Asked by: Deivid Garcia De Plaza
books and literature fiction

What type of character is Troy in Fences?

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Troy Maxson - The protagonist of Fences, a fifty-three year-old, African American man who works for the sanitation department, lifting garbage into trucks. Troy is also a former baseball star in the Negro Leagues. Troy's athletic ability diminished before the Major Leagues accepted blacks.


Then, is Troy a tragic hero in fences?

Troy Maxson is a classically drawn tragic-hero. He begins the play loved, admired and getting away with his secret affair. But eventually, Troy's death leaves many negative attributes as an inheritance for his family to sort out and accept.

Furthermore, is Troy Maxson a good person? Troy Maxon is not a good man, but that doesn't mean that those around him can't love or forgive him. Troy takes advantage of people throughout his life. Most of the play centers on the hardships he's visited on the people that he loves. He's selfish and chases his own desires rather than supporting his family.

Herein, what does Troy fear in fences?

He wanted more than anything to be a pro baseball player, but his career was stopped because of racial discrimination. The central conflict of Fences centers around Troy's refusal to let his son Cory play football, which destroys Cory's chances of going to college.

What does Troy represent in fences?

In part, the fence symbolizes Troy's futile attempt to keep death and misfortune away from himself and his family. He addresses death in the play and says, "Mr. Death. See now.I'm gonna take and build me a fence around this yardAnd then I want you to stay on the other side."

Related Question Answers

Dorel Buchroth

Professional

Is Troy a hero or a villain?

He had many faults, which left him in a bad position, though was an all-around powerful, responsible man. Through all of his personalities, August Wilson made Troy out to be a hero and villain. Overall, Troy is a hero because he has dedicated his life and taken the responsibility of his family.

Un Bohnisch

Professional

How did Troy Maxson die?

Troy swings the baseball bat in the air, taunting Death. Troy has died from a heart attack. Cory returns home from the Marines to attend Troy's funeral.

Sukhjit Agenosoff

Professional

What kind of man is Troy Maxson?

Troy Maxson - The protagonist of Fences, a fifty-three year-old, African American man who works for the sanitation department, lifting garbage into trucks. Troy is also a former baseball star in the Negro Leagues. Troy's athletic ability diminished before the Major Leagues accepted blacks.

Raimunda Balakrishnan

Explainer

Is Troy a hypocrite?

Troy is a hypocrite. He is so much of the idea that his loved ones, his wife, and children, live the life that is practical and responsible. At the beginning of the story, he is a very adorable character, but as time goes by, the love on him by other slowly fades off.

Irakli Yasmine

Explainer

How is Troy Maxson stubborn?

Troy's hamartia is his stubborn, self-centeredness. He lives in his own little world and views the people in his life as revolving around him. It has to be noted that Troy Maxson isn't a bad man. His actions and speech may come off as cruel and callous but he also has admirable and likeable qualities.

Eritz Papises

Explainer

What makes a tragic hero?

Tragic hero as defined by Aristotle. A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. In reading Antigone, Medea and Hamlet, look at the role of justice and/or revenge and its influence on each character's choices when analyzing any “judgment error.”

Andriana Osate

Pundit

What does the fence mean to Troy?

To Rose, a fence is a symbol of her love. Her longing for a fence signifies that Rose represents love and nurturing within a safe environment. However Troy and Cory think the fence is a burden and reluctantly work on finishing Rose's project.

Millana Muniaran

Pundit

How is Troy a morally ambiguous character?

David. Troy Maxson was morally ambiguous in that he was hard-working yet hard-hearted. He was persistent, yet complacent; loyal for the most part, yet deceptive for his own purposes; honest at times, but too brutal when he was. Troy had many different sides and his family experienced all of them.

Anael Llin

Pundit

What is Gabriel's role in Fences?

Main role of the Archangel Gabriel,in the play "Fences"is to awake St. Peter when it is time for judgement, specifically Troy's judgment. Very knowledgeable about the lives of others.

Remzi Diehm

Pundit

What metaphor does Troy use for death?

The fastball/death metaphor serves two purposes in the dramatization of Troy's character. Troy no longer plays baseball, but he continues to approach life as if his identity never changed. Wilson's use of the fastball/death metaphor depicts Troy as a common man capable of thinking with the heroism of a mythical figure.

Jenise Badykshanov

Pundit

Why did Troy build his fence?

Bono tells Troy and Cory that people build fences for two reasons: "Some people build fences to keep people out…and other people build fences to keep people in." Bono does not mention Troy's mistake of having an extramarital affair in front of Cory but shares his opinion on what Troy should do through his explanation

Lieselotte Buss

Teacher

What traits make Troy Maxson an unlikable protagonist?

What traits make Troy Maxson an unlikable protagonist? Troy is seen as an unsympathetic character for much of the play because of the emotional fence he builds to keep his sons and wife from seeing and accepting his underlying love for them. This is best observed when Cory asks Troy why Troy does not like him.

Yonathan Ehrensperger

Teacher

How is death a theme in fences?

In this play, Death represents the obstacles keeping Troy from happiness. Death had a role in Troy's past when he was going through hard times. Troy threatened Death when his relationship with Rose was struggling. At the end of the play, Death finally conquers Troy.

Kieran Auslander

Teacher

How does Troy view death in fences?

Death ends the play by annihilating the in/out distinction effected by a fence, and Troy dies in an unfavorable status because of his adultery. Wilson therefore seems to speak against Troy's view of death, and how this view informs his approach to life and the lives around him.

Brent Lienshoft

Teacher

Where did Troy Maxson grow up?

Troy Maxson was born in Alabama in 1904, and he grew up in a working-class African-American family of eleven children; his mother left the home when Troy was seven.

Zeineb Niehsen

Reviewer

Where does Troy work in Fences?

Troy Maxson
Troy is the protagonist of Fences. He is a working class African American man who lives with his wife, Rose, and son, Corey, in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. He works for the Sanitation Department as a garbage collector.

Kassoum Caragea

Reviewer

What does Troy say to death at the end of the scene?

Scene iv. 17) At the end of this scene, Troy tells Death that he "can't taste nothing no more," & that "It's between you & me now! Come on!

Tautvydas Osca

Reviewer

Why does Troy not want Cory in football?

Though he was a homerun king of the Negro Leagues, he couldn't graduate to the majors because of racial discrimination. Troy refuses to let his son play football, claiming that he doesn't want Cory to suffer from the same sort of heartache.

Thuy Ruether

Reviewer

How did Troy change in fences?

How does Troy's character change over the course of the play? Troy Maxson transforms into a lonely, unloved, fearful man from his original position as the center of attention in his family and social world.

Co-Authored By:

EveryThingWhat Staff Editor

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19th April, 2020

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