Answer the following questions then respond as usual.
1. Cite a place in place where you see the notion of the cyclical pattern of family, that is, the idea that the sins and virtues of one generation are played out again in the next. How powerful is this pattern, and is there any real hope to break free of it?
2. What is significant about the occupations or situations of the members of Troy's family in the final scene of the play?
3. To what extent is Troy wrong about how American society has changed during his lifetime? To what extent is he right?
4. Troy talks a great deal about the important of independence and self-reliance, but he is also a user and manipulator of others. Does this make him a liar? self-deceptive? something else?
5. Towards the end of the play, what is the significance of Cory singing the song “Old Blue” that Troy sang earlier in the play?- What happens to Gabe at the end of the play?
2. What is significant about the occupations or situations of the members of Troy's family in the final scene of the play?
3. To what extent is Troy wrong about how American society has changed during his lifetime? To what extent is he right?
4. Troy talks a great deal about the important of independence and self-reliance, but he is also a user and manipulator of others. Does this make him a liar? self-deceptive? something else?
5. Towards the end of the play, what is the significance of Cory singing the song “Old Blue” that Troy sang earlier in the play?- What happens to Gabe at the end of the play?
32 comments:
(1). Cite a place in place where you see the notion of the cyclical pattern of family, that is, the idea that the sins and virtues of one generation are played out again in the next. How powerful is this pattern, and is there any real hope to break free of it?
In the play, Troy explains that he used to steal and that he spent some time in prison. At the end of the play, Lyons tells Cory that he is serving some time in jail. However, there is some hope to break free of the pattern; Cory proved it because he stayed on the straight and narrow.
(2). What is significant about the occupations or situations of the members of Troy's family in the final scene of the play?
The significance is that Lyons seems to be more like Troy because he has a criminal record, uses people, and he split up with his wife or girlfriend. Meanwhile, Cory, who Troy was the hardest on, is a Marine officer who seems kind of ironic since he didn’t response well to Troy’s authoritarian parenting, but he joined the military which has strict disciplinary guidelines. However, it seems that Cory became a better man with strict discipline.
(3). To what extent is Troy wrong about how American society has changed during his lifetime? To what extent is he right?
(4). Troy talks a great deal about the important of independence and self-reliance, but he is also a user and manipulator of others. Does this make him a liar? Self-deceptive? something else? Self-deceptive
(5). Towards the end of the play, what is the significance of Cory singing the song “Old Blue” that Troy sang earlier in the play?- What happens to Gabe at the end of the play? Gabe “blows” his trumpet and does a kind of special dance so that “the gates of heaven will open up to Troy.”
Doing the best you can
Fences
August Wilson
August Wilson, whose real name was Frederick August Kittel, Jr., was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1945. His father was a German-born baker and his mother was an African American. Wilson was intrigued by the Black Power movement and the Nation of Islam. He honed his writing skills after he encountered jazz and blues music. He won several awards, including Tony Awards. Wilson’s plays are characterized as “realistic dramas” which detailed the struggle of African Americans. His play, Fences, received a 1987 Pulitzer Prize. Wilson died of liver cancer in Seattle, Washington in October 2005. The Virginia Theater in New York City was renamed after him.
Basic Passage
Rose. “You can’t be nobody but who you are, Cory….Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t … and at the same time he tried to make you everything he was. I don’t know if he was right or wrong…but I do know he meant to do more good than he meant to do harm.”
In this passage, Rose is explaining to her son, Cory, that he decides who he is and that he has to live with that decision one way or another. Rose is also explaining to Cory the fact that parents do the best they can when it comes to raising their children. Rose is trying to tell Cory that his father, Troy, did the best he could to try to raise Cory right so that he would grow into a good man and make his own or the right decisions, yet he also tried to impose his ideals on Cory. Rose is trying to explain to Cory that Troy was trying to guide him in the right direction rather than misguide him.
Correlation
I can relate to this passage in a way. Whenever I have a difficult decision to make, I almost always call my parents for advice or guidance. My parents will give me their advice, but ultimately that I have to make up my own mind. My parents usually say that they believe that they have raised me right and that they trust that I will make the right decision.
(1). Identify the cause of human suffering- Tragedy
The cause of human suffering is the way Troy was treated as a child by his father.
(2). How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
The tragedy could be turned into a comedy if Troy and his father could coexist without brutally beating each other.
(3). Identify the cause of joy or happiness-Comedy
There really isn’t any happiness or joy.
August Wilson – Fences
Additional Questions
1) Cory, Troy’s son, is rebellious just like his dad. Troy rebelled against his superior, his boss at work, by asking to drive the truck. Cory also rebelled against his superior, his father, by not listening to him and leaving the house. There is a hope for change, because at the end Cory changes his mind and stops rebelling because he goes to his father’s funeral.
2) When Cory finally comes home for his father’s funeral, he has turned into the man that his father wanted him to be. His brother Lyons, who did not even spend that much time with Troy, even tells Cory that Troy knew he had it in him. So even in death he got his way. Lyons has turned out like his father because of his stints in jail, and the fact that he doesn’t change his ways during the story, no matter what is going on around him. Troy’s brother Gabe is in a hospital of some sort, and there is a strong chance that he will not be able to go to his brother’s funeral. But he ends up being able to come, and this just further signifies that Troy is the central focus of his family just like he is in the story.
