THE MEANING OF “FENCE” AS THE MAIN SYMBOL IN
AUGUST WILSON’S
FENCES
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters.
By
MARIA ROSETHA SIMBOLON
Student Number: 074214064
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
THE MEANING OF “FENCE” AS THE MAIN SYMBOL IN
AUGUST WILSON’S
FENCES
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters.
By
MARIA ROSETHA SIMBOLON
Student Number: 074214064
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
iv
What you think God gives you
depends on what you think of
God.
(Hoover and sabatté)
An Optimist sees
opportunities in every
danger.
A pessimist sees dangers
in every opportunity.
v
This Thesis is Dedicated to
My Beloved Jesus Christ and
vi
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma Nama : Maria Rosetha Simbolon
NomorMahasiswa : 07 4214 064
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul
The Meaning of “Fence” as the Main Symbol in August Wilson’s Fences
Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data mendistribusikan secara terbatas dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalty kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Padatanggal : 26 Agustus 2011 Yang menyatakan.
vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to thank Jesus Christ for the extraordinary grace upon my life. I can finish this thesis because of His great blessing. I love You, Jesus.
My deepest gratitude is addressed to my advisor, Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum., for his patience, suggestion, motivation, and laughter in guiding me finishing this thesis. I also thank my co-advisor, Elisa Dwi Wardani, S.S., M. Hum., for her correction and advices to the completion of this thesis. I also thank all of the lecturers and staffs of English Letters Department Sanata Dharma University for the guidance and help during my study.
I dedicate this thesis to my beloved family. To my mother, Linceria Haloho, you are an amazing mother. To my father, Binnen Simbolon, I know you always pray for me. To my brothers Ganda Simbolon and Asido Simbolon, you are the best brothers ever. I thank them for everything they do to support me. I love you all. My special thank is addressed to my beloved the late grandfather, Justin Fransiskus Haloho. I will always remember the advices and great memories.
My sweetest thank is addressed to my lovely friends: Mustika, Grace, Yenni (Bigozh), Tina, Sicil, Karin, Tata, Riris, and Mey. Thank for the supports, prayers, and friendship. I love you friends.
viii
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ... vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... vii
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ... 7
A. Review of Related Studies ... 7
B. Review of Related Theories ... 10
C. Theoretical Framework ... 12
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ... 13
A. Object of the Study ... 13
B. Approach of the Study ... 14
C. Method of the Study ... 15
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ... 17
A. The Presentation of “Fence” as the Main Symbol ... 17
B. The Meanings of “Fence” in the Play ... 26
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ... 41
BIBILIOGRAPHY ... 45
ix
ABSTRACT
Maria Rosetha Simbolon. The Meaning of “Fence” as the Main Symbol in August Wilson’s Fences. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2011.
The play Fences by August Wilson is the main object in this study. The story tells about the life of Maxon’s family. Most part of the play is talking about “fence”. This study discusses the meaning of “fence” literally and symbolically.
There are two objectives in this study. The first is to show the presentation of “fence” in the play. The second is to reveal the meaning of “fence” both literally and symbolically.
To answer the questions the writer uses the play Fences by August Wilson as the primary source, while the secondary sources are books on literature and online sources. The writer uses library research method. The writer uses formalistic approach because the study focuses on the work of literature itself – the play Fences itself.
x
ABSTRAK
Maria Rosetha Simbolon. The Meaning of “Fence” as The Main Symbol in August Wilson’s Fences Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2011.
Drama berjudul Fences dengan pengarang August Wilson adalah objek utama dalam skripsi ini. Drama ini bercerita tentang kehidupan keluarga Maxon. Sebagian besar dari drama ini berbicara tentang “fence”. Skripsi ini mempelajari arti dari “fence” secara literal dan secara simbolik.
Tujuan skripsi ini ada dua. Yang pertama adalah untuk menyajikan bagaimana “fence” dikemukakan dalam cerita.. Yang kedua adalah untuk mengungkapkan arti- arti “fence” baik secara literal maupun simbolik dalam cerita.
Untuk menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan tersebut, penulis menggunakan drama Fences oleh August Wilson sebagai sumber utama, sedangkan sumber penunjang adalah buku-buku sastra dan sumber- sumber dari internet. Penulis menggunakan metode studi pustaka. Penulis menggunakan pendekatan formalistik karena penelitian ini berfokus pada karya sastra itu sendiri yaitu drama dengan judul Fences yang ditulis oleh August Wilson.
