... theme in the play Fences is dreams, and what different people do about their specific dreams. The play obviously centers on Troy as the main character, but every important character has at least one dream that does not completely work out for them, or are "deferred-. All of these dreams share similarities to the poem "Harlem- by Langston Hughes; whether it is by "festering like a sore-, or by "sagging like ... a heavy load-. A couple of these dreams might even explode. Troy is the main ... in America. This is an important point in Fences and is the dream that is closest to "sagging lik...

• Word Count: 1022
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... noted positions as a reformer and orator made him the leading voice of African Americans during the 1800's. The first published African American fiction came along during the mid 1800's by William Wells Brown. Brown, an escaped slave, wrote such novels as Clotel (the first published novel by an African American) and The Presidents Daughter (1853) along with a play, travelogue, and a compilation of anti-slavery songs ... . All of these works by Brown gave his the reputation as the most prolific literary figure of the mid-19th century. Wells continued to write and lecture throughout his lif...

• Word Count: 2200
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate