Dear Teachers,
Looking at the world through teen eyes must be challenging. I remember my elders saying
they would not want to be a teen of my generation, and the reality of today’s young people
seems even tougher. While the dreams of Max Warburg and August Wilson’s Cory Maxson
are very different, their stories allow teens to explore the choices they must make to
overcome adversity.
In developing this guide, I decided to look at challenges in the African American community
very specifically from August Wilson’s perspective. The view of protagonist Troy Maxson is
not very flattering. He is egotistical, oppressive and maybe even a little ignorant. But this is
balanced by his quest for manhood, which shows him to be as sensitive as he is hard, as
compassionate as he is cruel, and as loving as he is spiteful. Very conscious of the urban
teens this guide is being developed for, I wondered if it is courageous developing a
character who is not the best role model for the black community. It made me rethink the
idea of community. Max’s community encompasses young people. Like Max, our teens may
face illness, if not their own, that of a parent or family member. Our teens have to make
decisions about their futures. Some teens face oppression because of their religious
convictions or sexual preferences. What you will discover is that this guide very frankly
targets whether it is courageous to expose the ugly side of life. I want to challenge your
students to look at the things in their communities that need to be brought to light. I hope
the process will be cathartic, and will be the foundation of change, whether their community
is their circle of friends, their home, school, church, ethnic group, or nation.
The guide itself is designed as a collection of selections. You should pick activities that work
with your students, and add the best of your own repertoire in order to personalize it. In
addition to English Language Arts curriculum connections, you will find cross-curricular
links to history and art. Because the play is set in the 1950s, you may want to provide
background about the prominent sports players of the time, and early civil rights history.
You may also want to trace how African Americans migrated from the South to northern
cities.
This guide is also designed to challenge your courage. Troy Maxson uses language we do
not condone in our classrooms… he uses the word “nigger” loosely, sometimes in a familiar
way, at other times he uses it disparagingly. Maxson’s grammar is non-standard, and he
would likely struggle in our English classrooms. Having a discussion about Maxson’s
language is worthwhile throughout the text, and is touched upon in many of the guiding
questions. Many outside resources are suggested to help you through this conversation,
which can become quite heated. I have found that an honest conversation helps students to
at least shape why they choose the words they use, even if you don’t convince students to
modify their language. And sometimes, one or two students will vow not to use words that
others find offensive.
Another note about the language in this text… You will find that most of the language is very
accessible by your students. There is a handful of suggested vocabulary words, most of
which are found in Wilson’s notes and stage directions. Instead of vocabulary exercises,
there are pointers to figurative language for most scenes. The rich language of this play is
not limited to the selected examples. Though the guide asks you to look critically at the
characters’ use of dialect, it is a wonderful contrast to explore the richness of the words they
use.
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Teaching Fences can be accomplished in as little as two weeks, or developed over three
weeks. I have found that this is a memorable text for urban teens, and many go on to write
about it in essays and in response to prompts they encounter in subsequent years. I hope
you find your experience with Fences positive and rewarding.
Kimberly Frazier-Booth
A Shared Vision for Learning:
How The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, Inc. supports
the Boston Public Schools’ English Language Arts Curriculum
The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, Inc. shares the Boston Public Schools’ belief
that learning is an active, constructive, creative and collaborative process. The
curriculum guides for The Courage of My Convictions, our ninth grade ELA program,
provides teachers with effective approaches, using the featured texts, to help their
students develop as independent learners.
The three citywide learning standards for BPS are infused throughout the guides.
The activities presented in both guides present students with opportunities to
think, question, and communicate to make meaning of their world and
experiences; to gain and apply knowledge by pursuing ideas and experiences, and
applying this new knowledge in real life contexts; and to work and contribute in
meaningful, purposeful ways.
The Boston Public Schools have articulated the following habits of mind and work
as being essential for effective learning, and for students’ success in school. The Max
Warburg Courage Curriculum, through our The Courage of My Convictions program,
is committed to promoting and advancing these habits among ninth grade students.
Curiosity and Critical Thinking: Students listen attentively, observe carefully, and
ask thoughtful questions until they understand; they look for good evidence.
Respect for Diversity: Students recognize and value racial, ethnic, cultural, age,
gender and individual commonalities and differences; they respect other people’s
points of view.
Consideration and Compassion: Students treat themselves and others with care
and respect; they build trusting relationships; they help, care for, and share with one
another.
Collaboration: Students work well with others, give and accept constructive
criticism, try to be fair, and try to solve problems in a reasonable, peaceful manner.
Self-Direction: Students check their own work, invite the critical response of
others, and make appropriate adjustments.
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Perseverance: Students work hard until the job is done right, and are patient when
the answers do not come quickly.
Initiative: Students try new things, take reasonable risks, and reflect on their
successes and mistakes.
Courage: Students stand up for their rights and the rights of others in a positive
manner that shows self- respect and respect for others; they resist harmful
pressure.
Responsibility: Students demonstrate personal responsibility and pursue
important goals for themselves and their schools.
The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum’s curriculum guides are rooted in our
understanding that people learn best by doing. The instructional and learning
activities support the BPS approach to teaching English Language Arts through the
workshop model. In short, the workshop approach teaches students effective
reading, writing, and thinking strategies, and gives them ample time to
independently engage in these skills through rich, well structured learning
activities.
Throughout the curriculum guides, there are resources and suggestions for
presenting effective mini-lessons, writing prompts for student entries in their
reading response notebooks and writing notebooks, and rich activities for
independent learning.
The guides are aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for English
Language Arts. The goals and objectives for student learning are presented at the
beginning of each book’s guide. They incorporate state standards and BPS standards
and articulate high level understanding goals as well as content-specific and skillspecific objectives. The learning activities have been designed to allow students to
create evidence of their knowledge, skills, and understandings in order for teachers to
assess student mastery.
The references to BPS learning goals and habits of mind are from Focus on Children: Boston Public Schools,
Citywide Learning Standards Subject Area Summary, English/Language Arts 9-12.
Available at www.boston.k12.ma.us
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Goals & Objectives for Student Learning
Massachusetts English Language Arts Standards
1: Students will use agreed-upon rules for informal and formal discussions in small
and large groups.
4.23: Students will identify and use correctly idioms, cognates, words with literal
and figurative meanings, and patterns of word changes that indicate different
meanings or functions.
8: Students will identify the basic facts and main ideas in a text and use them as the
basis for interpretation.
9: Students will deepen their understanding of a literary or non-literary work by
relating it to its contemporary context or historical background.
11: Students will identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of theme in a literary work
and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.
14.5: (adapted) Students will identify, respond to, and analyze the effects of sound
(alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme scheme, consonance, assonance), form, figurative
language (personification, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, symbolism), graphics, and
dramatic structure of poems.
15.7: Students will evaluate how an author’s choice of words advances the theme or
purpose of a work.
17.7: Students will identify and analyze how dramatic conventions support,
interpret, and enhance dramatic text.
18.5: (adapted) Students will develop, communicate, and sustain consistent
characters in improvisational, formal, and informal productions.
19: Students will write with a clear focus, coherent organization, and sufficient
detail.
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Understandings
Upon completing this unit, students will understand that

August Wilson uses drama to tell the stories of complex characters whose
lives reveal important aspects of African American history and culture.

August Wilson uses the elements of drama to explore the themes of:
becoming a man, sins of the father, family, courage, death, racism.