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
People can enrich their knowledge in many ways. One of them is by reading a work of literature. The content of literary work is about the life of human beings and their environment. In his book Approach to Literature: An Introduction to Critical Study of Content and Method in Writing, Graham Little says that “literature contains the record of the people’s values, their thoughts, their problems and conflicts – in short, the whole way of life” (1981: 1). This means that by reading a work of literature, people can enrich their knowledge about things that happen in life. Like what Graham Little says, it can be about the values, thoughts, even problems and conflicts of people in life.
Generally people’s mind will immediately imagine the performance on the stage when hearing the word ‘drama’ since drama is usually performed on the stage. Drama can be enjoyed in two ways which are reading and watching. People can read the text privately. People also can watch a drama as theatre. When reading a drama privately, it will be a good idea to draw the stage in mind. Creating the stage in mind will help the reader to enjoy and to understand the drama better. Graham Little in Approach to Literature: An Introduction to Critical Study Of Content and Method in Writing says that “drama is peculiar literary form, in that it may be treated as literature to be read privately, or as theatre, to be seen in public performance” (1981: 112). Drama is different from other literary works since it can be both as literature and theatre. Thus, there are two options to enjoy drama. It depends on what people like the most.
If there are some symbols in a work of literature, the readers need to understand the meaning of the symbol well to prevent misunderstanding. A symbol can be many things. An object can be considered as a symbol. A person also can be considered as a symbol, etc. Thomas Arp. R. and Greg Johnson in Perrine’s Literature Structure, Sound, and Sense states:
A literary symbol is something that means more than what it suggests on the surface. It may be an object, a person, a situation, an action, or some other element that has a literal meaning in the story but that suggests or represents other meanings as well (2009: 284).
When an author puts a symbol in his literary work, it means that he wants to say something through the symbol. Reader’s task is to find out the meaning of the symbol or to make sure whether it is truly a symbol or not. The using of symbol is one of many ways that is used by an author to express ideas or emotions. Murray in Literary Criticism: A Glossary of Major Terms states:
The using of symbol is regarded as a way to express emotions neither by describing them directly nor by defining them through over comparisons to the concrete images but by suggesting what these ideas and emotions by recreating them in reader’s mind (1978: 156 - 157).
The literary work analyzed here is a play Fences. Fences is a play written by August Wilson in 1987. The play Fences win some awards like the Pulitzer Prize and Tony award. This play is a story about the life of an African American family – Maxon’s family who live among white people. In Understanding Plays, Barranger states:
After reading the Fences, there are some questions that come out from writers’ mind such as: Why is the title of the play called Fences? What is the significance of the word “fence” in the play? And, what is the further meaning of the word “fence”? The writer wants to find out the answers for these questions. The focus of the writer is on the word ‘fence’. Some critics have criticized this play by relating it to historical criticism and psychological point of view, while the writer is interested in analyzing the play without relating it to other aspects. The writer wants to focus on the play Fences itself without paying attention to other elements outside the play.
B. Problem Formulation
Based on the explanation above, there are two questions in problem formulation that will be analyzed in this writing. They are:
1. How is “fence” as the main symbol in the play presented? 2. What are the meanings of “fence” in the play?
C. Objectives of the Study
Based on the two questions in problem formulations above, there are two aims of this study. The first objective is to know how “fence” is presented in the story. The second objective is to show the meanings of the word “fence”.
D. Definition of Terms
There are some important terms provided below. The terms should be defined in order to avoid misunderstanding in the analysis. They are:
1. Fences
out; especially, a structure enclosing or separating yards, fields, etc. 2) a guard; anything to restrain entrance; that which defends from attack, approach, or injury; security; defense” (1983: 674).
2. Symbol
The meaning of the symbol is taken from the word symbolism. Robert and Jacobs in Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing said:
Symbolism is derived from a Greek word meaning “to throw together” (syn, together, and ballein, to throw). In literature, symbol pulls or draws together (1) a specific thing with (2) ideas, values, persons, or ways of life, in a direct relationship that otherwise would not be apparent. A symbol might also be regarded as a substitute for the elements being signified, much as the flag stands for the ideals of the nation (1987: 279).
M.H. Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms sixth edition says:
7
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
This chapter consists of three parts. The first part is the review of related studies which contributes more information dealing with the work. The second part is the review of related theories that provides the theories used in the analysis. The third part is the theoretical framework which shows the usage of each theory used.
A. Review of Related Studies
The first study is by Jakarta Alchura in “Play reviews: Fences by August Wilson (Historical Criticism Perspective)” that says:
The play Fences by August Wilson is about the life of African American in the middle of 20th century. Throughout the play, we see the effect of racism that existed in the time of Troy Maxon, which in the historical context mirrored the societies of the United States in the 1950s. Racism produces inequality among a society and we see several examples of the effects on Wilson’s characters that the inequality had on them (helium.com, 2009).