3) Troy grew up in the south and eventually moved to the north. In these times the difference between the south and north when it came to opportunities for African Americans were very different. So when he had his children in the north he still carried over his southern beliefs. This seems to be the reason he tried to stop his sons from pursuing their dreams. He did not believe society would let them succeed in the ways they wanted to.
4) I would say Troy is self-deceptive. He is not just lying to himself or others about the way he is. He demands discipline and responsibility in his family’s lifestyle, but he is the one who had an affair. He truly wants the best for his loved ones, but he is also being a hypocrite for not following his own advice.
5) When Cory starts to sing his father’s song, it shows that he has finally forgiven him, and that he has learned lessons from Troy. At the end of the play Gabe cannot play his instrument. It seems that at this point he finally realizes he is not a biblical character, and goes a little crazier.
Bio
August Wilson was born Frederick August Kittel in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in 1945 to a German father and an African American mother. When Wilson was sixteen he was kicked out of a school because a paper he had written was very sophisticated, and he was accused of plagiarism. He eventually taught himself by reading everything he could at the library, and became very involved in the black power movement of the 1960’s. August Wilson is a very accomplished playwright, who focuses on African American history.
Basic Passage
“They give me three years. I got that beat now. I ain’t got but nine more months. It ain’t so bad. You learn to deal with it like anything else. You got to take the crooked with the straights. That’s what Papa used to say.”
Lyons is telling his family about his workhouse sentence. He got in trouble for cashing other people’s checks, and now he is paying the price. He uses his dad’s advice to help him through the punishment.
Correlation
When Troy says “you got to take the crooked with the straights” he is saying you have to take the good with the bad. It is a very basic lesson in life, but it can always be applied. Bad events may occur in your life, but generally they will balance out with the good. That’s why people should not complain so much when something does not go their way. Something good will happen for them down the road.
(1). Identify the cause of human suffering- Tragedy
The tragedy in this story is the rift in the Maxson family, and all the disagreements they have.
(2). How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
This tragedy could be turned into a comedy if Troy wasn’t hypocritical, and his family could coexist in a more favorable manner.
(3). Identify the cause of joy or happiness-Comedy
When everyone comes together in the end after all the years of separation, and they realize the positive effects that Troy had left on them, that is the source of happiness
Difficulties... I had no difficulties with reading this story.
Required Questions:
1.) I see the recurring pattern in Tory and his son Lyons. Tory went to prison for stealing and Lyons is there. I think that by Tory’s other son Cory not doing any time shows us that there if hope of breaking free.
2.) I think that the last scene of the play is significant because that family was able to come together in the end. I found that it was important to see Cory back because his dad was the hardest on him and he didn’t fall into the trap of using people, or going to prison like his brother Lyons and his dad.
3). I think that for Tory it was harder for him because he was still living in the past and had the mind set that things would not change.
4). I see Troy as being having both, but if I had to pick one I would say self-deceptive.
5). I think that the significance of Cory singing would be in honor of his Dad, and Gabe plays the trumpet and does a dance for the Gates of Heaven.
Keep Going
Fences
August Wilson
August Wilson was a major figure in American drama of the last two decade of the twentieth century and for the start of the twenty-first. He has won numerous New York Drama Critics Circle Awards. He is one of only seven American authors to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. He passed away in October 2005 in Seattle, Washington of liver cancer.
Basic Passage
Troy: “You’re a bigger fool that I thought…to let somebody take away your job so you can play some football. Where you gonna get your money to take out your girlfriend and whatnot? What kind of foolishness is that to let somebody take away your job?
In this passage Troy is very upset with his son Cory about wanting to focus on playing football and not wanting to work. Cory want to use his talent at football to help him get into college, but his dad still insists that he gets a job and forgets about football.
Correlation
I can’t really correlate with this passage but it was the one that stuck out the most. I feel bad for Cory because he has to give up something that he loves because his dad is making him. Cory even states that he will work weekends, but that still isn’t good enough for his dad. And by that it leaves Cory asking if his father really even likes him. I just felt so bad for Cory; his dad is so hard on him. Also, I'm a huge sports player and I couldn't image if someone told me that I had to give it up.
Questions
1). Identify the cause of human suffering- Tragedy
The cause of human suffering would be how Tory treated his children and Tory couldn’t overcome the past.
2). How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
I think it could be made into a comedy if Tory wasn’t so hard on his children, and Cory was able to still play football.
3). Identify the cause of joy or happiness-Comedy
The joy would be how the family was able to come together for the funeral and Tory was able to a
Times change
Fences
August Wilson
August Wilsonchanged he's name to Frederick August Kittel, Jr.and was born in Pittsburgh. His father was a German-born baker and his mother was an African American. Intrigued by the Black Power movement and the Nation of Islam. He won several awards, including Tony Awards. Wilson’s plays are characterized as “realistic dramas” which detailed the struggle of African Americans.
Basic passage
“You can’t be nobody but who you are, Cory….Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t … and at the same time he tried to make you everything he was.
