generation to generation. Throughout the story, the word Fences symbolizes every difficult aspect .

“Fences” is a lesson of hope. First there is hope for a better future of African

Americans and by extension, for all human kind. If we view Troy's life as a whole we

are seeing it as tragic. What should we expect, he was abandoned by his mother at age eight, fled in a brutal, lustful father at age fourteen, began steeling for a living and served

fifteen years on a murder charge He holds a steady but disagreeable job as a garbage

collector, supports a wife and son, stays sober six days a week, wins his own private civil

right battle to become a driver and remains faithful to his wife Rose for eighteen yea

Even as a major ballplayer, Troy came across many difficulties while playing the game as a black man. Black ball players could only stop at African American owned restaurants in certain cities. Even then, only a few ball players could eat because the establishment was not prepared to serve so many people at one. Those players who were not able to eat at the restaurant would go to a non-segregated grocery store and purchase cold cuts, cheese and crackers and hope that would be able to last all day (Fields, 21).

It is Troy's capacity for gratitude and forgiveness that Corey must internalize on the morning of Troy's funeral. After being away for seven years, Corey returns in his marine uniform, proudly wearing his corporals stripes. There is an aura of maturity about him but also a lingering bitterness, he refuses to attend his fathers funeral. Cory's mother Rose, tells him the deep truth Cory doesn't want to face.

During his time in the Negro leagues, the major players never received the substantial amount of glory and fame as the white plays until 1947. Their games were rarely covered in the mainstream press and when they were the players were referred to as "coloreds" in an effort to denigrate them. This gave the black newspapers to cover them in glory (Chadwick, 14). These players were heroes for a century and forbidden to play what was a "whit mans game". But most of the players were not bitter. "That's just the was it was," shrugged the Philadelphia Stars Gene Benson (16). When Black team could not play in the world series, they started their own Black world series in 1924. When the best o the Black ball players were forbidden to play in e All-Star game, in 1933 they made their own (14). That was the way things were. They refused to let the White people hold them down and stop them from doing what they loved to do.

could have walked off and left us....and made his own way" (Wilson, 51). Because of he

before he falls. Despite all of this, he still goes on. With his past in mind, Troy can be looked upon as

Some topics in this essay:
Jackie Robinson, African Americans, Troy Cory's, Wessling I'll, Gene Benson, August Wilson, African American, Raynell Troy's, Raynell Cory's, Negro Leagues, major leagues, negro leagues, jackie robinson, ball players, black ball players, team play, forbidden play, world series, black ball, troy's father, african american,