The second study is by James Jackson in “Play reviews: Fences by August Wilson (Historical Criticism Perspective): Bridging the Gap” that says:
The main issue here is race and the huge barrier between black and white people and its effect on the Maxson family, especially Troy. The main character Troy strains to deal with the inequalities as a black man in the 1950's and as an old fashioned father during changing times (helium.com, 2009).
This study is also analyzed based on historical context. It is said that the main issue in the play is about the relation between black people and white people. This relation brings inequalities to the black people especially for Troy as the main character in the story. As the time goes by, Troy as the main character always believes that racism is always there, in their life. He believes that racism always exists both in his past life and in his present life.
The third study is by Bob Verin in his article “Fences” that says:
Time has enhanced the luster of "Fences." Dozens of dysfunctional-family dramas have come and gone since its 1987 Pulitzer win, but August Wilson's tragedy of a working man at war with his family and his own identity circa 1957 stands apart thanks to its distinctive lyricism and theatricality and its unforgettable central character ( variety.com, 2006). In this study, Verin comments on Fences when it is performed on stage. Verin says that Fences deserves to win Pulitzer Prize because the lyricism and the theatricality used are distinctive. He also says that the central character in Fences is unforgettable. Moreover, it also supports this play to get the award.
The fourth study is by Bill Varble in his article “Review: August Wilson's 'Fences' is Poetic, Powerful” that says:
cost of racism in the mangled lives and impacted rage of people like Troy. But other people, people like Rose, are capable of great nobility. Wilson isn’t known for strong women characters, but Rose puts the lie to that (Mail Tribune, February 25, 2008).
Varble says that Fences is a poetic play and it is also powerful. He says that in play Fences, August Wilson writes about how white people see black people and how black people look at themselves. Varble also says that in Fences, August Wilson puts something new which is the strong woman character in facing racism represented by the character of Rose.
The fifth study is taken from a study by Christina Lina Yuliati, The Effect of Troy’s Unpleasant Experiences in His Past and Present Life in Cory’s Life in August Wilson’s Fences. In this study, she uses psychological approach. Yuliati studies about Troy’s unpleasant experiences in his past and present life. Then, she shows how those unpleasant experiences affect Troy’s relationship with his son, Cory. In her study Yuliati says:
Troy’s unpleasant experiences affect his relationship with his son, Cory. Troy believes that his unpleasant experiences in his present life are caused by his unpleasant experiences in his past life especially his unfulfilled dream to become a professional baseball player. Because he cannot make baseball as his career, Troy has to be a garbage collector for living. It brings him to desperation. For that reason, Troy does not want Cory to have the same experiences. Troy hopes that Cory has a better life by keeping Cory out of the sport (1999: 26).
Different from the five studies above, this paper will focus on the meaning of the word “fence”. In this paper, the writer will analyze the word “fence” as the main symbol. The writer will focus only on the text. Other elements like historical context and psychological point of view will not be involved.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Symbol
one, the meaning have to be controlled by the context of the story (2009: 289-291).
There are some criteria for a word to be called as symbol. The items above have to be applied to a word to make sure that the word is really a symbol. Sylvan Barner, William Burto, and William E. Chain in their book Literature for Composition Essay, Fiction, Poetry, and Drama say:
If writers use symbols, they want readers to perceive - at least faintly - that certain characters or places or seasons or happenings have rich implications, stand for something more than what they are on the surface. How do writers help us perceive these things? By emphasizing them - for instance, by describing them at some length, or by introducing them at times when they might not seem strictly necessary, or by calling attention to them repeatedly (2005: 231).
The point that Barner, Burto, and Cain want to say is more or less the same like what Thomas Arp. R. and Greg Johnson say that a symbol has to stand for something more than what it is on the surface - the meaning that is further than its literal meaning.
open, we may make it mean anything we choose. Accurate interpretation of the symbol requires delicacy, tact and good sense (1969: 83- 90).
Robert Stanton in An Introduction to Fiction says that the reader can find the symbol in a work of literature by pay attention to the clues that the author gives. The clue is by making it in conspicuous detail. It may be conspicuous because it repeats or resembles certain other details. Details may also be conspicuous because they contrast with one another. The ways to make something conspicuous are by describing it more fully than its factual importance deserves, by making it unusual for no apparent reason, by mentioning it in the title, or by some other means (1965: 32).
