Blog 18: Home & Family Socratic Discussion Materials

Cory defies tradition- Call to Adventure

Cory confronts refusal- Ordeal

Cory understands denial – Return with the Elixir                                               

PART #2: ANSWER FENCES QUESTIONS

Respond to each question in a complete paragraph.   When possible, use direct quotes from the play in your answer.

1. In the stage directions for act 1, scene 1, Wilson describes Troy as “a large man with thick, heavy hands; it is this largeness that he strives to fill out and make an accommodation with.”  How does this description establish the character of Troy?

This description of Troy immediately portrays him as a man who ‘acts his size’. He does everything in a big way. Troy ‘fills out’ his large figure with his stubborn ideals and unwillingness to listen. Throughout fences, Troy seems to be the one that is demanding and pushing every other character to do as he thinks he is right. He uses his physical qualities as extra way to express his defiance against others, but also hide his personal insecurities. “Why aren’t you working?”(1.1.306.)

2.   Is the character of Troy Maxson believable/realistic?  Use textual evidence to defend your answer. 

 Troy Maxson loses a lot of credibility early on in the play. He always has stories that are utterly impossible and outrageous, but defends them as true. In the beginning of “Fences”, Troy tells a story about how the devil wouldn’t allow Troy to give him credit or furniture. (page 203) He swears he spoke to the devil himself. When Rose calls him out on this lie, Troy sticks with his story. Along with this story and many others, Troy isn’t very believable due to his ability to quickly lie and stretch the truth.

3.   What role does Bono play in the development of Troy’s character?  Pick a scene that you think shows Bono’s role most clearly, and then explain.
 

Bono plays a crucial role in developing Troy’s character. Towards the end of the play, Bono acts as a reminder of realism for Troy. In Act 2 Scene 1 Bono confronts Troy directly about the huge mistake he made in having an affair. “You can’t find a better woman than Rose”(2.1.47). Troy needed someone to tell him he was wrong, and Bono stood up to the challenge.

4.    Is Troy a hypocrite?  Do his relationships with Alberta and Cory make his assertions regarding family responsibilities and duty ring false?

I believe Troy is a hypocrite because he is always talking about family values and how he works his “ass off” to put meat on the table for his family every day. Also, his relationship with Alberta makes his assertions on family false because he is defying his entire family by cheating on his wife. While his relationship with Cory make his assertions on family true because all Troy every wanted for Cory was to be successful and be a lot better than he ever was.

5.    When Cory returns after Troy’s death, he tells Rose, “I can’t drag Papa with me everywhere I go. I’ve got to say no to him” (Act 2.5.110).  What finally convinces Cory to attend Troy’s funeral?  What does his attending the funeral suggest about what Cory’s future might hold and what kind of home and family he will have?  Has he said “no” to his father?

Rose convinces Cory to go to the funeral by telling him “Not going to your father’s funeral makes you no more of a man” (2.1.50) By Cory attending the funeral, it suggests that Cory is going to grow up to be the man his father envisioned because he got over his father crushing his dreams. (because he went to the funeral) I believe Cory has not said “no” to his father because in the end, Cory does not defy his father.

6.    What do you think is the climax of Fences?  Explain your reasoning. 

The climax of Fences is when Troy admits to Rose that he was been having an affair because at this point in time, Troy has defied every family value he has ever said. Making him a pretty big hypocrite. It also changes how everyone acts towards Troy. (Where characters are developing the most)

7.    Wilson has described Fences as having a “blues aesthetic.”  Songs, and particularly the blues, play an important role in Wilson’s plays.  Where do you see the influence of the blues on Fences? Is it in the diction? The syntax? The themes? The structure? Or does it show itself in some other way?

The blues uses music and lyrics to express the singers difficult situation. Openly describing their struggles allows the singer to connect with listeners in similar situations. This communication and connection allows both parties to support each other. An example of this in Fences can be found in Act I Scene IV Troy and Bono are both expressing the sad nature of the relationships with their fathers. Their stories would be appropriate blues songs that allow each other to connect.

8.    The character of Gabriel has puzzled readers, audiences, and even directors; on even suggested that he be dropped from the script to keep from confusing audiences.  Some see him as a spiritual presence with a visible link to the African past.  What elements of plot and character depend on him? Explain how you do or do not see Gabriel as essential to Fences. Include the final scene in your interpretation.

The character of Gabriel has puzzled readers, audiences, and even directors; on even suggested that he be dropped from the script to keep from confusing audiences.  Some see him as a spiritual presence with a visible link to the African past.  What elements of plot and character depend on him? Explain how you do or do not see Gabriel as essential to Fences. Include the final scene in your interpretation.

9.   How do biblical allusions, mythological allusions and cultural allusions develop characterization and the meaning of the work as a whole?

