Wilson's Fences (is The Recurring Theme Dependant On Racism)

The recurrent theme in Fences is that a black American has two choices in how to live his life. The choices are to live responsibly but have no hope for happiness, or to seek happiness while ignoring your responsibilities. There is no third option, for a black person, where they can take care of their responsibilities and pursue happiness. The reason that blacks are denied this third option is because they been victimized by centuries of racist oppression. This theme is demonstrated in the conversation between the characters Troy and Cory when they are discu

Wilson’s larger purpose of his play is centered on the character Troy’s being trapped in a situation where he has no way to find happiness, in a life of taking care of his responsibilities. Troy has been put into a difficult situation where there is no clear correct solution, so his decision to pursue happiness by cheating on his wife is not easily cast as a bad decision. Troy is very good at taking care of his responsibilities to his family, however he is unable to find happiness while taking care of those responsibilities. Troy describes his father as someone who took his responsibility to his family very seriously, but who felt trapped and found little joy in life. Troy says, “Sometimes I used to wonder why he was living.” (Wilson1773) Troy then goes on to say that he is very similar to his father and, “that the only thing that separated us was the matter of a few years” (Wilson1774). Troy is saying that he is having trouble finding a reason to go on living in the same way that he felt his father had no reason for living. Now when faced with this situation, Wilson outlines that there only two possible solutions for a black man. There is the option of continuing to take care of your responsibilities, like Troy’s father did, and there is the option of walking out on your family and responsibilities to pursue happiness, the way that Bono‘s father did. Wilson does not include any solution where a man finds happiness while he is simultaneously taking care of his responsibilities. Troy does not want to walk out on his responsibilities, and he should not be forced to live life without happiness. Troy ultimately decides to find happiness by making the immoral decision to cheat on his wife. Troy had been left with no-win scenario. So Wilson’s larger purpose is to examine how we look at an individual’s right to pursue happiness when the only avenue of pursuit is an immoral one.

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