C. Theoretical Framework
13
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study is a play written by August Wilson entitled Fences. This play was written in 1987. The play, Fences consists of 40 pages. It is divided into two acts, act one consists of four scenes and act two consist of five scenes. This play is found in W.B Worthen’s third edition book, The Harcourt Brace Anthology of Drama on page 1036- 1060. This book was published by Harcourt College Publisher in year 2000. Fence won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for its distinctive lyrical and theatricality and unforgettable main central character. The play also won Tony Award 2010 for Best Revival of a Play.
Troy also does not really like his first son from his previous marriage, Lyons. According to him Lyons is a lazy man who lets his wife work hard while he is busy with his music career which has no future. Troy’s wife, Rose does really want Troy to build fences around their house. Rose always reminds Troy to work on the fence every day. Troy always asks his son, Cory to help him working on the fence. Actually, both of them do not really understand why Rose really wants to have fences around their house. Troy and Cory are not really serious finishing the fences.
Someday Troy tells his wife that he has an affair with Alberta and she is in pregnancy. After this confession the relation between Troy and Rose is getting worse. The day when Alberta gives birth, Troy has to face the reality that Alberta dies. Troy has a daughter from Alberta named Raynell. Troy asks Rose to take care of Raynell. Rose treats Raynell as her own daughter. Yet, her relation with Troy is still bad. Cory leaves home because he has a bad quarrel with his father. Troy forces him to get out of the home. Troy gets angrier when Cory says that the home is not really his father’s. The money to get the house is his uncle’s money, Gabriel. Finally, Troy finishes building the fences while Cory never comes back until the day when Troy dies. Yet, he does not want to attend the cemetery. Rose advises him over and over again. And finally he agrees to go the cemetery.
B. Approach of the Study
work of literature itself. Barner, Burto, and Chain in Literature of Composition Essays, Fiction, Poetry, and Drama said:
Formalist criticism emphasizes the work as an independent creation, a self-contained unity, something to be studied in itself, not as part of some larger context, such as the author’s life or a historical period. Formalist criticism is, in essence, intrinsic criticism, rather than extrinsic, for it concentrates on the work itself, independent of its writer and the writer’s background – that is, independent of biography, psychology, sociology, and history (2005: 623- 624).
Since the writer wants to analyze Fences by concentrating on the work itself, formalistic approach will be an appropriate approach to be used. The writer wants to analyze the play by focusing on the intrinsic elements and free from the influence of extrinsic elements. Formalistic approach is the proper one to be used to analyze the play. The writer wants to present the meaning of the symbol “fence” in this story. The formalistic approach will help the writer to answer the two problems formulated in this paper.
C. Method of the Study
17
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter will be divided into two parts. The first part will be the analysis of how “fence” as the main symbol in the story presented. The second part will discuss about the meaning of “fence” in the play.
A. The Presentation of “Fence” as the Main Symbol
The word “fence” or “fences” appears in some conversations and events in this story. The word “fence” is presented in four classifications. The first is in the physical description of the stage. The second is in Rose’s song lyrics. The third is in the conversations of the characters (Rose and Troy, Troy and Bono, Troy, Bono and Cory). And the fourth is in the Troy’s monologue.
In the physical description of setting, the yard is fenced. The yard is partially fenced in the first scenes. In the last scene, the yard is fully fenced. The description of the fences in this play must have certain purpose. The author must want to say something through that specific description. From audiences’ point of view, they must be curious why the fence is unfinished when they see the stage in the first scene. In the description of the yard, the fence is described as below:
The yard is small dirt yard, partially fenced except for the last scene, with a wooden sawhorse, a pile of lumber, and other fence- building equipment set off to the side. (p.1036)
attention to the condition of the fence which is unfinished at the first scene then finished at the last scene, there will be some questions that come to people’s mind. In the conversations parts of the characters, the word “fence” appears for the first time on act one scene two, when Rose sings a song. She begins her day by singing a song. Rose wants Jesus to be a fence all around her every day. From the lyric, it is clear that the word “fence” has a connotative meaning. On the second line Rose says that she wants Jesus to protect her. There are two main points in this song lyric. They are the word “fence” and the word “protect”. By seeing the first line and the second line, the word “fence” on the first line must have relation with the word “protect” on the second line. These two words are repeated on the next lines. Below is the lyric of the song that Rose sings:
ROSE. (sings)
Jesus, be a fence all around me every day.
Jesus, I want you to protect me as I travel on my way. Jesus, be a fence all around me every day.