It takes courage to write authentically about your culture and your history.

Characters in plays, as well as people in real life, make difficult choices and
that it often is not easy to determine whether someone is courageous or not,
a hero or an anti-hero.
Essential Questions
The following questions are “the big questions” that students should want to, and be
able to, answer from reading the play and engaging in the related activities. We
recommend that you pose these questions to students at the beginning of the play,
and that you post these questions in your classroom to keep them in the forefront of
your students’ thinking.

What can we learn about history and culture from drama?

What makes a work of drama compelling to readers and audiences?

Is it courageous for a playwright to record and expose the difficulties their
cultural group has faced? Is it courageous for a playwright to record and
expose the intimate details of their cultural group, such as the “dialect”? Is it
courageous for a playwright to record and expose the negative aspects of
their culture, such as the depiction of members who make bad choices?

Which characters in Fences are courageous and which are not? Why?

What aspects of your history and culture do you believe are important to
record and expose? In what ways would it take courage for you to do this?
Note: While “culture” is commonly used to refer to race, ethnicity, and religion,
students should be encouraged also to think about the culture of their
generation, neighborhood, and school or of their hobby (music, sports, etc.).
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Knowledge and Skills
Upon completing this unit, students will know

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
a variety of figurative language used in the play (see lists provided for each
scene)
the events that take place in the play
the influence of the 4 B’s on August Wilson’s work: artist Romare Bearden,
poets Amiri Baraka and Jorge Luis Borges, and blues music.
that August Wilson was an influential and highly acclaimed playwright
that African Americans migrated from the South to the North in large
numbers following each of the world wars
who Satchell Paige was
the key events of the early Civil Rights movement
Students will be able to




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find evidence throughout the play for the key themes of: family, sins of the
father, courage, and death
find evidence throughout the play to describe the motivations and
personalities of the characters
make inferences about what they are reading in order to form theories about
the relevance of characters, actions, and dialogue in the drama to the themes
of the play
use evidence to support their inferences about the characters and/or themes
in the play
apply their understanding of the elements of the play by dramatizing a short
scene from the play
make connections between what they read in the play and contemporary
issues in their own lives
record and expose a difficult and/or intimate and/or negative aspect of their
culture through drama, visual arts, music, and/or poetry
write a reflective piece on how their work on the final project (see bullet
above) was difficult and/or courageous
The Final Project
We encourage you to introduce the final project to your students at the beginning of
the unit. This will help direct the students’ exploration of the play around the
Essential Questions and Understandings articulated in the Goals & Objectives.
Early in the unit, perhaps even before you begin reading the play, engage students in
writing and talking about the cultural groups they belong to and the problems facing
their cultural groups. Move students toward choosing one of their cultural
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affiliations to focus on during this unit. Explain to them that through their entries in
their writer’s notebooks and class discussions, they will explore their culture in
order to understand how they can portray their culture in the tradition (if not the
medium) of August Wilson: authentically with the goal of making a thoughtful and
positive social impact.
While the activities in the guide have been designed to help students build the skills
necessary for the final project, each teacher will play a crucial role in shaping how
the activities are brought to life in the classroom. We hope that by introducing the
final project to you at the beginning of the guide, you will be more confident in
designing your unique approach to teaching Fences and guiding students through
their final projects.
The central objective of The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum’s Courage of My
Convictions program is for students to explore how they can use their
communication skills to express the courage of their convictions. The curriculum
guides are designed to challenge students to identify and evaluate the courage and
beliefs of the writers and characters in the books they read. The learning activities
also provide students with opportunities to reflect on their own courage and
convictions.
The final projects for each book in the Courage of My Convictions Curriculum
require students to demonstrate their understanding of the use of communication to
produce thoughtful and useful social change. Students are encouraged to combine
the written word and artistic expression in a product created for a real audience.
We strongly encourage participating teachers to work with our staff to organize an
opportunity for students to present their work with their classmates and members
of the larger community. We are committed to helping to create such opportunities.
Final Project for Fences
Overview for Teachers
In our exploration of Fences, we have asked questions about what it means for a
writer/artist to record their culture in authentic ways, including exposing the
culture’s difficulties, intimate details, and negative aspects. Clearly, August Wilson
wrote about the African American experience as a way to remember (or learn
about) the past and to positively transform the future.
The final project allows students to authentically record, and if they choose, also
expose their culture. Students will be expected to work in the tradition of August
Wilson and create an authentic record of their culture in order to positively
transform their community and the communities around them.
Directions for Students for Part One of Final Project
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You will express the courage of your convictions by authentically recording the
experiences of your cultural group. You will decide which of your cultural
affiliations you will focus on: your ethnic group, church group, peer group,
neighborhood, etc. You must work in the tradition of August Wilson and create a
record of your culture’s difficulties with the purpose of making a positive impact on
your community and other communities. You are encouraged to include intimate
details of your culture and negative aspects of your culture, though you must decide
what you are comfortable exposing and make your own judgment call about what to
include and what to exclude.
You may record the difficulties of your cultural group in one of three mediums:
1.) Create a series of Romare Bearden-like collages. You must include at least
four collages. Each collage must include a title and brief accompanying text (1
– 2 sentences) to make the images understandable to all viewers.
2.) Write a one-act play. The play must be at least 6 typed pages. (Remember
that with characters’ names, each page in a play has fewer words than on a
standard page.)
3.) Write four poems or songs.
Directions for Students for Part Two of Final Project
Write a five-paragraph essay about your project. Identify the aspects of your culture
you have recorded and exposed. Describe how you have been authentic in your
portrayal of your culture. (Prompts: Have you focused on difficulties? Have you
included intimate details? Have you included negative aspects?) Explain what
positive changes you hope to see in your culture, and how your portrayal promotes
this positive change. Reflect on the ways in which your portrayal of your culture
took courage.
Synopsis of the play
Before Reading Fences
Fences is the story of Troy Maxson, a 55 year old sanitation worker, who lives with
his wife Ruth and his son Cory. Troy has become restless with his life. He is fighting
with the union to become a sanitation truck driver, a job that is only done by white
workers. He also is insisting that his son pursue a steady and reliable job, rather
than chasing his dream to become a professional football player. Troy’s perspective
stems from his own disappointment in trying to become a professional baseball
player. Further destabilizing his life, Troy begins an affair with a woman who
recently has moved to town from Tallahassee, FL.
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Throughout the play Troy is chased by Death and a past he seems destined to pass
on to his children. At the same time he is always trying to discover what it means to
be a man, oscillating between holding power over his family, providing for his
family, and making his own decisions, whether right or wrong. Troy realizes that
there is a price to pay for each of his decisions, and he winds up sacrificing his wife
and his son in his quest to be the man he is destined to be.
The key themes explored in the play, and in the activities in this guide are: becoming
a man, sins of the father, family, death, courage, racism.
Activities before reading Fences
Meeting August Wilson
August Wilson’s play Fences highlights a difficult chapter in African American
culture. Use the “About the Author” section on the next page to introduce August
Wilson to your students. There are discussion questions following the reading.
Many good images of Wilson are available on the Internet. As of the date of
publication, updated information and pictures exist at the following website(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Wilson
http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap8/wilson.html
You also may want to have your students listen to a six-minute interview with
August Wilson from 2004 on National Public Radio, titled “Intersections: August
Wilson Writing to the Blues.” You need Real Audio to play it. It’s available at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1700922
About the Author August Wilson
August Wilson was one of the most important American playwrights of his
generation. He was born Frederick August Kittel in 1945, the child of an African
American mother and a white, German father. He began writing, and working in
theater as a young man in the 1960s, and in the 1980s became recognized as an
influential force in American theater. Wilson won numerous awards including the
Pulitzer Prize and a Tony, the two most respected prizes for literature and theater,
respectively.
Wilson was raised by his mother in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the Hill District,
which is the setting for most of his plays. His childhood was difficult. Wilson
encountered racism in the all-white schools he attended, and found he was
unchallenged at a vocational school he attended. He dropped out of school in the
tenth grade when a teacher accused him of plagiarism. Wilson spent his time
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educating himself, and widely read the works of black writers such as Ralph Ellison,
Richard Wright, and Langston Hughes. He eventually was awarded a degree from
the Carnegie Library because he frequented it so often in his quest for knowledge.
Wilson wanted the world to know about the difficulties black families faced in
America. When describing his early involvement in the theater, Wilson said he was
“a cultural nationalist…trying to raise consciousness through theater.” He told an
interviewer, “My generation of blacks knew very little about the past of our
parents.” He went on to write a series of ten plays highlighting African American life
from 1900 – 2000, each play set in its own decade. Wilson has been described as
giving a “miraculous voice” to the black experience.
Wilson liked to say that his work was inspired by the Four B’s: writer Amiri Baraka
and Jorge Luis Borges, artist Romere Bearden, and the blues. Amiri Barka is a
politically engaged African American writer associated with the genre of jazz poetry.
Jorge Luis Borges was a South American writer identified with the magical realists,
who include magical elements into otherwise realistic stories. Romere Bearden
created collages depicting the history and experiences of African Americans.
The blues may have had the deepest impact on Wilson’s work. He explained in an
interview that when he listened for the first time to a recording of Bessie Smith, one
of the great blues singers of the 1920s and 1930s, he realized he could write in the
language he heard around him – African American “street vernacular.” Wilson
expressed the magnitude of this realization on his life by saying, “The universe
stuttered and everything fell into place.”
Wilson finished his final play in the ten-part series in 2005, a few months before his
death from liver cancer. A few weeks later, the Virginia Theater on Broadway in
New York City was renamed the August Wilson Theater in his honor.
Discussion Questions after reading “About the Author”
These could be used to direct a class discussion, or as prompts in the students’ reader’s
notebooks and/or writer’s notebooks.