The most prevalent theme in Fences contains a biblical allusion, “You can’t visit the sins of the father upon the child”. Forgiveness of sins and the relationship between father and son are emphasized throughout the bible. When Rose tells Cory to forgive the sins of Troy it makes Cory, a son, provide redemption and forgiveness of sin much like Jesus, the supposed son of God, provides redemption for all sinners.

PART #3: ANSWER THESE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

For EACH essential question, respond in a well-constructed paragraph.  In your response, include at least one reference to one of the pieces we’ve read in this unit.

1.       What makes a house a home?

A family, love and memories are all factors in making a house a home. A house is an insignificant building. White walls, ceilings, and floors all connected due to a blue print. A house becomes a home as it wears. As a family spends their majority of hours in this building, it transforms. Marks of height changes on the door and picture frames of family vacations in picture frames make a house a home. Also, the memories that will never be forgotten between those walls add so much sentimental value to a home. The love between family members becomes apparent in a home. This love can be seen in "Fences" when Rose decides to become the mother of Troy’s baby. Blood related or not, their house will be a home due to Rose’s love and generosity towards the baby. “From right now, this child got a baby”(2.3.23).

2.       In what ways does the suffering or success of one family member affect the others?

 The suffering or success of one family hugely affects the other members of a family. As one family member succeeds, the others merge with exciting emotions and constantly try to match their success. With the suffering a family member, the others tend to suffer with them. As seen in the Poem "As I Grew Older" by Langston Hughes, the protagonist find himself at an obstacle on his way to success. He calls out "Help me to shatter this darkness" (Hughes/24). This call out for help would also been seen in family members, as one hits a bump in the road, loved ones are the first they turn to help. On the other hand, the success of one acts as a revelation in the article “Freedom Riders” by JK Nickell. Throughout their journey on the road, the members of the team that "bonded like family" (Nickell, Freedom Riders, 80) realized that "for every success [they] have, ... hundreds of kids out there never get the opportunity" (Nickell, Freedom Riders, 82). The success of their team and the members in acted as a remember of how fortunate they are to get opportunities, just as it does in families. 

                3.How do traditions help define family?

A tradition is an individual event that creates character and originality in a family.  Traditions such as putting a pickle in a tree, or moral traditions that affect way of life play a big role in the definition of family. In some cases, defying a tradition can cause a ripple in a family relationship. In "Fences" by August Wilson, Troy followed his father's precedent of working hard for his earnings and not wasting time on anything else. Troy wished this tradition would be passed down to Cory, but when it wasn't their relationship suffered. Because this way of life was the norm in their family, Troy could not understand Cory's desire to stray from it. Troy asked Cory, "Why aren't you working?" (1.1.306) when he found out he took a leave from his job. To Troy, working was the only think Cory should be doing, but Cory wanted to play football. Due to Troy's unwillingness to accept a break in tradition, his relationship with his son suffered. 


PART #4: WRITE YOUR OWN QUESTIONS

1.       How do you think Rose will change after Troy dies?

a.        I think Rose will grieve for a while because she devoted her whole life to Troy. But because he did her wrong, eventually Rose will find her way again and become a more independent person because of her new ability to act as one and make her own decisions

2.       How does the call to adventure in “Fences” compare to the call to adventure in “Freedom Riders”?

a.        Both pieces are mainly affected by sports. Whether it is football or baseball, each story begins with the denial to play the game. In Fences, Cory was never given this chance, but the kids in “Freedom Riders” were.

3.       How does the theme of “When I Grew Older” relate to the theme of “Fences”?

a.        Both pieces are about dreams and denial. In Fences, Cory had a dream to play football, but was denied this dream by his father. In “When I Grew Older”, the protagonist sees his dream, then something gets in the way and they try to find a way around it. 

PART #4b:

	FENCES	AS I GREW OLDER	FREEDOM RIDERS
Call to adventure	"...put that sir on the end of it when you talk to me" (1.3.214). "You ain't gonna go nowhere with football" (1.3.123). "I thought we had an understanding" (1.1.252).	“I have almost forgotten my dream. But it was there then” (2-3).	“14 Little Leaguers embark on a sweeping Civil Rights tour to discover how our national pastime might illuminate our nation’s past” (Nickell, Freedom Riders, 74).
Ordeal	"You just scared I'm gonna be better than you" (1.4.166).	“And then the wall rose/ rose slowly/ slowly/ between me and my dream” (7-10).	“From Charleston and Birmingham and the 52 years of intervening violence” (Nickell, Freedom Riders, 81).
Return with the Elixir	"Whatever was between you and your daddy, the time has come to put it aside" (2.5.115). "Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn't, and at the same time make you everything he was" (2.5.133-134).	“Break this shadow…/ Into a thousand whirling dreams” (26-27). "Break through the wall!/ Find my dream!" (22-23)	“Thank you for inspiring us and keeping the Civil Rights movement alive” (Nickell, Freedom Riders, 81)