Jesus, I want you to protect me As I travel on my way. (p. 1041)
What he believes is that Cory is not at home when he needs his help to build the fence simply because Cory is scared of work. This can be seen in the conversation between Troy and Rose below:
TROY. […] Where’s Cory? Cory in the house? (calls.) Cory? ROSE. He gone out.
TROY. Out, huh? He gone out ‘cause he know I want him to help me with this fence. I know how he is. That boy scared of work. (p. 1041) In the following morning, it seems that there is something wrong with Troy. He protests many things. First, he comments on Rose’s playing number. For him it is something useless to do. It is a kind of wasting money in a wrong way. Playing number is only throwing money away. Secondly, Troy also comments on how the man named Pope runs his restaurant. Pope is a man who also likes to play number as what Rose does. He does not like the way Pope serves the black men who come to his restaurant. He serves the white men well while the black men not. Pope is a black man yet he does not have good relation with the other black men. He prefers to have white men friends. That is why he is nice to the whites. Those are the reason why Troy does not like Pope. Thirdly, he judges that Cory is a boy who is scared of work. Troy does not accept the real reason why Cory is not at home. He does not want Cory to go to football practice. Troy wants Cory to get all the chores done before he goes out. One of the chores is helping him building the “fence”. Rose then concludes that there must be something wrong with Troy since he has been protesting so many things since that morning. Below is the conversation:
ROSE. You got something to say about everything. First it’s the numbers…then it’s the way the man runs his restaurant…then you done got on Cory. What’s gonna be the next? Take a look up there and see if the weather suits you…or is it gonna be how you gonna put up the fence with the clothes hanging in the yard. (p. 1042).
Troy has a brother, Gabe. Gabe suffers from mental disorder which he gets in the war. Gabe gets money from insurance department. Since he has mental disorder the money is managed by Troy. Troy blames himself because he uses Gabe’s money from insurance department to build the house. He feels guilty for that fact. After talking about Gabe with Rose, he gets up and starts to exit the yard. Actually, Troy is supposed to build the “fence” on Saturday. Rose reminds that he has been absent working on the “fence” every Saturday for weeks. Troy’s reason of not working on the “fence” is that he wants to go to the Taylors’ to listen to the ball game:
TROY. That ain’t what I’m saying, woman! I’m just stating the facts. If my brother didn’t have that metal plate in his head… I woudn’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it of. And I’m fifty-three years old. Now see if you can understand that!
(Troy gets up from the porch and starts to exit to the yard)
ROSE. Where you going off to? You been running out of here every Saturday for weeks. I thought you was gonna work on this fence? (p. 1043).
to Taylors’ for four or five weeks without doing anything on the “fence”. Below are the conversations:
ROSE. Your daddy like to have a fit with you running out of here this morning without doing any chores.
CORY. I told you I had to go to practice.
ROSE. He say you are supposed to help him with this fence.
CORY. He been saying that the last four or five Saturdays, and then he don’t never do nothing, but go down to Talylors’.
Did you tell him about the recruiter? (p. 1043)
Troy is back from Taylors’. Actually Troy does not go to Taylors’ to watch the game. He goes to somewhere else which is Alberta’s house. Troy has an affair with Alberta. When he comes home, he flatters Rose. Troy acts as if nothing happens before he comes back home. Then Rose never forgets to remind him again to continue building the “fence”. It seems that the “fence” is very important for Rose. That is why she is never tired of reminding her husband to work on the “fence”. After Troy finishes doing something else, Rose always reminds him about the “fence”. Rose shows that building the “fence” is something that Troy has to do for her. The conversations are below:
ROSE. I though you went down Taylors’ to listen to the game. Go on, Troy! You supposed to be putting up this fence.
TROY. (Attempting to kiss her again.) I‘ll put it up when I finish with what is at hand. (p. 1043)
In the conversation between Troy and Cory, Troy emphasizes that Cory’s first chore is to help him with the “fence” on the Saturday. Cory may do other chores after helping his father to work on the “fence”. Just like Rose who always reminds Troy to build the “fence”, Troy always wants Cory to help him to work on the “fence” every Saturday though he often forgets to work on the “fence”:
TROY. You first chore is to help me with this fence on Saturday. Everything else come after that. Now you get that saw and cut them boards. (p. 1043).
On Act two Scene one, Bono questions Troy’s decision of using hard wood in building the “fence”. According to Bono all Troy needs is only some soft pine wood since Troy is only working on a little old “fence”. Troy totally disagrees with Bono’s opinion. According to Troy, pine wood is put inside house. The “fence” is put outside the house. That is why what Troy needs is outside wood. Troy quite cares about the quality of the “fence” his wife wants very much. He chooses hard wood better than soft pine wood to be the “fence”. This shows that Troy does not want to build the “fence” with bad quality for his wife. He wants to give the best result of the “fence” to Rose, his wife:
BONO. Yeah. I know what you mean. That’s all they care about…that money. They don’t care about what’s right.