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
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
Why do you think August Wilson wanted to write about the difficulties
African American families have faced?
Why do you think Wilson wrote ten plays set in each of the decades of the
20th century?
Why do you think Wilson chose drama as a way to record and expose the
experiences of African Americans?
Wilson wrote about the intimate details of African American life, and
included characters who could be judged as anti-heroes. Do you think it takes
courage to expose the intimate and the negative aspects of one’s culture?
How might you feel to have the difficulties, intimate details, and negative
aspects of your culture publicly portrayed?
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
Wilson’s plays were widely read and seen by people of all backgrounds. How
might his plays have shaped the way non-black Americans look at the African
American experience?
Activities as You Begin Reading
The activities in this section refer to the reading before Act One: the Epigraph,
Characters, Setting, and The Play.
Reading the Cast Lists
This activity could be part of a mini-lesson, or as small group, independent work.
If your class has not yet looked at other plays, or if you have only looked at
Shakespearean drama, you might want to begin by having students look at how the
book is set up. Students will discover lists of the two original casts.
Some students may know who James Earl Jones is, either from his television
commercials, or as the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars. Looking through the
character list is a fun way to preview the story. Students pick up on the fact that
Cory is the only child attributed to both Troy and Rose. It may help to point out that
the characters are listed in the order of appearance; otherwise it is sometimes
confusing why Raynell isn’t mentioned early in the story.
Analyzing the Epigraph
This can be used as part of a mini-lesson on literary allusion.
Just before the cast lists is an epigraph written by August Wilson. If you are
comfortable using the Bible as literature, you can share that “sins of the father” is a
Biblical reference. Leviticus 26:40 is the most direct reference, using the New
International Version, a more approachable version than the King James.
A search at http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch will help you locate other
similar references if you desire to do a more detailed lesson. Once students have
completed the play, you can revisit the epigraph to see if students can trace the sins
of the father from Troy’s dad to Cory.
Visualizing the Setting
Students can engage in this activity independently in small groups.
Wilson devotes three paragraphs to the setting. The setting describes a house in a
big-city neighborhood. While Wilson is not specific as to which city, it is widely
accepted that all but one of Wilson’s plays is set in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, PA
where he grew up.
Discuss what students think the set might look like. What does it say about the
people who live there? What do you expect them to be like?
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Have the students make a representation of the Maxson house.
Quick: Have students work in small groups, or as a full class, to sketch out the set
either on large newsprint paper, or on an overhead so you can refer back to the
design during the play.
Regular: Have students draw or cut out pictures, and bring in a representation of
the house, yard or the entire set for Fences.
Advanced: Have students build a three dimensional set or diorama based on the
description. Students could also design the set using a computer.
History/Inter-textual: America’s Great Migration, African American
Migration from the South to the North
Before Act 1, Wilson writes a two-page description of immigrant and Black life in
America up until 1957 titled “The Play.” This is useful background information for
students and it will help them understand the context in which Wilson wants the
play to be seen.
As a mini-lesson:
Use a map of the United States to visually trace the migration of African Americans
from the rural South to the northern mills and factories of the Northern cities where
they found employment. Highlight the following facts:




