Lesson 1 Reading

 

Reading: Selection 2

August Wilson--Fences--Introduction, page 2



Troy fights against injustice at his job (where only whites can drive trucks) and the unfair treatment in college he expects for his son.

Negro Baseball Leagues

The fictitious Troy Maxson, main character in the play Fences, was a former star in the Negro Baseball Leagues. Troy’s experiences in the Negro Leagues influence many of his decisions. Even though the players had exceptional talent, they had to endure racist actions and terrible travel and housing accommodations. Click here for a brief history provided by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Here is another link to historical information to help you understand the social and political implications of the “color barrier” along with what young African American men had to do in order to be integrated.

We will see that the separate, but unequal, playing fields that Troy (and other African-American men) faced caused intense frustration. Troy was better than most other players at the time, but racist laws blocked his success.


Consider this question as you read: Why would Troy, a former professional baseball player, restrict his son from playing high school football and pursuing an opportunity for a college scholarship?

Cory thinks it is because Troy is jealous, but we will learn that jealousy was not his motivation. How does the history of the Negro Leagues (and Troy’s role in them) help explain Troy’s attitudes and actions?


Tone and inference in dialogue

Click below and listen to August Wilson (the playwright of Fences) discuss the importance of tone and inference. He uses an example of a dialogue between two characters in his play The Piano Lesson.  
As you watch it, pay attention to the difference between what’s asked (where is [she]?) and what the other character thinks he wants to know. Take notes on what Wilson says about tone and understanding.

In Fences, listen (read) for similar examples – when the tone of a character (or of the actor) shows you that what is said has a deeper meaning. You will see examples in the first lines of the play between Troy and Bono. You will hear (read) some examples from Bono in the first scene when he talks to Troy about Rose.
 

August Wilson on Black-American Speech

  





Blues: Communicating Cultural Information

As you read, keep in mind that Fences was intended to be performed. You may wish to see performances of scenes to help you imagine the characters. Music is important to many of the characters. As you read the play, pay attention to its significance to the characters. What they sing about helps build their characters and also give information about their conflicts.

Gabriel has a purpose when he plays on his trumpet. Troy sings about a dog named Blue. Rose’s songs often seem like prayers.

Popular music tends to revolve around the same themes as love, jealousy, pride, sacrifice, the universal truths. Think about how the music you listen to provides you with an expression of self, emotion, ideas, experience. You may listen to different songs depending on your mood. You may even have playlists depending on your activities – one for driving; one for working out; one for when you want to relax. Songs then and now reflect those universal truths (and aspects of human experience). 

Blues music developed alongside and from jazz music. Blues songs often described a person’s suffering. The goal, though, was for the listener to feel better – because they recognized their shared suffering. When we see that to some extent life is hard for all of us, it often makes us feel better and believe that we will overcome the obstacle in front of us.

Press play to watch the video below to hear how the Blues influenced August Wilson.

August Wilson on the Influence of the Blues

While not Troy’s song, here is a link to a song about a dog named Blue.

NEXT: Lesson 1 Reading: Fences pages vii-xviii.