Nigger, why you got to go and get some hard wood? You ain’t doing nothing but building a little old fence. Get you some soft pine wood. That’s all you need.
TROY. I know what I’m doing. This is outside wood. You put pine wood inside the house. Pine wood is inside wood. This here is outside wood. Now you tell me where the fence is gonna be? (p. 1050).
Alberta. Bono tells that Troy cannot have both Rose and Alberta. Yet, Troy keeps saying that he has no affair with Alberta:
CORY. I don’t see why Mama wants a fence around the yard noways. TROY. Damn if I know either. What the hell she keeping out with it? She
ain’t got nothing nobody want.
BONO. Some people build fences to keep people out…and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you. (p. 1051)
Based on the fact that Rose wants Troy to build the “fence” around the yard and that Lucille wants Bono to buy a new refrigerator, Troy and Bono make an agreement. The agreement is that when Troy finishes building the “fence” for Rose, Bono will buy his wife a refrigerator. Both of them totally agree with the agreement. Bono emphasizes that he wants Troy to put up the “fence” by himself. He said that he would not come to Troy’s house in six months:
BONO. Tell you what I’ll do…when you finish building this fence for Rose…I’ll buy Lucille that refrigerator.
TROY. You done stuck your foot in your mouth now!
(Troy grabs up a board and begins to saw. Bono starts to walk out the yard.)
BONO. I’m going home. I know you don’t expect me to help you now. I’m protecting my money. I wanna see you put up that fence by yourself. That’s what I want to see. You’ll be here another six months without me. (p.1051).
TROY: (with a quite rage that threatens to consume him.) Alright…Mr.Death. See now…I’m gonna tell you what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna take and build me a fence around this yard. See? I’m gonna build me a fence around what belongs to me. And then I want you to stay on the other side. See? You stay over there until you’re ready for me. Then you come on. Bring your army. Bring your sickle. Bring your wrestling clothes. I ain’t gonna fall down on my vigilance this time. You ain’t gonna sneak up on me no more. When you’re ready for me…when the top of your list say Troy Maxon…that’s when you come around here. You come up and knock on the front door. Ain’t nobody else got nothing to do with this. This is between you and me. Man to man.You stay on the other side of that fence until you ready for me. Then you come up and knock on the front door. Anytime you want. I’ll be ready for you. (p. 1054- 1055).
Finally, the agreement of Troy and Bono is fulfilled. Troy finishes building the “fence” for Rose and Bono buys a new refrigerator for Lucille. At the beginning, it seems that the “fence” is only important for Rose. As the story goes, Troy feels that “fence” is something important for him. Not only because his wife asks him to build the “fence”, but also because of the certain meaning of “fence” for him. According to Troy, he can keep his beloved one by using “fences” around his yard. Troy believes that there will be a “fence” as the border of him and death:
TROY. Yeah, I’ll do that, Bono. Lucille told Rose you bought her a new refrigerator.
BONO. Yeah, Rose told Lucille you had finally built your fence…so I figure we’d call it even. (p. 1056).
is to take Cory’s clothes. Troy said that he would put Cory’s things on the other side of the “fence”:
CORY. Tell Mama I’ll be back for my things.
TROY. They’ll be on the other side of that fence. (p. 1057).
B. The Meaning of “Fence” in the Play
There are two meanings of “fence” based on how it is presented as the main symbol above. The meaning will be divided into two classifications. The first classification is the literal meaning of “fence”. The second classification is the symbolical meaning of “fence”. The second classification is classified again into some parts. The classification will be about the meaning of “fence” revealed by characters.
The first classification is the meaning of “fences” from its literal meaning – meaning to say the physical fence itself. Based on its literal meaning like what Webster says in Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary: a Merriam – Webster, “fences” means a means of protection, a barrier intended to prevent escape or intrusion or to mark a boundary (1986: 456). In the play, the physical existence of the fence can be seen in two parts. The first part is in the description of yard. The second part is the conversations of the characters. The yard is described as a dirt yard which is small. Some equipment that is used to build the fences set off to the side such as wooden sawhorse, a pile of lumber, etc. It is quoted as below:
The yard is small dirt yard, partially fenced except for the last scene, with a wooden sawhorse, a pile of lumber, and other fence- building equipment set off to the side (p.1036).
the play, Rose always wants her husband to finish building the “fences” around the yard. Of course, it is the real “fences” that is being talked about here. The word “fence” appears almost in all part of the play which becomes the conversations of the characters. Most of them talks about the concrete “fence” – the physical “fence”. Yet, there is further meaning behind every literal meaning that will be discussed as follows.