The Great Migration is the term used for the mass movement of African
Americans from the rural south to the urban north.
In 1900, about 90% of African Americans lived in the rural south. By the
1960s, about 90% lived in the urban north. This involved the movement of
between 5 and 6 million African Americans.
The first wave of the Great Migration was during World War I. Southern
African Americans were “pulled” to the north because there was a huge
demand for labor in the factories of the north due to increased war
production and large numbers of young men leaving for war. African
Americans also were “pushed” from the south because of lack of jobs, lack of
educational opportunity, and racial injustice and violence. The second wave
of the Great Migration occurred during World War II for the same reasons.
Many white Northerners did not welcome their new African American
neighbors. In the north, there was racial discrimination in housing,
employment, and education, and there was violence against African
Americans.
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Writing prompt
Ask students to consider the expectations of African Americans in the North, their
feelings about being discriminated against even in the North, the different
experiences and perspectives of African Americans in the North and those in the
South, the different expectations of African Americans from different generations.
As an independent learning activity, students could be asked to conduct research to
find the key information about the Great Migration. This should still be followed with
the reflective writing prompts suggested above.
Vocabulary
Much of the language in Fences is simple and easily understood. Most of the
vocabulary words that will be unfamiliar to students come from Wilson’s
background information about the play and from stage directions.
destitute (xvii)
emulate (1)
guile (xvii)
attendant (5)
ramshackle (xvii)
integral (5)
eloquence (xvii)
goatee (13)
turbulent (xviii)
ritual (13)
provocative (xviii)
methodical (40)
Act 1 of Fences
Suggested approaches for reading the play with your class
Because Fences is full of sympathetic characters, Wilson’s writing style grabs
readers’ attention immediately. Many students become so intrigued by the plot,
they finish the play before sections are assigned in class. Because the story is so
accessible, consider assigning sections of the play for students to read as homework
in addition to allotting time in class for dramatic read alouds. Struggling readers can
be anchored by study questions, and all readers can be directed to return to class
with questions about the text.
Of course since Fences is a play, it helps to get scenes up on their feet. One way to
have students present a scene is explained step by step in section 2.2. Even after
having students read a scene, it is fun to act it out in class to gain deeper
understanding. This is helpful since students tend to gloss over certain sections and
miss the fine points of Wilson’s reading. There are many fine acting guides to help
you with performance techniques beyond those listed in this guide.
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Act 1, Scene 1
Synopsis
This expository scene introduces the audience to Troy, his best friend Bono, Rose,
and his eldest son Lyons. We learn of Troy’s work woes, and see his deep friendship
with Bono and his love of Rose. Troy pretends not to be interested in his son Lyons,
a musician. While Lyons pursues his dream, he usually needs to borrow money
from Troy when he’s between “gigs.”
Note to Teachers: Struggling readers sometimes have a hard time understanding
the metaphor of Troy wrestling with Death. The Scene from page 10-12 is worth a
class discussion. However, if there are a number of struggling readers, check in to
make sure they see the parallel between Troy’s figurative struggle with Death and
Rose’s literal recollection of Troy’s bout with pneumonia.
This is an effective passage to have students read aloud and dissect section by
section. If you are using the character activity chart you can add new information
about Troy and Rose by analyzing how Troy feels about life, and how Rose feels
about Troy’s drinking and his health in general.
Figurative Language
 Troy and Bono speak in dialect (as do the other characters).
 Exaggeration/metaphor (p.4) Troy: They got some big healthy women down
there. Grow them right up out the ground. Got a little bit of Indian in her…
 Hyperbole (p. 5) Troy: ..hips as wide as the Mississippi River..
 Personification (p. 11): Army of Death/ Death
Discussion Questions
These questions can be used to guide a class discussion, or as writing prompts in the
student’s reader’s response notebooks and/or their writer’s notebooks.
** Note to teachers: Our intent in exploring this issue is not to validate standard
English over dialect. We recognize the sensitivity of the issue of language, and we
encourage you to consider the ways in which these questions could be difficult for
your students to explore.

**Wilson is comfortable writing in both “standard” English (in the stage
directions) and African American “dialect” (in the dialogue). Why do you
think Wilson uses such rich language in his stage directions? What message
does he send by having his characters use dialect?
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What can we learn about history and culture from this scene?
Can you think of any courageous people who do not use “standard” English?
Do people who use “standard” English have a public edge over people who
can only use the dialect of their cultural group?
What is the purpose of a fence? Is the fence referred to in the title of the play
a fence used to protect, keep in, or keep out others?
Activities
Cross Curricular Connections/History: Exploring the Start of the
Civil Rights Movement
This can be a mini-lesson, or an independent activity for small groups.
Use the timeline on the next page highlighting key Civil Rights events. Keep the
timeline visible in the classroom throughout the play in order to integrate events
from the play into actual historical events.
Have students explore (either with you in a mini-lesson, or independently in small
groups) what key events happened before the play starts, and which events are
after. The goal is for students to recognize the connections between the characters
and events from the play and the historical era the play is set within. For example,
the Civil Rights Act establishing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission did
not exist in 1957, which would explain why Troy Maxson’s quest for a job as a
garbage truck driver is so challenging. After the timeline are interpretive questions
about the events highlighted in the timeline.
Suggested Timeline of Key Civil Rights Events
1904
Fences character Troy Maxson is born
1926
Satchel Paige begins his professional career in the Negro League
1939-1945
World War II
1947
Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American player in the
Major Leagues
1948
Satchel Paige is brought into the major leagues; he was the oldest
rookie ever to play Major League baseball. Paige was in his late 40s
1951
Plessy v. Ferguson overturned by Supreme Court
The state of Louisiana enacted a law that required separate railway cars for blacks
and whites. In 1892, Homer Adolph Plessy, who was seven-eighths Caucasian, took
15
a seat in a "whites only" car of a Louisiana train. He refused to move to the car
reserved for blacks and was arrested.
1954
Brown v. Board of Education; Supreme Court declares racial
segregation in schools unconstitutional
1955
December 1: Rosa Parks is arrested.
1957
First Civil Rights Act since Reconstruction era desegregates voting
The year in which Fences is set
1959
Sit-ins begin as form of civil disobedience
1961
Freedom rides
1963
March on Washington
1964
Civil Rights Act passed; it establishes Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission
1965
Fences character Troy Maxon dies
After the students have gone over the timeline, have them respond to the following
questions, either through full-group discussion, small group discussion, or writing in
their writer’s notebooks:






What might life had been like for an African American family in the mid-tolate 1950s?
What events do you think led to the Civil Rights Movement?
What do you think would be the differences between how an African
American parent and his child saw the world in the mid-to-late 1950s?
What would be the causes for these different generational views?
Where does the African American migration from the South to the North fit
in?
Are there events on this timeline that you think influenced African American
migration? Why?
Character Descriptions
Activity 1 for Character Descriptions
As a teacher-led activity, have students list the characters they meet in Act 1.1. Be
sure to note how they connect to other characters. Many of the characters
mentioned are crucial to the story, although they are never seen on stage. A good
list will be a helpful reference as students progress through the story.
16
You may want to draw students’ attention to the reference to Alberta. Ruth enters
the scene just after Troy has made a rather vulgar comment about Alberta, a woman
in the neighborhood. Ask students what they think of this juxtaposition. Do they
think Alberta is important to the story? If they guess yes, you may want to highlight
this as an example of foreshadowing, depending on the maturity of the class to
handle the sexual reference.
Then, using a small group format that your students are familiar with, divide the
class into four groups: Troy, Bono, Ruth, Lyons. Have each group work from the
designated stage notes and have them answer the accompanying questions.
Afterward, each group can introduce their character to the class.
Group 1: Troy (page 1 stage notes)
What does the author think of Troy Maxson? What kind of person can you tell he
will be based on the description?
Group 2: Bono (page 1 stage notes)
Based on the description of Bono, what kind of person do you expect him to be? Do
you think he is a strong person? What words in the description would lead you to
believe this is true? What words would make you think it is false?
Group 3: Ruth (page 5 stage notes)
Is Ruth a strong person? Based on the information in the stage directions, create a
snapshot (brief description) of what Ruth’s life would be like without Troy.
Group 4: Lyons (page 13 stage notes)
What evidence do you have of whether Lyons is a good musician? What terms can
you come up with to describe a person like Lyons? Based on the description, is he
worried that he will be scrutinized?
Activity 2 for Character Descriptions
Have students work in small groups to fill out the chart below based on the
characters they meet in Act 1.1. You may want to assign each group responsibility
for all the characters in the scene. Or, you may want to make each group responsible
for following just one character and then have each group present their work to the
rest of the class.
This chart can be useful for students to fill out after each scene. This can help
students use evidence to describe the changes that take place throughout the play
within and between the characters.
17
Character’s
Name
Description
of Character
(evidence
from text,
including
stage
directions)
Your
interpretation
of the
character
Evidence
Your
from the text
speculation
that supports about where
your
this character
interpretation is headed in
of the
the play
character
TROY
BONO
RUTH
LYONS
ALBERTA
To view this chart as a worksheet, refer to Appendix D.
Act 1, Scene 2
Synopsis
Two other key characters are introduced. Troy is looking for his youngest son Cory.
He and Rose debate Troy’s attitude towards Cory (and life for that matter). We also
meet Troy’s brother Gabriel who lives in a world between fantasy and reality, the
result of an injury sustained while fighting in World War II.
Figurative Language
 Symbolism/Metaphor (p. 24): Gabriel believes he is a reincarnation of the
Archangel Gabriel
 Metaphor (p. 22), Troy: Man ain’t had two dimes to rub together.
Discussion Questions
These questions can be used to direct a class discussion, or as writing prompts for
entries in the reader’s response notebooks or writer’s notebooks.
18