In this passage Rose is tring to tell he child that the reason his father is so hard on him is that he don't want him to make his mistakes. But also instill in him the the qualities of strenght that he saw in him self.
Correlation
I can completly relate because my mother had a hard time with my brother he was in and out of jail. So in turn she was extra hard on me for things i hadn't even had a chance to do. Now I know it was because she wanted to guide me in the right direction but then i hated every moment of it.
(1). Identify the cause of human
suffering- Tragedy
troys child hood, his father was not the beat roll model.
(2). How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy? If troy's fahter would have got help and they could have had a better relationship.
(3). Identify the cause of joy or happiness-Comedy THat at the end cory plays the song in his fathers honor to pass to heaven.
(1). Cite a place in place where you see the notion of the cyclical pattern of family, that is, the idea that the sins and virtues of one generation are played out again in the next. How powerful is this pattern, and is there any real hope to break free of it?
There are a few examples of this but I feel troy'sstory of his stealing days and time in jail is what keep cory on his straight and narrow path.
(2). What is significant about the occupations or situations of the members of Troy's family in the final scene of the play?
Troy and lyon both took the wrong path but troy was harder on cory and it paid off in that he became a better man than both his brother and father.
(3). To what extent is Troy wrong about how American society has changed during his lifetime? To what extent is he right? He's right about the past racism but he fails to see the chaning that is taking place all around him.
4. Troy talks a great deal about the importance of independence and self-reliance, but he is also a user and manipulator of others. Does this make him a liar? self-deceptive? something else? His like an old man he see the change but is to set in the old ways to change in his past he had to be that way to make it and now that he don't he finds it hard to change his ways. He is in an inter battle with his self.
(5). Towards the end of the play, what is the significance of Cory singing the song “Old Blue” that Troy sang earlier in the play?- What happens to Gabe at the end of the play? He plays to the lord to redem his fasther and to show that he was not all bad.
Comment for Rachel
I completly know where you are coming from. In the beging my mom pushed me into Marketing classes but as see noticed that it made me misrable she let me break out on my own . I was able to explore my own intrest and found I loved geologyand quikly changed my major. Now Iam a year from graduation and loving it.
1) I think Troy and Lyons were afraid of commitment and change. The hope to break free was with Cory he wanted something different in his life.
2) Cory accomplishes more than his father expected or gave him the chance to show him that his life was going to be different.
3) Troy never came to the realization that the world had many changes as far as race goes. It may have still been some there, but it was not as bad as it was when Troy was growing up. Therefore, he did not want to give his family a chance to be different or strive for something that he thought the white man could take away.
4) I really do not understand why Troy done the things he did as far as the affair on his wife, but the other things he did I believe they were all apart of his reasonability to take care of the family.
5) I think he was bonding with his little sister and sharing one good part of their dad together---Gabe sings a song and does a little dance to open the gates of heaven for his brother.
“Make you own life”
August Wilson
Wilson was originally born Frederick August Kittel Jr. in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He made many decisions in life to help better him self. August becomes a major figure in American drama and becomes one of only seven American authors to win two Pulitzer Prizes for drama.
Basic Passage:
It was my choice. It was my life and I didn’t have to live it like that. But that’s what life offered me in the way of being a woman and I took it. I grabbed hold of it with both hands.
Correlation:
In this passage, Rose is talking to Cory about his life and the decisions he should think about before taking action. She does not want him to let certain things or people make him who he is. I think Cory really takes to head of what she is saying. I can remember my mom telling me the same thing. I have learned not to let anyone influence the things that happen in my life if I choose not too.
1. Tragedy is that Troy does not want to overcome the fact that life has changed and the way he was treated when he grew up.
2. I think it already turns into comedy or ends happy.
3. There are many joyous parts like Gabe opening the gates for Troy, Troy letting death win and going to heaven, Cory becoming more than what others expected etc…
I am commenting on jag2419's response:
I agree with jag2419, people should follow their hearts and make decisions based on what's best for them, not because they're trying to please other people.
1.) There is a recurring pattern with Tory and his son Lyons. Tory went to prison for stealing and Lyons is there. There is hope for change, because at the end Cory changes his mind and stops rebelling because he goes to his father’s funeral.
2.) I think that it was important to see Cory in the end because his dad was the hardest on him and he didn’t fall into the trap of using people, or going to prison like his brother Lyons and his dad.
3). I think that for Troy it was because he was still living in the past and had it in his mind that things would not change.
4). I see Troy as self-deceptive
5). I think it was to honor his Dad.
Fences
August Wilson
August Wilson was a major figure in American drama of the last two decade of the twentieth century and for the start of the twenty-first. He is one of only seven American authors to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. He passed away in October 2005 in Seattle, Washington of liver cancer.
Basic Passage
Troy: “You’re a bigger fool that I thought…to let somebody take away your job so you can play some football. Where you gonna get your money to take out your girlfriend and whatnot? What kind of foolishness is that to let somebody take away your job?
In this passage Troy is very upset with his son Cory about wanting to focus on playing football and not wanting to work. Cory wants to play football to help him get into college, but his dad wants him to focus on getting a job and not football.
Correlation
It's hard for me to correlate with this. It is a horrible thing for parents to crush a their children's dreams. Our dreams and goals are what keep us motivated and drive us to reach them, which usually keeps us on the right track and out of trouble.
