August Wilson’s 1985 play Fences focuses on black urban life in the late 1950s and deals with intergenerational conflicts, racial issues, distress, and the search for one’s identity and position in life. The play’s protagonist, Troy Maxson, has been turned into a loud-mouthed, hard-hearted, and occasionally “crude and almost vulgar” (Wilson 1987, 1) oppressor as a result of the hardships of Afro-American life in the first half of the 20th century and the experiences of his youth; Troy abandoned home at the age of fourteen, after being beaten up by his sadistic father for having watched him rape a thirteen-year-old girl.
This paper is intended to examine the identity politics in Fences and will focus on the conflict between Troy and his second son Cory. First, it will highlight the importance of recognition for the development of human beings according to Charles Taylor’s theory and then show the negative effects of misrecognition and nonrecognition. Secondly, it will show the different phases of Troy’s misrecognition in the play and analyze how this leads to a mutilation of Cory’s personality.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Endowing Identity
3 Troy and Cory
3.1 Career Advancement
3.2 The Economics of Duty
3.3 The Consequences of Misrecognition
4 Conclusion
5 Works Cited
Objectives and Topics
This academic paper examines the identity politics portrayed in August Wilson's 1985 play "Fences," with a specific focus on the complex, conflict-ridden relationship between the protagonist Troy Maxson and his son Cory. By applying Charles Taylor's theory of recognition, the work explores how Troy's failure to provide proper acknowledgment to his son contributes to a destructive cycle of misrecognition, ultimately hindering Cory's personal development and damaging his identity.
- The importance of recognition in human psychological development.
- The impact of intergenerational trauma and inherited parenting styles.
- Analysis of "misrecognition" and "nonrecognition" within the Maxson family.
- The role of social changes in the 1950s and their effect on African American opportunities.
- The metaphorical significance of the baseball bat in the struggle for identity.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Career Advancement
Having established the importance of proper recognition for individuals, this essay will now turn to Fences in order to show the effects of Troy Maxson’s recognition or rather the absence of it on his second son Cory. Even before Cory Maxson’s first actual stage appearance in scene three of act one, the seventeen-year-old high school student ‘experiences’ misrecognition. When Rose informs Troy during one of his ritual Friday “payday drinking night fests” (Snodgrass 2004, 46) that their son has been recruited by a college football team and a recruiter from North Carolina will soon arrive to talk to Troy, Troy immediately denounces his son’s dream of attending college to pursue a higher education – an opportunity which was not available to Troy – by referring to it deprecatingly as “football stuff […] [that] ain’t gonna get him nowhere” (Wilson 1987, 8). In addition to devaluing Cory, Tory suggests that Cory would be better to “get recruited in how to fix cars or something where he can make a living” (Wilson 1987, 8).
In this scene, both Rose and Jim Bono take Cory’s side and try to explain to Troy that a future for his son might lie in secondary education and professional sports as there are more chances for advancement for Afro-American athletes – and Afro-American people in general – due to the social changes of the 1950s. Albeit “the hot winds of change […] had not yet begun to blow full” (Wilson 1987, xviii) by 1957 the racial segregation of public education facilities and public transport had been outlawed by the decisions of the U.S Supreme Court in the case of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka and Browder vs. Gayle respectively. The latter being a result of Rosa Park’s refusal to surrender her seat on a bus for a white person and the so-called Montgomery Bus Boycott (cf. Heideking 2006, 304-306).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the focus of the paper on "Fences," introducing the protagonist Troy Maxson and establishing the research goal of analyzing his identity politics through the lens of Charles Taylor’s theories.
2 Endowing Identity: This section defines the connection between identity and recognition, identifying Troy Maxson as the "significant other" whose behavior shapes the self-evaluation of the other characters.
3 Troy and Cory: This chapter analyzes the specific dynamics between father and son, covering topics such as career aspirations, the economic view of duty, and the long-term psychological consequences of misrecognition.
3.1 Career Advancement: This subsection highlights the specific conflict regarding Cory's football aspirations and how Troy's refusal to support them reflects his own past trauma.
3.2 The Economics of Duty: This subsection examines Troy's tendency to view parenting as merely the provision of material goods, a perspective inherited from his own abusive upbringing.
3.3 The Consequences of Misrecognition: This subsection explores the lasting, harmful effects of Troy's behavior on Cory's development and his struggle to reclaim his identity after leaving home.
4 Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes how Troy's failure to offer positive recognition negatively impacts his son, leading to the climactic struggle between them.
Keywords
August Wilson, Fences, Troy Maxson, Cory Maxson, identity politics, Charles Taylor, recognition, misrecognition, nonrecognition, significant other, intergenerational conflict, Afro-American life, parenting, personality mutilation, psychological development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this academic paper?
The paper examines the identity politics within August Wilson’s play "Fences," focusing on how the protagonist Troy Maxson’s failure to recognize his son Cory's needs affects Cory’s psychological well-being.
What are the primary thematic fields addressed?
The main themes include the theory of recognition, the impact of intergenerational trauma, the search for personal identity, and the influence of societal shifts on African American opportunities during the 1950s.
What is the central research question?
The paper seeks to analyze how Troy’s misrecognition and nonrecognition of his son Cory act as a mechanism that mutilates Cory's personality and hinders his path toward adulthood.
Which scientific method is utilized in this study?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, primarily applying Charles Taylor’s philosophical theory on the "politics of recognition" to interpret character behavior in a dramatic context.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical foundation of recognition, the specific interpersonal conflicts between Troy and Cory regarding their future, the economic perspective of parental duty, and the long-term consequences of these interactions.
How would you summarize the work using keywords?
Key terms include August Wilson, Fences, identity, recognition, misrecognition, intergenerational conflict, and parenting.
How does Troy Maxson’s personal history influence his parenting style?
Troy’s history of abandonment and abuse by his father causes him to repeat the same patterns. He views fatherhood strictly as the provision of material needs while remaining emotionally distant and dismissive of his son's individual aspirations.
What is the significance of the "baseball bat" mentioned in the text?
The baseball bat serves as a central metaphor in the play, symbolizing the intense struggle for identity between Troy and Cory, which culminates in the climax of their conflict.
Does Cory manage to find his own identity by the end of the play?
The paper suggests that even years later, Cory struggles with his father’s legacy, but he eventually finds emotional stability by sharing memories and reconciling with the past after Troy’s death.
- Quote paper
- Johannes Steffens (Author), 2006, Recognizing 'Fences' - Troy Maxson's identity politics, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/63798