Gabriel’s mental handicap is a result of an injury sustained during World War
2. Is it brave to fight in a war? Is the price worth it?
What should veterans who are injured in a war expect as compensation for
their heroism?
What can we learn about history and culture from this scene?
What about Wilson’s style of using language and dialogue and setting makes
this scene compelling to read?
Notice Rose’s question to Troy at the end of the scene (p. 28). She questions
where Troy spends his Saturdays. Troy responds that he goes to the Taylor’s
to listen to the ball game. Should this be the end of the discussion? Do you
think Troy is being truthful?
Activities
** Note that these activities are an important building block to prepare students for
the final project for the unit.
The Influence of the Four B’s on August Wilson’s Drama
August Wilson said his work was influenced by the Four B’s: the art of Romare
Bearden, the poetry of Amiri Baraka, the stories of Luis Jorge Borges, and the music
of the blues. Below are four activities to help students see the connections between
these artists and Wilson.
Romare Bearden
August Wilson was profoundly affected by the artwork of Romare Bearden. Wilson
wrote of Bearden’s collages, “What I saw was black life presented on its own terms,
on a grand and epic scale, with all its richness and fullness, in a language that was
vibrant and which, made attendant to everyday life, ennobled it, affirmed its value,
and exalted its presence.” Two Bearden works, The Piano Lesson and Mill hand’s
Lunch Bucket, directly inspired two of Wilson’s plays. Like Wilson’s plays, Bearden’s
work also shows a stark side of black life, using collage.
Many of Romare Bearden’s images are available on the Internet. His 1984 Collage,
The Lamp, was made into a US postal stamp in 2004. The National Gallery of Art has
a complete website on Romare Bearden, including a page examining the influence of
Bearden on Wilson. Images are available for download using a PDF format, or loan
through the NGA library.
http://www.nga.gov/education/classroom/bearden/coda1.shtm
Mill Hand’s Lunch Bucket depicts the life of a mill hand working in Pittsburgh.
Bearden spent his summers in Pittsburg, living with his grandmother. Living in
Pittsburgh is another connection Bearden and Wilson share. The following website
has an image for Mill Hand’s Lunch Bucket:
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http://www.artnet.com/faaddemo/bearden/detail8.asp
Activities for Students to Explore the Influence of Bearden’s
Artwork
(1.) Bearden and Wilson both thought it was important to record different aspects
of Black life in America. After closely examining Bearden’s collages, write about the
following topics in your writer’s notebook: What are the common themes of the
culture and history of African Americans depicted in both Bearden and Wilson’s
work? What commonalities do you see, or sense, in the forms of expression Wilson
uses in writing and Bearden uses in images? Why do you think Bearden influenced
Wilson? What is your reaction to Bearden’s artwork?
Also write about what images or experiences of your culture you believe are
important to depict. Explain why. Reflect on the ways it would take courage to
depict your culture authentically, including its struggles, its intimate details, its
negative aspects.
Remind students that while culture generally refers to race, ethnicity, and religion,
they can think about the culture of their generation, or the culture of their hobby
(music, sports, etc.).
(2.) Create a Bearden style collage then write about what your collage is recording,
exposing, or explaining.
Note: The NGA teacher pack, on the NGA website, offers a detailed explanation of
Bearden’s technique and materials.
Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka (1934 - ) is best known as a poet, though he has written in other
genres, including drama. He was one of the most important figures in the Black Arts
Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. This was a movement of African American
artists who created politically engaged work that explored the history and culture of
African Americans. Baraka also is considered a poet in the jazz tradition. “Jazz
poetry” is a literary genre defined as poetry that embodies the forms, rhythms, and
sounds of jazz music.
Activities for Students to Explore the Influence of Amiri Baraka
(1.) Read some of Amiri Baraka’s poems. Several are available at www.poets.org
After reading some of Baraka’s poems, reflect on the following questions and ideas
in your writer’s notebook. What are the common themes or issues addressed in both
Baraka’s poems and Wilson’s play? What are the common forms of language used by
the two? What common beliefs about politics and culture do you see between the
two writers? Do you think Wilson was also part of the Black Arts Movement? One
well known critic said that August Wilson was a poet who became a playwright. Do
20
you think Wilson writes in the tradition of jazz poetry? How so? Why do you think
Baraka influenced Wilson? What is your reaction to Baraka’s poems?
(2.) Write a poem (or more than one poem) about your culture in the tradition of
Amiri Baraka: politically engaged with the rhythms of jazz music. Write a reflective
piece about the experience of writing the poem(s).
Jorge Luis Borges
South American (Argentina) writer Jorge Luis Borges became famous
internationally in the 1960s for his short stories that focus on fantastic themes and
illusions. He is associated with the literary genre known as magical realism that
plays with perceptions of reality by including magical elements in otherwise
realistic settings.
Activities for Students to Explore the Influence of Jorge Luis Borges
(1.) Read one of Borges’ short stories (or a section from one), and reflect on the
following questions in your writer’s notebook: What commonalities do you see in
the styles of the two writers? Does Wilson play with perceptions of reality? Does
Wilson include magical elements in his play? Why do you think Borges influenced
Wilson? What is your reaction to Borges’ writing?
(2.) Write a short story about your culture in the style of Jorge Luis Borges and the
magical realists. Write a reflective piece about the experience of writing the story.
Blues Music
One of Wilson’s favorite childhood pastimes was saving his nickels in order to buy
records. When he came across an album of Bessie Smith songs, he “put that on, and
it was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. Somehow, all that other music was
different from that. And I go ‘wait a minute, this is mine… there’s a history here.’”
Wilson, in a 2004 interview with NPR goes on to say after hearing Smith’s lyrics,
compared to the language of the poets who he had studied and loved, "The universe
stuttered, and everything fell into place."
There are four songs featured in Fences:
Act 1.2 (p. 21) includes Rose singing Jesus, be a Fence
Act 1.2 (p. 24) includes Gabe’s song
Act 2.3 includes Troy singing Mr. Engineer; Act 2.5 (p. 99) includes Hear it Ring!
Act 2.4 Troy’s song about his dog Blue
Activities for Students to Explore the Influence of the Blues
(1.) Listen to a song by Bessie Smith, or another blues musician. Re-read the four
songs in the play listed above, and try to “hear” the music. Then reflect on the
following questions in your writer’s notebook:
 What do you hear in the lyrics of the songs that are common with the language
used by Wilson’s characters?
21
 What is common between the lives of Wilson’s characters and the characters in
the songs?
 What in the rhythm and tone of the music is common with Wilson’s play?
 Why do you think the blues inspired Wilson?
 What is your reaction to the blues?
(2.) Write a song in the style of blues music about a difficulty in your cultural group.
Write a reflective piece about your experience.
Sports/History
This can be used to shape a mini-lesson.
Negro League Baseball (1920-1960) is referenced several times throughout Fences.
Major League Baseball was integrated in 1947, 10 years before the play begins.
Troy Maxson is bitter that he was never given the opportunity to play in the major
leagues. His wife tells him he was too old… a criticism that many had of Satchell
Paige, by the time he joined the Major Leagues. A bit of background about Negro
League Baseball will clarify many of the references made in the story. White
players, Babe Ruth and George Selkirk, are also named in the play.
The 1996 movie, The Soul of the Game (PG-13) tells the story of the Negro Baseball
Leagues through the eyes of Satchell Paige, Josh Gibson and Jackie Robinson, all
referenced in Fences. Screen for one scene where Gibson is nude. It is during an
episode of what appears to be mental illness. Pointing this out to students in
advance seems all the warning necessary. Total running time is 95 minutes.
A simple and inexpensive reference book for the classroom is:
A Negro League Scrapbook
Carole Boston Weatherford
Boyds Mills Press
ISBN: 1590780914
2005
The book is designed for children, but students of any age enjoy the pictures and
simple descriptions. It is easily passed around the classroom, and there are team
photos of Paige, Gibson and Robinson.
A simple lesson plan to go along with this book is available on Weatherford’s
website:
http://www.caroleweatherford.com/baseball.htm
Exploring the Influence of Church on the African American
Community
22
There is a subplot of the influence of church throughout Fences, particularly in the
character Rose. Rose sings Jesus, Be a Fence at the beginning of Act 1.2. The song is
actually an anachronism, written by Sam Cooke in 1961. Some students may be
familiar with a 2000 version recorded by Gospel Singer Fred Hammond.
Wilson’s play, while influenced by church, is not a morality play. In Wilson’s
description of Rose (Act 1.1 p.5) he seems to compare a life in the Church as
unattractive as a life of partying or being with abusive men.
If there is a local minister who would be willing to talk to your class, it may be useful
to gain some perspective of the role of the Black church in the community. There is
a cross-curricular connection here to the Civil Rights Movement, the SCLC (Southern
Christian Leadership Conference), Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and even the role that
community leaders play in Boston. Local Minister, Rev. Eugene Rivers is often
featured in the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald for his role trying to curb youth
violence in the city.
The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, Inc. would be pleased to help you make this
connection, if you are interested.
Synopsis
Act 1, Scene 3
The audience finally meets Cory and the major conflict between him and Troy is
finally exposed. Troy wants Cory to find stability in a job, while Cory believes that
his best opportunity is to attend college on a football scholarship. Troy’s aversion is
grounded in his own experience trying to gain a place playing baseball in the
National Leagues, to no avail.
Figurative Language
 Metaphor: (p. 40) Troy: I give you the lint from my pockets. I give you my sweat
and my blood. I ain’t got no tears. I done spent them. We go upstairs in that
room at night… and I fall down on you and try to blast a hole into forever.
Discussion Questions
These questions can be used to guide a class discussion, or they can be used as prompts
for entries in students’ reader’s response notebooks and/or writer’s notebooks.