Questions
1). Identify the cause of human suffering- Tragedy
The cause of human suffering would be Tory not being able to overcome the past.
2). How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
I think it could be made into a comedy if Tory wasn’t so hard on his children, and Cory was able to still play football.
3). Identify the cause of joy or happiness-Comedy
The joy would be how the family was able to come together for the funeral.
I am commenting on jag2419's response:
I completely agree with what you are saying. People should be who they want to be and follow their hearts and dreams.
Comment for nicken:
I completely agree with you that it is horrible for a parent to want to crush their children’s dream. And yes it is true that it is our dreams and goals that keep us motivated.
August Wilson
Fences
1.) Cite a place where you see the notion of the cyclical pattern of family, that is the idea that the sins and virtues of one generation are played out again in the next. How powerful is this pattern and is there any real hope to break free of it?
Cory showed a lot of his rebellious side by treating his Dad the way he did and not ever listening to him and leaving the house. In the end, there is definite hope because he attends his father's funeral, showing measures and measures of forgiveness and showing deep internal love for his father.
2. What is significant about the occupations or situations of the members of Troy's family in the final scene of the play?
Cory portrays that he is more than his father ever expected of him. His father expected so much out of him and treated him so unfair, but at the same time it helped him in the end.
3.To what extent is Troy wrong about African American society has changed during his lifetime? To what extent is he right?
Troy chose to still live in the idea of racism. He never really wanted to see things change and move on from racism.
4. Troy talks a great deal about the importance of undependence and self relience but he is also a user and manipulator of others. Does this make him a liar? self- deceptive? something else?
He is really caught up in himself and doesnt even realize what he even believes sometimes, himself. I would definitely say he is self- deceptive.
5. Towards the end of the play, what is the significance of Cory singing the song "old blue" that Troy sang earlier in the play? What happens to Gabe at the end of the play?
He shows that he really has given his father grace and forgiven his father wholeheartedly . Also, he reassures the family that Troy is in heaven now.
August Wilson was born in Pittsburg, Pennslyvanis in 1945 and had an African American mother. He is a very accomplished playwright who focuses on African American history. He passed away in October of 2005 of liver cancer.
Basic Passage:
" You can't be nobody, but who you are Cory. Your Daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn't and at the same time he tried to make you everything he was."
Rose is assuring her son that he needs to be hisself and not what others expect of him. She is showing her love for her son here, as well as showing Cory that his father isnt so bad after all. She explains that a father does his best for his son under any crcumstances. She tried to show Cory that his father really did want what was best for him but at the same time couldnt help but take after his father in some ways, whether good or bad.
Correlate:
I can definitely relate to this passage because I was raised by a single mothert and was constantly told how to act and how bad of a man my father was but at the same time My Mother really did care foR ME. I really resented my mother for a whle because of the way she talked about my father, but I really did get a lot of my faters traits whether I liked it or not.
1. Identify the cause of tragedy or human suffering.
The way Troy felt abandoned by his father, as a while.
2. How can this tragedy be turned into a comedy?
I do not think this culd be turned into a ocmedy because this is real life hardships.
3. Identify the cause of Joy or happiness?
the fact that Cory forgives his father in the end.
In response to JAG2419
I totally agree with you. Most parents do try to tell their children what is best for them and to always follow their own heart and not someone else's. You only have one life to live so you better make it about your goals and life experiences, that make you who you are, not someone else because their goals and dreams are what make them who they are.
(1.) Cite a place in place where you see the notion of the cyclical pattern of family, that is, the idead that the sins nad virtues of one generation are played out again in the next. How powerful is this pattern, and is there any real hope to break free of it?
In the story, Troy says that he spent some time in prison. And later on in the play his son, lyons ends up serving time in jail. I believe that this pattern can be broken,because Cory is on his way to getting a college scholarship playing football and later becomes a marine.
(2.) What is significant about the occupations or situatin of the members of Troy's family in the final scene of the play?
Lyons happens to be in jail. And Cory who seem to take after his mother is a marine who has strong values.
(3.)To what extent is Troy wrong about how American life has changed during his lifetime.
I don't think he's wrong that much, but there still racisms during his present period as there was during his past.
(4.)Troy talks a great deal about the importance of interdepence and self reliance, but he is also a user and manipulator of others? Does this make him a liar? Deceptive? or something else?
I think this make him a liar,because he often critizes other of their lack of self reliance, such as he talks about his older son Troy. But deep down, he really struggling with his self reliance.
(5.) Towards the end of the play, what is the significance of Cory singing the song "Old blue" that Troy sang earlier in the play? What happens to Gabe at the end of the play?
I believe that it showed that Cory has forgiven his father, and realizes that his father wanted him to be everything. Gabe realizes that he is not a guarden angel.
"Fences"
Augustus Wilson
Biography
Wilson was born Frederick August Kittle Jr, the son of German-born baker.He suffered racial discrimination in his early life, but overcame these troubles to become a great writer. He became one of the major figures in American drama in the last two decades of twentieth century and the begining of the twenty-first. He died of liver cancer in 2005.
