta?
What information has Rose found out from Miss Pearl? What is Troy’s response?
What does Rose mean when she states, "You did Gabe just like you did Cory" (75).
What news does Rose learn from the phone call? What is Troy’s response?
Troy resolves to finish building the fence in order to prevent what from happening? Do you
think Troy has resolved to do the “right thing”? Make a prediction.
Act II, Scene iii
1. What does Troy want from Rose?
2. Although Rose agrees, what does she tell Troy?
3. Is Troy sorry for what he has done to Rose?
Act II, Scene iv
1. How much time has passed since the end of Scene iii?
2. What is the name of Troy’s daughter?
3. Why does Lyons come by? What does this action show?
4. How has Cory’s life turned out differently than what he had wanted?
5. How is Rose’s life different on this day than in the past? Explain.
6. How has Troy’s relationship with Bono changed? What has caused it to change?
7. Does Bono keep his end of the deal with Troy?
8. Describe Cory’s reaction to Troy. What upset Troy the most?
9. What does Cory accuse Troy of doing to Gabe?
10. Whose relationship does Troy and Cory’s relationship mirror? Explain.
11. When Cory says, “I’ll be back for my things,” what is Troy’s response? Explain the
symbolic significance of his response. (Hint: Remember what the fence represents to Troy).
Act II, Scene v
1. What is the year of this scene?
2. What has happened to Cory?
3. Who does Bono say that Cory reminds him of?
4. What has happened to Lyons? (Hint: There are two main things).
5. What evidence do we have that Troy loved Cory even though he kicked him out?
6. What is ironic about the way that Troy died?
7. Why does Cory not want to attend his father’s funeral?
8. What is Rose’s reasoning for him to go?
9. Cory compares Troy to a shadow. Explain what Cory means.
10. According to Rose, what did Troy hope to do in raising Cory the way he did?
11. What is Rose’s hope for Raynell?
12. Describe the symbolic significance of what happens to Gabe at the end of the play.