1 Alexander Chow

11/19/07
English Essay
Pd. 1
In the play Fences by August Wilson, Troy tries to become a successful father by

helping his family with the problems like their jobs, people, and especially their

relationship with one another. The characters for the relationship of the father and son is

Troy who is the main character of the play and the father of Cory and Lyons. Troy’s

father also has a special connection with Troy and is the one that gave Troy the

characteristic of always yelling at their kids and having several girls. Troy and his father’s

relationship was bad and awful, it made Troy fend for himself. It taught him to become a

better father than his own father, but some parts of his father characteristics still remains

within Troy.

Before Troy left at the age fourteen, Troy’s father treated his family like dogs.

Even Troy’s mother left because she so scared of his husband which they call the devil.

When the family ate the father would eat first, he would make them work, and would

only give them a roof over their heads. Troy’s father only cared for himself and no one

else and would beat them and abuse his family. When Troy was with a girl his dad

whipped him hard, after Troy was whipped he saw his own father with the same girl. It

made Troy angry, so he went to his father and tried to whip him. That day it taught Troy

not to back down and that he had to take care of himself. Troy said “He had them leather

straps off the mule and commenced to whupping me like there was no tomorrow”. Troy’s

father made Troy see how evil he was and taught him to become a better father.

Cory is the youngest son of the family, but is treated better than Troy’s father

treating Troy. When Cory did something that would help him in life Troy always got mad

and thought it was a bad idea. Since Troy compares life to baseball he knew that allowing

him go to football was not a good idea. Troy has been treating Cory kinder than his father
2 Alexander Chow
11/19/07
English Essay
Pd. 1
and has been trying to be a better father. Still sometimes Troy gets mad and angry at Cory

because he worries about Cory’s future. In the past Troy would only get whipped by his

father, now Troy would only give Cory three warnings and then kick him out. Troy

worries that Cory will not anywhere if you just play football, which is why he told the

recruiter that Cory cannot play. Troy’s father was an evil man to his family, but Troy tries

to surpass his father by caring and trying to understand his family. Troy not only cares

about Cory but says that it is duty “How come you ain’t never liked me” then Troy

replies “Like you? Who the hell say I got to like you. It’s my job. It’s my responsibility”

With Troy’s father always abusing and beating Troy, it changed Troy to become a nicer

and caring father so he would not be like his father. Although he tries, he still has many

similarities to his father. But instead of yelling at his kids, Troy gives his kids more mercy

and love.

Lyons the oldest son comes time over time to get money from Troy. Troy however

does not like it when Lyons comes; in fact Troy does not even care about Lyons and is the

same for Lyons towards Troy. Lyons comes to the house and usually takes money from

Troy, but does not stay with them because he always says that he has to go back and play

his music. In the text, Lyons toke ten dollars from Troy and says that he is going to pay

him back, he leaves by saying “You and me is two different people, Pop. You got your

way of dealing with the world…….. I got mine. The only thing that matters to me is the

music”. Since Troy’s father did not treat Troy well he raised Lyons badly, that is why in

the end Lyons had to go to jail. Since Cory and Lyons are not really brothers Troy raised

Lyons differently than he did when Cory was born. The relationship between Troy and
3 Alexander Chow
11/19/07
English Essay
Pd. 1
Cory are differently because Troy had many wives, he treated Lyons more like Troy’s

father treating him.

When Troy’s father whupped Troy it taught him a lesson that he should not back

down. That is why Troy is trying to teach his boys the same lesson and continue with

their dreams. Troy tries to become a better father than his father but is difficult because he

has many problems around him like having a new born baby with no mother. Since

Troy’s treated his family terrible it gave them a bad relationship. It helped Troy to stride

to become a good and caring father, but also still have inherited some of his father’s

traits. Troy wanted to become to become a better father; in the end he helped his family.

Cory become a marine and got a successful life and helped his family to get closer even

without Troy. If Troy understood his two son’s problems it would have gave Troy a way

to raise them better. Troy would also help his family a lot if he encouraged and helped his

two sons with their future life.