(Basic Passage)
TROY. Death ain't nothing. I done seen him. Done wrassled with him. You can't tell me nothing about death. Death ain't nothing but a fastball on the outside corner.
In this passage I believe that Troy is thinking that he isn't scared of dying, because he almost died in the hospital with puenomia. So he is just saying that it is nothing. But, deep down he's knows he is going to die one day.
(Correlation)
I truly believe when we overcome an ordeal in life. We usually don't think that it will come back to bite us again. For example, some people might have had cancer removed from their bodies. But, later on it may come back. So I think we should remember ordeals or troubles that we have encountered in our lives.
Identify the cause of Human-suffering? Tragedy?
The Maxon family is constantly going the trial and tribulations.
How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
If Troy would ligtned up and not be so judgemental about his family.
Identify the cause of joy and happiness?
How the family came back together at the end of the play.
Difficulties
None
In response to celia Joy.
I agree with you that you can call on your parents for advice. But, ultimately the decision is up to you. Every person decides he or her fate. That was a great post
1. Lyons reflects his father by going to jail. He cashed other people’s checks. Lyon is self reliant, like a pattern he continuous to go to his father to ask for money. Another pattern might be where Troy (the Father) gets in a fight with his son (Cory) and Troy told him to leave home. The same things happen to Troy and his father when he was a young boy.
2. The significance is that Troy treated Corey rough because he was trying to guide him in the right direction, and he became a better person. Lyons acts too much like his father, Troy. He is a criminal and a liar.
3. Troy is still caught up in the past because he grew up in the south and when he moved to the north, he still thought that the people are still racist. By thinking that it reflects on how the children were raised. In a way he is still right because even today there is still race and people are still being judged by skin color.
4. I would say he is both.
5. -1When Cory sang the song “Old Blue”, it showed that he was being himself and made peace or forgave his father.-2 Gabe, I guess you can say he became an “Angel” and told the family that Troy went to heaven.
Author:
August Wilson was born and raised in Pittsburg, PA. His mother and stepfather raised him. His father drifted in from time to time. At age of sixteen he was accused for plagiarism for writing a sophisticated paper because his teacher didn’t believe that he could write. He wrote plays about black experiences in the United States. He wrote the play ”Fences” in 1965 which is during the civil-rights-movement. Fences were the second play to go on Broadway and he won the 1987 Pulitzer’s Prize for drama.
Passage:
“You can’t be nobody but who you are, Cory….Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t … and at the same time he tried to make you everything he was.”
Correlation:
I can relate to this passage because almost everyday I get stuck with the question I ask myself, “who am I”? I am sure I am not the only one who feels pressure or even frustrated because we are trying to find out our own identity. Especially now that I am coming into my final two years of college and I am trying to figure out what I want to be. For example: when I just started college 3 years ago, I went into Engineering because both of my parents thought that would be a great field of study for me and they wanted me to make a lot of money. Which I am not knocking engineering because yes there is a lot of money involved but I felt I thought I would be more successful in Business. I changed my major and later told my folks what I did. Of course they got mad at me thinking that was a dumb move by my part. Now they are ok with it now, but I think the only reason they got mad at me was because when they were young they didn’t have anything and they didn’t want me to start out with a low paying job. To sum it all up don’t let anyone tell you what you can or cannot be because it is your life, and only you know if you can do it or not.
1) The tragedy was Troy’s Life way. One big tragedy.
2) I think Troy going to heaven turned the tragedy into a comedy.
3) It was a joy when come to find out that Gabe was an angel.
"Fences"
August Wilson
Biography
August Wilson was born as Frederick August Kittel in 1945 in Pittsburgh, PA. His father was hardly there and he was raised by his mother and stepfather. When he was sixteen, he was accused of plagiarism (though he wrote the paper himself) and suspended from high school. He ended up dropping out. Fences won Wilson the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1987.
Basic Passage
"Some people build fences to keep people out and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you."
A fence has two sides depending on how you look at it. Bono says this to Cory and Troy as he gives his take on why Rose might want to build a fence around their dirt yard. Bono understands why this is important to her. When he says "some people build fences to keep people out" he is referring to Troy. Troy keeps people out by controlling them... like controlling Lyon's love for jazz and Cory wanting to play football. Rose just wants to keep them from leaving because she loves them. "Fences" might also refer to the "Fences of slavery".
Correlate
When I first read this quote I instantly thought how I act towards people I love. I'm like Rose because metaphorically I build 'fences' to keep people in. What I've learned in the past few months is that most people don't like being trapped within 'fences' and no matter how good your intentions are, it just might have the opposite effect. I've learned and am still learning that there can be a good balance between having a fence and no fence at all... a gate allows freedom without allowing chaos.
Identify the cause of Human-suffering? Tragedy?
The way Troy acts and controls the people he loves.
How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
If Cory would have gotten to play football.
Identify the cause of joy and happiness?
When the family came together at the funeral.
Difficulties
None
---------------------
1. Cite a place in place where you see the notion of the cyclical pattern of family, that is, the idea that the sins and virtues of one generation are played out again in the next. How powerful is this pattern, and is there any real hope to break free of it?
