Running head: Position Paper
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Introduction
Wilson’s play includes several types of conflict. The first conflict is Troy versus (vs)
Society. Troy is a bitter ex baseball player who played for the minor leagues and did not have the
opportunity to play for the major leagues. The next conflict is Troy vs Family. This conflict
includes minor conflicts between his wife, his mistress, and his brother. The third conflict is the
conflict between Troy and death.
This external conflict with death or the devil also plays a role in the internal conflict
within Troy. Also, researchers suggest that there are other minor conflicts which include space,
disability, and unity. However, although these minor conflicts play a role in moving the story
forward, and the audience should consider them when enjoying the story, the main conflict or
apparent conflict is between Troy and his son Cory.
Researcher Perspectives
Space
Peyman (2017), suggests the word fences in the play’s title represents a metaphor for
spaces between Troy and other sources of conflict. The first space is historical. Troy believes
that his son’s experience with football will mirror his experience with baseball. This experience
with baseball plays a role in the socio-economic space as it relates to Troy’s current financial
situation. The next space is racial. The racial space occurs between black employees and white
employees and their garbage truck driving opportunities. Also, drawing on his own experience
with baseball, Troy believes that white people will take advantage of Cory if he plays football.
The last source of spatial conflict is the mental gap Troy has between the ideal and reality of his
brother’s mental condition.
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Disability
McCormick (2017), writes one of the minor conflicts in the play is between Troy and his
brother Gabriel’s disability. In the first conflict Gabriel states “You ain’t mad at me, is you?”
(Wilson,1985, act 1, scene 2, line 38). Then Troy’s reply “Naw . . . I ain’t mad at you, Gabe. If I
was mad at you I’d tell you about it” (Wilson,1985, act 1, scene 2, line 38), suggest that Gabriel
may believe that there’s conflict between him and Troy over his disability income. In the next
disability conflict Troy states (Don’t nobody wanna be locked up, Rose. What you wanna lock
him up for?” (Wilson,1985, act 1, scene 2, line 58 and 59). This shows that there is conflict
between Troy and the severity of Gabriel’s condition. Although the word disability in Gabriel’s
case stands for an ailment or illness, one can argue that the word disability as it pertains to
Troy’s marriage can stand for dysfunction or disorder.
Unity
Ngwa (2013), states that most people believe the word fence in the play represents the
division between Troy and other sources of conflict including his marriage. However, Ngwa
views the word fence as a metaphor for the unity Troy’s wife Rose tries to nurture within their
relationship. After Troy tries to explain his infidelity Rose states “I been standing with you! I
been right here with you, Troy. I got a life too. I gave eighteen years of my life to stand in the
same spot with you.” (Wilson,1985, act 2, scene 2, line 110 and 111). This line not only shows
how Rose tried to mend their relationship but also the sacrifices she made. Another example of
unity on the part arose is after Troy’s death when she states “For my part in the matter. But at
that time I wanted that. I wanted a house that I could sing in. And that’s what your daddy gave
me.” (Wilson,1985, act 5, scene 2, line 78). This statement describes how Rose took
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responsibility for her actions in the relationship and made peace between Troy and herself after
his death.
Apparent Conflict
The apparent conflict that Wilson uses to drive or move all other elements of the story
forward is the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist. The protagonist in the story is
Troy. In contrast, the antagonist in the story is Troy’s son Cory. Rose foreshadows the exposition
when she states that “Cory done went and got recruited by a college football team”. Then “Troy
replies I told that boy about that football stuff”. (Wilson,1985, act 1, scene 1, line 64 and 65).
While Troy and Cory are working on the fence a flashback occurs.
This flashback moves the story out of sequence and Troy discusses how he believes he
was a great baseball player but then he comes back to reality and says but “I’m through with it
now. You go on and cut them boards. (Pause.) Your mama tell me you done got recruited by a
college football team? Is that right?” (Wilson,1985, act 1, scene 1, line 5). This line introduces
the conflict of the story. Which is that Troy does not want his son to play football because he
believes the football leagues will treat his son the same way the Negro leagues treated him when
he played baseball. In comparison, the climax of the story occurs in act 2 scene 5 when Cory
finally stands up to Troy and the situation becomes mildly violent. Finally, the resolution occurs
when Cory and Ranelle sing the song that Troy’s daddy used to sing.
Conclusion
In summary, minor conflicts play a major role in moving the story forward. The first
minor conflict is space and includes socioeconomic circumstances, race, and Troy’s delusions
concerning Gabriel’s mental condition. The next minor conflict is disability which includes Troy
taking Gabriel’s money to buy a house, and the family ignoring Gabriel’s fantasies. The third
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minor conflict is between Troy and Rose and how she worked to keep their relationship together.
However, the main conflict or apparent conflict occurs between Troy and his son Cory, because
Cory could get an opportunity that Troy did not have.
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References
Kirszner, L. G., & Mandell, S. R. (2015). Portable Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing.
Nelson Education.
McCormick, S. (2017). August Wilson and the Anti-spectacle of Blackness and Disability in
Fences and Two Trains Running. CLA Journal, 61(1/2), 65.
Ngwa, Y. I. (2013). Unfencing the Fence: The Wife as Mediator in August Wilson’s Fences.
Labyrinth: An International Refereed Journal of Postmodern Studies, 4(2), 63.
Peyman A.B. (2017). The Failure of the American Dream in August Wilson’s
Fences. International Journal of English Language and Translation Studies, 05(04), 69–
75.
Wilson, August. (1985). Fences. New York: Plume/New American Library.