Is Cory courageous when he disobeys his father? What part of his
disobedience might be considered brave?
Why is going to college so important to Cory? Why might Troy disagree?
What can we learn about the history and culture of African Americans by
exploring the generational conflict between Cory and Troy over the issue of
sports, education, and employment?
23


Troy wants Cory to get a good job, something better than what he has.
Doesn’t this make him a good father?
In what ways does Wilson use the elements of drama – language, dialogue,
setting, and stage directions – to make this scene tense and compelling?
Max Connection
Activities
Students may choose to work on this independent activity individually or with a
partner.
** Note that this activity is an important building block to prepare students for
one of the options in the final project.
Begin by leading a full-class discussion to get students to think about how Wilson
portrays Cory’s struggle throughout Fences, and also about Max’s struggle as
captured in the video To the Max. Pose the following questions: What challenges
have you gone through in your life? How do your challenges compare to those faced
by Max and Cory? What courageous things did Max do that helped others? What
heroes and celebrities helped Max be brave? What heroes helped inspire Cory?
Then, in pairs or individually, have students write a scene that depicts a struggle
they have gone through in their lives. Alternately students can write a dialogue
between two of the following: themselves, Cory, Max.
Synopsis
Act 1, Scene 4
Troy reveals the story of his past. Using the activities from Scene 3, analyze whether
Troy was a courageous teen. If you highlighted the “sins of the father” passage in
the epigraph, this is a worthwhile point at which to explore it again.
Figurative Language
 Metaphor: At the end of the scene Troy begins a countdown that he uses
throughout the rest of the play to demonstrate his declining patience with Cory.
He uses the metaphor of baseball to tell Cory he could “strike out”.
Discussion Questions
These questions can be used to direct a class discussion, or as prompts for students’
entries in their reader’s response notebooks and/or their writer’s notebooks.