At the end of play we find out Lyons spent time in jail just like his father had and also has a bad relationship with his girlfriend Bonnie. But Cory shows us how there is hope to break free of it… he didn’t turn out like his father did. Raynell also shows hope because he never had the chance to really know her father so his influence will not effect her.
2. What is significant about the occupations or situations of the members of Troy's family in the final scene of the play?
Lyon’s occupation at the end of play goes to show us that even though he didn’t want to, he is turning out like his father. Cory’s job in the marines shows he has stronger values than his dad and seems to take after his mom.
3. To what extent is Troy wrong about how American society has changed during his lifetime? To what extent is he right?
Troy lived in the past. While racism was still present in his time it wasn’t as prevalent as he made it out to be.
4. Troy talks a great deal about the important of independence and self-reliance, but he is also a user and manipulator of others. Does this make him a liar? self-deceptive? something else?
It makes him a liar. He talks of ‘independence’ and ‘self-reliance’ but all he does is try to control his family for the worst! It’s as if he doesn’t want them to be successful and happy because he wasn’t successful and happy in his life.
5. Towards the end of the play, what is the significance of Cory singing the song “Old Blue” that Troy sang earlier in the play?- What happens to Gabe at the end of the play?
Cory is reminiscing about his father.
Gabe starts to realize he is not a guardian angel because his trumpet doesn’t work. But he improvises by dancing and ‘singing’ which works just as well in his mind.
Reponse to Almond Joy
I definitely agree to what you say about your parents trying to control your career. My parents were the same way with me and even morso with my brother, they tried to push him into engineering. I think it all boils down to them not wanting you to go through the hardships they did. OR in Cory/Troy's case... Troy doesn't want Cory to be successful because he wasn't. What they seem not to realize and I just cannot understand this is... only you can make you happy, and you are the one that has to live with whatever career you choose, not them.
Response to racheL:
I agree when you said "overlooked what they thought was best for me and allowed me to decide" We will all have decisions we will have to make, and sometimes they are right. If they are not the right ones, we have to learn from our mistakes anyways, so better to do it young.
Comment on Soupbone4:
I agree with what you said as for as feeling sorry for Cory, but I feel he should not have lied to his dad about working on the weekends. He told his dad that he would work on weekends, but actually he told his boss that he just wanted to quit the job all together. Troy was hard on Cory, but I feel like if he wanted to play football so bad he would have tried to work to show his dad he at least tried. Then maybe after trying to jungle both his father would have eased up on him some MAYBE.
1. Troy passes his own personal history to his family. He tries so hard to protect his son he hurts Cory's future. This is very powerful to the next generation, because the only people that they have to live by is their parents.
2. Even though his children have mixed feelings about their father they still learn so much from Troy. Cory acted like the world owed him something.
3. I think that Troy saw things very one sided and narrow minded.
4. Self-deceptive- He is not true to himself and it always starts from inside.
5. Gabrial realizes that the trumpet does not blow for Troy and his is so disappointed.
Live your Life
August Wilson
August Wilson was born in 1945 as Fredrick August Kittel, Jr. and he died in 2005. His father was a German baker and his mother was as African American woman. They lived in poverty and his father gave little help. He rose above the way that he was raised and became a famous writer with such writings as, "Fences" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom".
Basic Passage:
"You just have to give it a chance it will grow."
Rose has such a tender heart and she want so badly to protect the relationships with every one in her family.
Correlation:
I know exactly how she feels. Having two boys they are in constant disagreement and you do not want to play favoriates and keep the peace.
1. Identify the cause of human suffering- Tragedy
The way that the children seem like they did not have a choice in life.
2. How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
Troy and his son could get along.
3. Identify the cause of joy or happiness-Comedy
I did not see any joy or happiness in this.
Response to Celia loy:
I agree in that we turn to our parents for guideance and trust that they will help us with the right decision.
1) The cyclical pattern of the family is the forced hopelessness that Troy makes his family have. Troy doesn’t want anyone to have hopes and aspirations because his dreams were shattered when he didn’t get into the Major Leagues. He thinks that everyone should have it hard like how he did. He makes that happen, by not signing his son’s permission papers, so he can go to college on a football scholarship. He also discourages his wife from playing the lottery and talks bad about his son Lyons’ job as a musician. In the end of the story, he wins, Cory is not a football player, instead he is in the military and Lyons ends up in jail just like Troy was for the most part of Lyons’ life. There may not be much hope for the children, considering Cory’s dreams were shattered and he might end up just like his father and now Raynell has a missing father figure in her life, she could end up like Lyons’, in jail.
2.) The significance of the occupations or situations of the members of Troy’s family in the final scene of the play represents the affects that Troy had on their lives. Because Troy was cheating on his wife, his wife ends up being alone with the child that Troy and his lover conceived. Cory ends up being in the military because Troy wanted his son to treat him with the utmost respect saying “yes sir” and doing whatever he told him to do, in a military manner. Lyons ends up in jail just like Troy was for the most part of his life. Lyons cheats on his girlfriend, just like his father and now he has no money to invest in his musician dreams.
3.) Troy is wrong about the fact that colleges won’t let blacks play in the pros. I believe that within that later part of his life is when people liked blacks as entertainment. So, they probably would have let his son play pros. He was right about the society when he feels that blacks don’t get the same privileges as whites, beyond sports.