The second classification is the symbolical meaning of the word “fence” or the meaning beyond its literal meaning. The symbolical meaning is revealed by the characters of the play. The first is seen from Rose’s song lyric. Seen from Rose’s song lyric, “fence” is a protection. The meaning of protection in this part is not the same as the previous meaning. The previous meaning is a mean of protection or the real fence. This meaning is not literal anymore. The meaning is seen from the lyric of the song that Rose sings:
ROSE. (sings)
Jesus, be a fence all around me every day.
Jesus, I want you to protect me as I travel on my way. Jesus, be a fence all around me every day.
Jesus, I want you to protect me As I travel on my way. (p. 1041).
wants is the protection for her life and her family. And, it is Jesus that Rose wants as her protector. Rose wants Jesus to be a “fence” to maintain her family safe inside because she loves her family so much.
The second is seen from Bono’s opinion about “fence”. At first, both Troy and Cory do not understand why Rose keeps asking them to finish building the fence. While, Bono as Troy’s closest friend has a certain view dealing with the people’s aim to build fences around their house. According to Bono there are two aims why people build fences around the house. The first is to keep people out. The second is to keep people in. Bono says to Troy: “Some people build fences to keep people out….and some people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you.” (p. 1051). From Bono’s sentences, he tries to say that the meaning of “fences” for Rose is to keep people in. Rose wants to keep her family in like what Bono says that Rose wants to hold on to all her family.
discrimination toward black people in every sport. What in his mind is that if he lets Cory join the football team, it means that he lets Cory have no future. For Troy, the best choice for Cory is working at A&P and doing nothing with football team. By working at A&P, Cory can earn money and help him to take care of school clothes and things. Yet, if Cory becomes a football player, he will be uncounted and unable to make a living.
ROSE. Cory done went and get recruited by a college football team. TROY. I told that boy about that football stuff. The white man ain’t gonna
let him nowhere with that football. I told him when he first come telling me he done went and got more tied up in it. He ought to go and get recruited in how to fix cars or something where he can make a living. (p.1038).
Rose tries to convince Troy that time has changed. Discrimination that Troy experienced only happened in his time. He was just too early joining the baseball team. Rose tells Troy that there are a lot of colored boys playing sport now both baseball and football. Yet, Troy is too disappointed with the discrimination in sport. In his opinion, everyone who can play ball in a team is supposed to have the right to play no matter one is colored or not and no matter it is in the past or now. Everyone has to have the same right to play:
ROSE. They got a lot of colored baseball players now. Jackie Robinson was the first. Folks had to wait for Jackie Robinson.
Troy is so sure that colored people will be treated unfairly in the sport. The existence of colored players in a team is useless. They are there but they are not used. The team will not give the chance to the colored players to play regularly. The colored player will be used so rarely. He hates to see a team when all the members are the white people. Only the whites players have chance to play regularly. They can play every day. Troy tells Cory that though there are some black people in a team, it is just the same as if they were not there. Troy convinces Cory that all the sport teams are the same. The colored players are uncounted:
CORY. They got some white guys on the team that don’t play every day. You can’t play everybody at the same time.
TROY. If they get a white fellow sitting on the bench …you can bet your last dollar he can’t play! The colored guy got to be twice as good before he get on the team. That’s why I don’t want you to get all tied up in them sports. Man on the team and what it get him? They got colored on the team and don’t use them. Same as not having them. All them teams the same. (p. 1044).
The fact is that Cory loves football very much. He is talented in football game. He gets good grades at school and the recruiter is going to come to Troy to talk about the football team. Troy needs to sign the permission paper to let Cory join the football team. Yet, Troy does not care about the recruitment. He does not care about the talent that Cory has in football. Troy keeps disagreeing if Cory joins the team. Troy does not care who the recruiter is and where he comes from. The most important thing for Cory to do is by focusing on his job at A&P. What is important is being able to earn money:
TROY. I don’t care where he coming from. The white man ain’t gonna let you get nowhere with that football noway. You go on and get your book-learning so you can work yourself up in that A&P or learn how to fix cars or build houses or something, get you a trade. That way you have something can’t nobody take away from you. You go on and learn how to put your hands to some good use. Besides hauling people’s garbage.