Why do you think Wilson made Troy’s past so complicated?
24




Is this depiction of Troy’s life harsh? Would you exclude parts of the story?
Which ones? If you keep all of the elements of the story, explain why each
experience Troy goes through is important to the story.
What do we learn about history and culture from this scene?
Is Troy the same, better or worse than his father?
What do you predict will happen to Cory?
Activities
Slang or Not?
Depending on the maturity of your students, you may wish to directly confront the
use of “nigger” throughout the text.
An excellent hour-long documentary was produced by Trio in 2004. At the time of
this printing, segments of the film were available on-line at
http://www.trioplus.tv/plus/n_word/.
This video works well in the classroom, since students will recognize many of the
commentators, including comedian Chris Rock, actor Samuel L. Jackson, and Whoopi
Goldberg. Multiple sides of the argument, both in favor of its use and against, are
eloquently presented by members of various races. It is worth purchasing if it ever
becomes publicly available.
Doing an internet search close to the time of presenting this lesson is highly
recommended, considering that this debate seems to resurface about once a year.
The most current public controversy at the time of developing this curriculum guide
is the use of the word on Aaron McGruder’s The Boondocks, a series that airs on
Cartoon Network.
For information about the series visit:
http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/boondocks/.
One suggested article is The Meanings of a Word by African American writer Gloria
Naylor. It first appeared in the New York Times in 1986 and is available at
www.sebsteph.com/Professional/Bart’s%20class/Readings/naylor.htm
Naylor contrasts the first time she was called a nigger by a third-grade classmate,
and the use of the word by members of her family. This article contrasts nicely with
the way Wilson’s characters use the word, and the way it is used by many in the
black community.
Suggested Student Activities
25
After engaging with the resources listed above, allow your students to respond to
the question, “Is the use of the word nigger offensive?” You could hold a debate, or
use a fishbowl, or Socratic Tag.
**See Appendix A for a detailed description of how to use the methods of fishbowl
and Socratic tag.
Producing the Play
This independent activity could be successful for individuals, pairs, or small groups.
Have students act in the role of producer. Have them write up a description of what
type of actors they are looking for to fill the roles of Troy, Bono, Lyons, Ruth, Cory,
and Alberta. You may want to have students bring in pictures of whom they would
have play which roles. Students also should write a paragraph explaining why each
actor would be perfect for the role.
Act 2 of Fences
Act 2, Scene 1
Synopsis
There is a lot of dramatic tension in this scene. Cory refuses to quit the team, Bono
challenges Troy’s cheating ways, Troy confesses to Rose that Alberta is expecting his
child, and we see Troy being physically abusive towards Rose for the first time.
Figurative Language
Keep track of Troy’s metaphorical strike count against Cory.
If you have been keeping track of metaphors throughout the text, students should be
able to find examples on their own by now. Troy and Bono’s conversation on page
63 is a good place to look.
Discussion Questions
These questions can be used to guide a class discussion, or as writing prompts for
entries in students’ reader’s response notebooks and/or writer’s notebooks.
 Cory, Troy and Bono discuss why Rose wants the fence. Why do you think Rose
wants the fence built?
 Once Rose finds out about Troy and Alberta, is it still worth building the fence?
 Troy’s cheating on Rose is one of the unflattering realities of life that August
Wilson highlights. Is he courageous for writing a story that includes this topic?
 How is Wilson’s approach to cheating different from a juicy novel or a soap
opera?
26
Activities
Act 2 is a fine time to wean students from daily in-class group activities to allow
time for them to prepare for their culminating performance (a monologue or scene
from the play).
To help students get used to staging, there are suggested activities in the Act 2 Scene
2 section for having students become comfortable performing.
Act 2, Scene 2
Synopsis
Troy’s troubles come to a climax. Rose finally challenges him for not coming home
on Friday nights; he has apparently signed Gabe over to a hospital. Alberta gives
birth to a baby girl, and she dies during childbirth.
Figurative Language
 Personification (p. 77): Mr. Death
Discussion Questions
These questions can be used to shape a class discussion, or as writing prompts for
student entries in their reader’s response notebooks and/or writer’s notebooks.
 Rose knows that Troy has been cheating on her for more than six months. Why
do you think it so important to her that he come home on Friday night?
 Do you believe Troy or Rose about what happened to Gabe? What evidence do
you have to support your response?
 Is Rose courageous in this scene, and has Troy become a coward?
 Why does Troy begin shouting at Death? What could the metaphor possibly
mean at this point in the story?
 Troy says he will build the fence now. What is he trying to protect?
Activities
“Getting a scene on its feet:” Part One: The YES/NO Game
If your students have not had a lot of acting experience, it will be worth spending a
class period on acting. The objective of the YES/NO game is for students to be able
to explain a character’s motivation in a scene. One student is trying to gain
something, while the other is trying to keep something away.
Directions: Have students team up in pairs. Students should select to be person A or
B.
Assign A students the line “yes” and B students the line “no.”
27
The A person’s objective is to make eye contact with the B person and convince
them “yes!” The B person’s objective is to avoid eye contact with the A person and
refuse with a resounding “no!”
This activity will require the students to move around, because the B person is
moving away from the A person, and the A person is moving toward the B person. If
your group is boisterous, than this should be enough. If your group is quiet and you
have space, encourage a degree of physicality. This will help with the next activity.
If you have a longer block you can have students reverse roles.
Discussion: Review with students how the activity felt. Which is easier? Being the
“yes” or being the “no”?
“Getting a scene on its feet:” Part Two: Acting the Scene
Have students turn to Act 2, Scene 2. If you can, provide photocopies of pages 7375, it will make it easier for students to move around, or copy the edited script in
Appendix B to help students focus more closely on the game objectives.
Have the “Yes” student become Rose and the “No” student play Troy. Remind them
to keep the same objectives in mind, but this time read the character’s lines. Rose
should be trying to get and maintain eye contact with Troy. Troy should try to avoid
looking directly at Rose. If you have time, start by having students memorize one
short line and repeat the yes/no game using actual lines.
“Getting a scene on its feet:” Part Three: Time to Direct
Have two students take on the role of Troy and Rose. They will need to take
directions from the rest of the class, which is acting collectively as director. Have
your directors determine how Troy and Rose should enter the scene. Review the
stage directions to help.
The teacher should prompt students with questions like: Do both characters enter
the scene at the same speed? Does Rose catch up to Troy?
(If your students were physical during the Yes/No game, have them discuss what
Rose should do to get eye contact with Troy, and how Troy should avoid this
contact.)
Continue the scene. Have your directors shout out “Freeze!” when the objective
shifts. Is there a point that Troy begins to say “please” and Rose responds “sorry?”
Have the directors revise their stage directions. Fine tune where Troy and Rose
stand and the degree of physicality in which the actors engage. After reaching a
class consensus, have the Troy and Rose team act out the entire scene without
director interruption.
28
Putting a Scene on its feet: Students’ Culminating Performance
**Note that students will need a few days of class time to work on their scenes and
then perform them for the rest of the class.
Now that students have begun to understand the story and how to get a scene on its
feet, assign scenes for students to develop independently as their culminating
performance. Selections range from monologues to one group of 3. See Appendix C
for a list of suggested lines.
Let students know they must come prepared to address how three key events from
the play relate to the scene, and be able to explain how their scene sets up a major
shift of events in the play.
Have students dress as their character.
Note: You may want to allow students to cut lines from longer monologues,
especially if they want to memorize the piece. Many students will memorize their
lines if given enough time.
Act 2, Scene 3
Synopsis
In this short scene Rose simultaneously decides the fate of Troy’s newborn daughter
Raynelle, and Troy. Her line “this child got a mother. But you a womanless man,”
resonates throughout the remainder of the scene. The “sins of the father” first raised
in the epigraph, returns on page 79 when Rose says to Troy about the baby, “…she’s
innocent…and you can’t visit the sins of the father up on that child.”
Figurative Language
 Troy’s song (p. 79) follows a classic blues pattern.
Discussion Questions
You can use these questions to facilitate a class discussion or as writing prompts for
student entries in their reader’s response notebooks and/or their writer’s notebooks.