4.) It makes him insecure, because he hides behind all of the responsibility and independence nonsense to give people the illusion that he is just that.
5.) I think the significance of Cory singing the song at the end of the play is a representation that Cory is going to end up just like his father. Gabe comes to the realization that he is not the angel Gabriel because when Troy passed his trumpet didn’t work to open the gates of heaven, so when he came back to himself and did a dance, the dance was what made the gates open, because he was true to himself.
Stay true to Yourself
Fences
August Wilson
August Wilson was born Frederick August Kittel Jr. His father was German and his mother was African American. He was born and raised in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He won numerous New York Drama Critics Circle Awards, American Theatre Critics’ Association Awards, and Tony Awards. Wilson is one of seven American authors to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama.
Basic Passage:
“You not the only one who’s got wants and needs. But I held on to you, Troy. I took all my feelings, my wants and needs, my dreams… and I buried them inside you. I planted a seed and watched and prayed over it. I planted myself inside you and waited to bloom. And it didn’t take me no eighteen years to find out the soil was hard and rocky and it wasn’t never gonna bloom. But I held on to you, Troy. I held you tighter. You was my husband. I owed you everything I had. Every part of me I could find to give you.”
In this passage Rose is telling her husband about how much she has put into this relationship and this is all that he shows for it. She is explaining how she gives and gives and he takes and takes and then he has the nerve to say that he wasn’t being fulfilled. She gave up her dreams for him. He meant everything to her.
Correlation:
I can relate to this because a lot of times in my relationship with my boyfriend I feel like I am the only one who is trying to make this thing work. I do things for him, I go out of my way to cater to him and I don’t receive the same in return. I’m the one doing the giving and he’s the one doing the taking. Sometimes I feel like I should be the one that gives up on the relationship and look for something better because he takes so much from me I feel used up. I want someone to rejuvenate me. I want someone to reimburse me with the love that I have given away for nothing in return.
1. Tragedy:
The tragedy in this story was the family suffering from Troy’s decisions and demands.
2. The tragedy can be turned into a comedy if Troy would have let Cory go to college and if Troy would have never cheated on his wife.
3. The cause of joy was Troy’s death and the rejuvenation of everyone’s life.
Difficulties:
I had no difficulties reading this play.
Response to Chloe':
I totally see where your coming from. Rose wants to keep her family close to her her, especially Troy. But because she is holding on so tight may be the very reason why he wants to be out.
response to moonlight:
I really see where you are coming from. Sometimes it seems like parents are hard on the wrong kids, when they really just want the best for you.
(1). Cite a place in place where you see the notion of the cyclical pattern of family, that is, the idea that the sins and virtues of one generation are played out again in the next. How powerful is this pattern, and is there any real hope to break free of it?
The way that cory was following in his fathers footsteps despite his fathers hopes shows an inescapable cyclic pattern.the sins and virtues of his father are passed onto cory because of his fathers actions. at the end, cory shows he has realized he must change while at his fathers funeral.
2). What is significant about the occupations or situations of the members of Troy's family in the final scene of the play?
Cory becomes what his father had hoped for him, his brother lyons ends up in jail. mainly because he didnt learn from his fathers mistakes the way cory did. gabe finally comes to the realization the he isnt what he thought he was.
(3). To what extent is Troy wrong about how American society has changed during his lifetime? To what extent is he right?
Troy never had any hope for change.
although he is right about the existing problems.
(4). Troy talks a great deal about the important of independence and self-reliance, but he is also a user and manipulator of others. Does this make him a liar? Self-deceptive? something else? Self-deceptive? not a liar, because he never claimed he was that way, he was just a hypocrite, but still had hope that his sons would be different.
(5). Towards the end of the play, what is the significance of Cory singing the song “Old Blue” that Troy sang earlier in the play?- What happens to Gabe at the end of the play? Gabe “blows” his trumpet and does a kind of special dance so that “the gates of heaven will open up to Troy.” It shows that he has forgiven his father. gabe realizes that he isnt an angel, because his trumpet doesnt open the gates of heaven.
"breaking the mold"
"fences"
August Wilson
August Wilson born in 1945, and was raised in pittsburgh. when he was 16 he was susspended from school for writing a paper that his teachers didnt believe he was capable of. they assumed plagerism. in 1965 he wrote the play "fences", later won a pulitzers prize and established himself as an influencial american playwright.he died of cancer in 2005.
basic passage:
“You cant be nobody but who you are, Cory.Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t, and at the same time he tried to make you everything he was.
this passage pretty much sums up the way Troy treated Cory. he tried to tell Cory how to be but never was a good example himself.
correlation: i think this points out the importance of being a good example your children. Cory, had he not come to his realization at his dads funeral, may have never changed. he was fortunate, but his brothers were not. thing would havebeen so much easier if troy would have been a better role model.
tragedy: the like father like son scenario.
how could it be changed into a comedy? it could have been preventd had troy followed the values he taught.
comedy: Cory breaking the cycle and forgiving his father.
in response to nicken
i agree that it is horrible for troy to discourage Cory from his dreams. its another example of his father unintentionally strengthening the cyclic pattern they live in.
