The idea of the fence has a number of symbolic meanings in the play. You have Troy’s baseball, Raynell garden, and the fence. This play focuses on the symbol of a fence which helps readers receive a better understanding of these events. “Fences” symbolizes a great struggle between the literal and figurative definitions of humanity and blackness. Of course, this fence is much more than just a fence – it's a complex symbol that pretty much sums up the whole play.…
The play Fences by August Wilson revolves around the front yard of the main characters Troy and Rose Maxson between the years 1957 and 1965. Rose is a long, responsible mother, wife, and friend who tends to show forgiving and selfless character traits. Many of her words and actions also show that she is a strong and assertive yet tender woman. Her husband Troy, on the other hand, is pretty much her opposite. Troy’s character is very dominant. He is and imaginative and boastful person who mostly comes off as selfish and bitter. Within the eight years, which the play takes place, Rose and Troy find themselves in a tragedy. Troy’s character changes between Act I and Act II, however, both his and Rose’s character are responsible for the tragedy.…
“Literature opens a dark window on the soul, revealing more about what is bad in human nature than what is good” is what someone once said. In other words, authors tend to focus more on the bad in humans, rather than the good. Two perfect examples to prove this true are Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Road to Miclantecutli” by Adobe James.…
The overall tone that Anna Quindlen creates is that of injustice, a kind of Romeo and Juliet story to be performed against the backdrop of forbidden freedom and a war based on prejudice against those who differ from us. Quindlen uses language to produce this tone by employing primarily pathos (emotion) and secondly and very limited, logic. Though an ethos style would be of great use to persuade her target audience and move the reader to her point of view, the Undocumented, Indispensable essay lacked this style, unfortunately. Instead, Quindlen’s focus on emotion/pathos leaves the reader feeling defensive and less sadness or pity which would be more of the goal with the well-done use of pathos.…
In “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurtson, the implied thesis that was utilized was that good will ultimately triumph over evil, even in an ironic manner. To either prove or disprove this thesis, a literary criticism was conducted, gathering scholarly opinions for other writers on this topic. By gathering the opinions, it was evident that other scholars agreed with Hurston’s thesis, indicating that good does in fact triumph over evil, even in an ironic sense or manner.…
Fences by August Wilson is a dramatic and powerful play about Troy Maxson, a hard, gruff man, who has had to learn to survive in a world he does not understand. Growing up, Troy had an awful example of a father. He ran away from home at the age of fourteen, and had to find a way to live even though he had nothing. Now a father himself, Troy finds himself becoming as angry and hard as his father, although he has only ever tried to be a responsible man. Lyons, Troy’s oldest son from his first marriage, is the opposite of Troy. A struggling musician, Lyons’ fatherless childhood condemned him to be an irresponsible dreamer who believes in a future of liberation.…
Authors can show us characters that are looked down upon because people believe that they’ve done wrong but in reality they are actually good people with good intentions. In To Kill a Mockingbird…
Fences is a play set in 1950’s America, which examines the conflicts between generations, and racial tensions between African Americans and white Americans. The play focuses on the Maxson family’s struggle to cope with Troy’s egotism and double-standards. On the one hand, he demands people to be realistic, practical, and responsible. On the other hand, he is having affair with Alberta and is living in a private fantasy world.…
Reader reactions vary enormously with personality, society and morals. The personality of the reader will dictate the extent to which the reader engages with outsiders such as Holden and Mersault. Whereas the society that the reader lives within ordains the reader’s interpretation of what it is to be an outsider. Ultimately it is the morals, products of both personality and society, each individual holds which influence whether any individual reader sides with the outsider.…
Fences is a "tragedy of the common man” who challenges the affront to his dignity. Troy Maxson’s downfall was caused by his response to the challenge that racism posed to his personal dignity. Although Troy was able to knock a baseball out of the park like it was nothing, he constantly "missed the mark" in his personal life. Troy had a tragic flaw, which was that he did whatever he thought was right without thinking of the consequences. In an attempt to respond to the indignities he suffers, he distorts history, denies facts, and lies. The circumstances that shaped Troy to the character he is, led to the development of a begrudging mentality. As Troy did not amount to much, he did not want others to surpass him and diminish his self-reputation. In addition, although prison has a negative connotation, it was a positive turning point for Troy. Also, it can be inferred Troy suffered from athazagoraphobia. Racism played a key role in Troy’s refusal to accept his circumstances.…
For 50 years, Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird has been recognized worldwide as a classic. It has never been out of print, which is just one of the many signs that prove how imprinted into our society it is. Harper Lee changed the way readers experience the world around them, and certainly raised the bar for what should be expected from classic novels. To Kill a Mockingbird’s legacy will be everlasting, for holds a mirror up to America and shows what truly lies underneath.…
Through history literature has been used to inform and educate the public about important issues relevant to their current time , Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird brought about social awareness of the racial prejudice occurring in It’s time period , and had a major influence on the upcoming events that were brought about as a result of its impact on the publics general view.…
A 5th grade student is sitting down to read their American history textbook. As they read they learn about this legal form of slave labor, and think to themselves “it was bad, but not that bad”. There are always two sides to every story, but sometimes one side may shed more light than the other. Frederick Douglass’ 1845 self-titled narrative is one of those other sides. From a mostly objective perspective, he is able to tell the story of the blood, tears, and labor that was put into building this great nation, the United States. More than a century later, Toni Morrison, the great African American novelist, publishes Beloved. Her novel supplements the story of Frederick Douglass by adding an emotional and almost maternal insight to the horrors of slavery. While Douglass gave the perspective of a young boy growing over time, he somehow is able to make the story of his own life objective to readers on both sides of the slavery argument. Morrison on the other hand brings her own fictional character to life in a slightly different world of slavery, bringing the opposite maternal, feminine side to the story. With their great differences, these two works are able to go hand in hand, while leading one on a journey to truth.…
The Harkness Discussion is a method of conducting and evaluating group discussion which was developed at Phillips Exeter Academy. The teacher acts as little as possible, serving mostly as an observer. The students participate in the discussion as a team: this is not a competition. Everyone is expected to contribute in such ways as the following: - organizing, leading - summarizing, restating, clarifying - offering examples from the text - asking questions - commenting or giving an opinion - making a suggestion - asking for clarification - reacting to comments - analyzing the text, a comment, or the discussion itself - restarting the discussion - filling in a hole - arguing a point - asking for new information - asking for comments or reactions - making connections with other texts, situations, or discussions Since this is a team effort, there will be a team grade. The whole class will get the same grade, with two exceptions: students who do not participate at all will be marked down; other students who perform truly exceptional group-benefit feats - for example by “saving” or immensely uplifting a discussion that is going bad - will be eligible for independent work credit. A discussion for which everyone would receive an “A” would look like this: - Everyone participates, and more or less equally. - The pace allows for clarity and thoughtfulness, but not sleep. - There is a sense of balance and order: focus in on one speaker and one idea at a time. - There is an attempt to resolve questions and issues before moving on to new ones. - There is a clear sense of what the group has covered and how. - The loud do not dominate; the shy are encouraged. Everyone is clearly understood. - Students are animated, sincere, helpful. - The conversation is lively. - When the process is not working, the group adjusts. Those unhappy with the process say so. - Students take risks and dig for new meanings. - Students back up what they…
One of the best things about owning your own house is the privacy it affords. You will be able to have control over your own home and more privacy than living in a apartment. The best thing you can do to ensure complete privacy is building or acquiring a house with a fence. Not only will you have more privacy with a fence but it will also help with the relationship between you and your neighbors.…