Is this scene the climax, or turning point in the play? Or do you think it was
when Troy first confesses about his affair?
Who is more courageous in this scene? Troy or Rose? What evidence from
the play do you have to support your belief?
Is Raynelle’s future different than Cory and Lyons since she’s a girl, or do you
think the sins of the father will affect who she becomes as well?
What can we learn about history and culture from this scene?
What dramatic devices does Wilson use to build the tension in this scene?
29
Act 2, Scene 4
Synopsis
Troy has succeeded at his dream to drive the truck at work, but it seems to have
driven a wedge between him and Bono. Cory and Troy have their final showdown.
Figurative Language
 Personification (p. 89): Troy begins to taunt Death: Come on! It’s between you
and me now! Come on! Anytime you want…
Discussion Questions
These questions can be used to lead a class discussion, or as writing prompts for
student entries in their reader’s response notebooks and/or their writer’s notebooks.
 Is Troy a courageous father for being true to his beliefs (especially those that he
thinks are best for his son)?
 On page 87, Cory accuses his father of being an old man, while Troy says, “You
just another nigger on the street to me.” Do you think the relationship between
the two could recover after these things are said?
 At what point does the argument go too far?
 Why do you think Troy says he will put Cory’s things outside of the fence?
 Why does Troy lose his taste? And why would Troy threaten Death at this
moment?
Activities
Compare and Contrast
Have students chart out the differences between the choices Troy made as a teen
and those Cory has made. Have them find three similarities and three differences
between Troy’s choices and goals and Cory’s choices and goals. (Remind them that
the choices Troy made as a young man are discussed in Act 1, Scene 4, pages 50-53.)
Have students analyze the implications of these choices and goals. For example,
students may want to explore whether Troy’s run-in with the law is a result of his
father’s treatment. If they have not read ahead, you may want to ask if Cory is
destined for the same fate.
Wrap-up with a teacher-led discussion that focuses on whether either character’s
choices are courageous.
30
Act 2, Scene 5
Synopsis
It is 1965, shortly after Troy’s death. A bitter Cory comes home for the first time
since his fight with Troy. It is his wronged mother, Rose, who truly sees redemption
for her deceased spouse. Meanwhile Gabriel fulfills his destiny, opening the gates of
heaven for his brother.
Note to Teachers: Many students are confused by how Troy dies. Wilson revisits the
metaphor for Troy fighting death (see Rose’s lines at the bottom of page 95 and the
top of page 96). Have students analyze what she says, and determine if Troy is
victorious over Death or not.
Discussion Questions
These questions can be used to lead a class discussion, or as writing prompts for
student entries in their reader’s response notebooks and/or their writer’s notebooks.
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Is Cory wrong for harboring such anger for so long?
Should Rose be more bitter than she is?
Is Cory courageous for coming home? Is he a coward for waiting so long?
Is Lyons a victim of the sins of the father?
Explore Gabriel’s last act. Why do you think August Wilson chooses to end
the play with Gabe’s strange dance? Could Gabriel really be some sort of
messenger from God?
What is the historical significance of this scene being set in 1965?
What do we learn about history and culture from this scene?
Discussion After Reading Fences
Discussion Questions
These can be used to direct a class discussion or as prompts for students in their
reader’s response notebooks and/or writer’s notebooks.
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Thinking back to the epigraph, consider these questions: Are Troy’s sons
destined to repeat the sins of their father? Is Cory’s destiny any different
from Lyons? Is Raynelle’s destiny different because she is a daughter?
Is Cory courageous…
• in light of what happened to his uncle in the army?
• considering he ran away from home seven years ago and has presumably
never
seen his father again?
• despite the fact that he did not go to college, which was the root of his
struggle with his father?
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• given the fact that he does not want to go to the funeral?
Consider all the characters in the play. Who is courageous and who is not?
Why?
What makes Fences a compelling play?
What have you learned about history and culture by reading Fences?
Is August Wilson courageous for recording and exposing the difficulties,
intimate details, and negative aspects of African American culture?
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Appendix A
Directions for Fishbowl and Socratic Tag for “Slang or Not?”
Activity
In a fishbowl, students are partnered up for observation reasons. Each pair should have a
person A and a person B. The As are one group, and the Bs are the other. The partner
monitors his peer’s performance and rates him on a rubric. The rubric should include a
section for analyzing a student’s reading in preparation for this activity. You may want to
have students read an article that debates or discusses the use of the “N” word as a
homework assignment the night before your class discussion. The Gloria Naylor article
would work well, although some vocabulary may need review if you have struggling readers
in your class.
Have group A sit in a small circle in the center of the room. Assign a question (can be the
same as the one above) for students to discuss for a set time. Six to ten minutes is usually a
good amount of time, depending on how talkative your class is. Only students in group A
may participate in the discussion. Each student is rated for his contributions to the
discussion, however, if he tends to dominate, points are deducted. The B partners are in a
bigger circle observing the A group (like a fishbowl). These students calculate the score of
their partner, while also listening to the debate. After the assigned time have students
switch places. If the A discussion was lively, the B student often will want to pick up the
conversation where it left off. Otherwise the teacher can create a new question, based on an
unchallenged point that may have come up during the discussion. Wrap up the activity by
giving students the opportunity to share their feedback with their partner, and by having a
whole class discussion to wrap up any details that may not have been completely fleshed
out in the small groups.
Socratic Tag
Using the technique of Socratic questioning, this activity is fast paced and engaging,
although it is tougher than the fishbowl. Start with two of your more vocal students and
one of your least vocal students in a trio in the center of the room. They should be facing
each other. You may start with a question, or if your students are all pretty highly
motivated, you may have them generate the actual first question. Similar to the fishbowl,
the students are assigned to debate a topic, but it is easier for the teacher to evaluate this
activity than peers. The job of the observers is to listen carefully. Each student must offer
one question and one answer before they can leave the circle. The only way they can leave
the circle is if a peer tags them out, otherwise the discussion must continue. No one outside
of the circle can get into the conversation unless she tags someone out. When someone tags
another player, the new player now has to contribute one comment and one question before
leaving the circle. No one can re-enter the circle until every student has been inside the
circle at least once.
If you class size is large, you can expand the circle to four players. Keeping the group size
small insures faster turn over and each student’s voice is heard. It can take an entire class
period to filter through a group of 20 or more.
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Edited Script for Getting a Scene on Its Feet!
Part Two: Acting the Scene
Appendix B
Rose: Troy I want to talk to you.
Troy: What you wanna talk to me about?
Rose: Tomorrow’s Friday.
Troy: I know what day tomorrow is.
Rose: I want to know if you’re coming home.
Troy: There ain’t never been a night I ain’t come home.
Rose: I want to know if you’re coming straight home after work.
Troy: I figure I’d hang out at Taylors’ with the boys.
Rose: Troy, I can’t live like this. It’s been going on six months now you ain’t been
coming home.
Troy: I be here every night.
Rose: I want you to come home tomorrow after work.
Troy: I’m going over to the hospital to see Alberta. I won’t be gone long.
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Appendix C
Recommended scenes for students’ culminating performance
Monologues
Note: Rose’s monologue is very effective. It is split to make more roles available.
Fences monologue #1
Act 1.4 p. 51/52
Troy
Full monologue or most of the monologue, edited
Fences monologue #2
Act 1.4 p. 54-55
Troy
Full monologue or most of the monologue, edited
Fences monologue #3
Act 2.1 p. 70/71
Rose
Full monologue or most of the monologue, edited
Fences monologue #4
Act 2.2
Troy
Full monologue
Fences monologue #5
Act 2.5
Rose
Part 1 of the monologue (p. 97)
Fences monologue #6
Act 2.5
Rose
Part 2 of the monologue (p. 98)
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Appendix C (continued)
Recommended scenes for students’ culminating performance
Scenes with Two Characters
Fences Scene 1
Act 1.3
Troy & Cory
p. 35-39
Full scene (some of Troy’s lines can be edited).
Fences Scene 2
Act 2.1
Bono & Troy
p. 62-64
From “Troy I done known you.” To: “That refrigerator.”
Full scene (some of Troy’s lines can be edited)
Fences Scene 3
Act 2.2
Rose& Troy
p. 73-75
To: “You gonna have to answer for that.”
Full scene (some of Troy’s lines can be edited)
Fences Scene 4
Act 2.3
Rose & Troy
p. 78/79
Full scene (some of Troy’s lines can be edited)
Scene with Three Characters
Fences Scene 5
Act 2.1
Rose, Troy and Gabriel
p. 66-68
To: “…come to an understanding.”
Full scene (some of Troy’s lines can be edited)
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Appendix D
Name:
Class:
Character’s
Name
Description
of Character
(evidence
from text,
including
stage
directions)
Your
interpretation
of the
character
Evidence
Your
from the text
speculation
that supports about where
your
this character
interpretation is headed in
of the
the play
character
TROY
BONO
RUTH
LYONS
ALBERTA
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