Abstract
The essay looks into the play "Fences"(1985) by August Wilson and does a comparative character analysis with one of the characters to someone in real life or from real experience. The character chosen from the play for comparison is Troy Maxson, who is the main character in the play.
Introduction
Troy Maxson is the character chosen from the play "Fences", who is also the main character in the play. He is an African American man who is the family breadwinner and works in the sanitation department. The other characters in the play gather around Troy, and the plot of the play is woven around him. The last scene in the play is about the funeral of the Troy, who is shown as a flawed human being in the play but a strong character. He is shown to have a complex character that has shades of gray. He does not shy away from twisting the truth as per his convenience and telling fanciful stories (Wilson, 1986).
Thesis statement The essay looks into the play "Fences” with the objective of doing a comparative character analysis. Troy Maxson, who is the main character in the play, is chosen for comparison and he gets compared with is a garbage and junk dealer, who shows certain traits that are quite similar to Troy. This man is hardworking like Troy but has certain fixed ideas about life and as the head of the family, expects others to follow his wishes. He is compared with Troy because of his egoism as the bread winner, his hypocrisy and double standards as well as his disappointments with life.1. Egoism as a breadwinner Troy takes great pride in his role as a breadwinner and has a strong ego. He gives much importance to money, and this prevents him from having a normal and loving relationship with his family. For example, he insists on shopping at Bella’s although according to his wife, Rose, the store overcharges. He may not be making luxurious money, but is willing to spend extra to fulfill his ego. According to him, he would like to spend his money where he is treated right. He is not willing to give ten dealers to Lyons, his son from previous marriage. On other occasion, he does not want to spend two dollars on the TV that his son Cory wants. He is not able to accept those choices and decisions in life that differ from his thinking and philosophy.The garbage and junk dealer makes money but not much to support his family. Still, he thinks that he is the most important member of his family and expect others to obey his decisions without any opposition. He lays much stress on money and the hard work he puts in to earn money for his family. He has a strong ego like Troy.
2. Hypocrisy and double standards Troy's hypocrisy is another trait that can be compared with the garbage dealer. He thinks he has all the freedom to live his life the way he wants but wants others to lead perfect and disciplined lives. He fails to acknowledge his extramarital affair with Alberta and denies the reality. On the other hand, he wants his son Lyons to spend money wisely and chides his for not taking his life in control. He is angry with his other son for not doing his daily chores. He wants his wife to obey his wishes even on small matters. The garbage dealer is not having an affair but has other flaws like drinking and gambling. Still, he does not loosen his purse strings for his family and likes to keep full control over finances like Troy. He keeps scolding them over the way they spend money while he has no qualms about the money he wastes on his gambling and drinking.
3. Disappointed with lifeTroy's life is filled with hope as well as a disappointment. He feels disappointed because he was left with a dead-end job after that exciting career opportunity as a baseball player. However, that was before the war and times had now changed. Still, he is skeptical if his son Cory, who got by a college football team, can make something good out of it. According to him, he should get a job to fix cars or something. The garbage dealer feels that he could have done better in life if he were given a fair share in his father’s property. He feels that life has treated him in an unfair way, and he deserved a lot better. He could have started a bigger business. His son is doing computer science, but he thinks that there are no good jobs for him in the market because of the competition. He wants his son to join him in the garbage business. His son is not too keen as he wants a decent job after his education.
Conclusion As one can infer from the above discussions, there are several traits of personality that seem to be common between Troy and the garbage dealer. Both have strong egos and want to have complete control over money. They are leading imperfect lives but want perfections from others around them. Both feel that life has treated them unfairly, and they could have been in a better position today and do not think much about getting an education or being good in sports.
References
Wilson, A. (1986). Fences. Samuel French. 1-97.