Like father, like son
Augusta Wilson
Fences
August Wilson was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania in 1945. Born to a German father and African American mother, he was the fourth of six children. He dropped out of high school and spent most of his time in the public library teaching himself.
1. Troy left home and became a man because of a conflict with his father. Cory also left home and became a man because of his father. Both Cory and Troy became men because of their fathers, a pattern that will likely continue.
2. Cory and Raynell come together and sing the song that they learned from Troy. Troy learned that song from his father. The song is being passed down through the generations. It is very like that Cory and Raynell will pass the song to their children.
3. Troy is set in his ways and he won’t change. He is right about the past but he refuses to play into the changes in society.
4. Troy wants his family to be independent but he also prides himself in being the bread winner and providing for his family, and he uses that to manipulate them into doing what he says.
5. The song is significant because Troy sang that song and he hated his father, now Cory is singing the song and he also hated his father. At the end Gabe realizes that he needs to be who he is and stop trying to live up to what he thinks he should be.
Basic Passage
“When I see what the matter of it was, I lost all fear of my daddy. Right there is where I became a man…at fourteen years of age.”
Correlate
Troy only feared his father because he respected him. Troy lost that respect when his father raped the girl. He was old enough to realize that his father was wrong in what he was doing, that respect was lost and Troy took his father off of his pedestal. Cory did the same thing when Troy wouldn’t let him play football. There was no reason why Cory couldn’t play ball, Troy was being selfish just like his father was at the creek.
Questions
1). Identify the cause of human suffering- Tragedy
Everybody in this story is suffering in one way or another because of the effects and actions of Troy’s father. Troy continued the cycle of anger between father and son.
2). How can the tragedy be turned into a comedy?
The story could be turned into a comedy if the cycle of resentment towards the father ended.
3). Identify the cause of joy or happiness-Comedy
Raynell ends the cycle because she doesn’t hate her father so she won’t pass that idea to her children.
In response to the mandrake
I also think that Troy was pulling Cory in two directions. He wanted Cory to depend on him and be independent at the same time but it doesn't work like that and Cory had to eventually walk out of the situation.
1. Cite a place in place where you see the notion of the cyclical pattern of family, that is, the idea that the sins and virtues of one generation are played out again in the next. How powerful is this pattern, and is there any real hope to break free of it? This is shown where Troy does the same things that his father did that he said he would never do. I think that this pattern is comes from the environment that he grew up around and that’s all that he knows and is used to.
2. What is significant about the occupations or situations of the members of Troy's family in the final scene of the play? They seem to be either crazy or dead.
3. To what extent is Troy wrong about how American society has changed during his lifetime? To what extent is he right? For some people no matter how hard they work they still may not achieve what they desired out of life. My thing is its all about who you know and it’s a dog eat dog world.
4. Troy talks a great deal about the important of independence and self-reliance, but he is also a user and manipulator of others. Does this make him a liar? self-deceptive? something else? I think that troy is unconscious of the fact that he is being a hypocrite and need to realize self before making judgments about how the way society is.
5. Towards the end of the play, what is the significance of Cory singing the song “Old Blue” that Troy sang earlier in the play?- What happens to Gabe at the end of the play? To me the old blue symbolizes the sky and the heaven up above.
1) In the play Corey has a problem with confronting authority and thats why he confronted his father. Troy has a problem with authority and that why he confronts his boss. Corey can break the pattern because he does right and stays out of trouble.
2) The significance of the occupations at the end of the story is that Troy who Corey was the hardest on became a great person. Troy's brother turned out just like his father.
3)I think troy is right about African American people not getting a fair shake and always being treated unjust. I think this is true because African Americans will never get treated as fair as white people and thats just life. But I think he could realize that even though its not equal it could be worse and their are some people that treat all people equally.
4) I think troy is a survivor because even though we would all like to do and say those things truth is all is fair in love and war and life is a war. Sometimes you have to become a wolf to catch a wolf and thats what troy did.
5)I think the song was to show his appreciation and respect for his father.
boundaries
August Wilson who was born Frederick August Kittel Jr. Was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1945. Wilson was moved by the Black Power movement and the now Nation of Islam. His writing style was inspired by jazz and blues music. He received a Pulitzer Prize in 1987.
Basic passage:
“You cant be nobody but who you are, Cory.Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t, and at the same time he tried to make you everything he was.
I think this passage is very deep. To me this is what every father tries to do for their son and shows them how much they love you. By this this is the way that Troy's dad is trying to help him do great things and not make the same mistakes he did.
2) Identify the cause of suffering.
The cause of suffering in this story was all racism and prejudice.
3) How could this be changed into a comedy? I think it could have been a comedy if no one died at the end and they were helped by a white man.
4) Identify the happiness. It was when the whole family was reunited and came together at the funeral.
Comment to Celia Loy
I totally agree with your correlation to the basic passage. I to think this is the mothers way of explaining to her child that he can only be what he wants to be. This is what makes him a man and only he can make these decisions not his dad.
I totally see where your coming from. Rose wants to keep her family close to her her, especially Troy. But because she is holding on so tight may be the very reason why he wants to be out.
chain link dog run calgary
Post a Comment