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Fences

In: English and Literature

Submitted By DESSICA
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In 1987 the Pulitzer Prize for Drama was given to August Wilson for his well written play Fences. The Pulitzer Prize is one of the highest honors in the world for writers, playwrights and composers. Fences, was the sixth play of Wilson’s ten part Pittsburgh Cycle. The series of plays narrate the misfortunes and goals African Americans hope to reach during each decade of the 20th century. August Wilson's series of plays brought him recognition as one of America's most celebrated scriptwriters which earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
The play Fences was written in 1983 by August Wilson. Fences is perhaps August Wilson's most prominent work, Fences explores the life and relationships of the Maxson family. This touching drama gave Wilson his first Pulitzer Prize. The focus of Wilson's attention in Fences is the protagonist Troy Maxson, a 53-year-old head of household who hardly gets by with supplying for his family. All the action occurs in the front yard of Troy and Rose Maxson’s home. Troy once thought he had a promising career in baseball but because the race barrier had not been broken as yet he never made it to the MLB. He has since become a garbage collector who struggles to fend for his family. Even as he gets near retirement age, Troy is forced to do heavy lifting instead of driving the truck. Before baseball, he had been thrown out by his father and was a homeless, poor man until he was imprisoned for 15 years after murdering someone in the course of a robbery. Troy lives with his wife, Rose, his son Cory and Troy's younger brother Gabriel, an ex-soldier whose war injury to his head has caused him mental retardation. Lyons is Troy's son from a previous marriage, and lives outside the home and Bono, Troy's best friend. In the play Troy was able to make ends meet by taking Gabriel's money that he'd been awarded because of his injury in the army. Through

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