Rose realizes that her son, Cory, is talented in football just the same as Troy who is talented in baseball. She does support Cory to take part in football team. She just does not understand why Troy does not want Cory to join team. She has tried to tell Troy that time has changed. There is no discrimination in any sports any more. It was only in Troy’s time. Now, the time is different. There are many colored players join the team and if Cory joins the football team, he will be treated equally. He will not be discriminated. Rose asks Troy to let Cory playing football because Cory is good in playing football. Yet, Troy does not want Cory to deal with any sports. Troy has made an unbreakable decision since seventeen years ago. He has decided that no one of his family will deal with any sport. This decision was made because he was discriminated in baseball team. This bad experience hurt him so much. If Troy lets Cory join the football team it means that he lets his son get hurt. Troy does not want Cory experiences the same disappointment as what he had in the past. This experience is the main reason for him to forbid Cory to join the football team. Troy says no to any sports:
ROSE. Why don’t you let the boy go ahead and play football, Troy? Ain’t no harm in that. He’s just trying to be like you in sports.
He fences Cory in by not signing his football contract. Troy does not want to accept any reasons, ideas, suggestions, and explanations dealing with discrimination in sports. No one can influence him to change his decision. Troy comes to Cory’s school to meet the coach. He is in his final decision to give no permission to Cory to play football. Troy tells the coach not to come to his house asking for his signature. This action makes the relation between father and son get worse. Cory then concludes that Troy’s reason for not signing the contract is because Troy does not want Cory to be better in sport than him. Cory believes that it is because Troy did not have a chance to be a successful baseball player in the past and now Troy does not want his son to be successful in football.
CORY. I can’t work after school during football season, Pop! I tried to tell you that Mr. Stawicki’s holding my job for me. You don’t never want to listen to nobody. And then you wanna go and do this to me!
TROY. I ain’t done nothing to you. You done it to yourself.
CORY. Just cause you didn’t have a chance! You just scared I’m gonna be better than you, that’s all. (p. 1050).
The existence of the fence between Troy and Cory gets clearer day by day. Cory is very disappointed because of Troy’s action of not signing the football contract. Cory’s respect to Troy decreases while his hatred increases. Because of his great disappointment, he becomes brave to express whatever he wants to say to Troy. He shows that he does not like his father directly. Cory even does not say “excuse me” when he wants to get by into the house while Troy is sitting in the middle of the steps and drunk. Troy is angry because Cory does not respect him. Troy tells Cory that all the things he gets now are provided by himself as a father. Thus, Cory has to respect his father. Cory shows with his words that he is not scared of his father anymore. Troy’s affair with Alberta makes Cory hate his father more. Cory used to be scared of Troy, but now he is not:
CORY. You talking about what you did to me…what’d you ever give me? TROY. Them feet and bones! That pumping heart, nigger! I give you
more than anybody else is ever gonna give you.
CORY. You ain’t never gave me nothing! You ain’t never done nothing but hold me back. Afraid I was gonna be better than you. All you ever did was try and make me scared of you. I used to tremble every time you called my name. Every time I heard your footsteps in the house. Wondering all the time … what’s Papa gonna say if I do this?...what’s he gonna say if I do that?...What’s Papa gonna say if I turn on the radio? And Mama, too,,,she tries…but she is scared of you. (p.1057).
relationship. Cory’s hatred toward his father keeps staying in his heart until his father dies. Even, Cory does not want to go the Troy’ burial ceremony if it is not because of Rose’s advice.
The fourth is seen from Troy’s monologue. The monologue takes time after Troy gets the news about his second wife’s death (Alberta):
TROY. (with a quite rage that threatens to consume him.) Alright…Mr.Death. See now…I’m gonna tell you what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna take and build me a fence around this yard. See? I’m gonna build me a fence around what belongs to me. And then I want you to stay on the other side. See? You stay over there until you’re ready for me. Then you come on. Bring your army. Bring your sickle. Bring your wrestling clothes. I ain’t gonna fall down on my vigilance this time. You ain’t gonna sneak up on me no more. When you’re ready for me…when the top of your list say Troy Maxon…that’s when you come around here. You come up and knock on the front door. Ain’t nobody else got nothing to do with this. This is between you and me. Man to man. You stay on the other side of that fence until you ready for me. Then you come up and knock on the front door. Anytime you want. I’ll be ready for you. (p. 1054- 1055).
It seems that Troy never imagines that he will lose Alberta that soon. For Troy, Alberta’s death is a sudden losing. After Alberta’s death, Troy does not want to lose what belongs to him in a sudden anymore. He does not want if the death sneaks up on him like what happens to Alberta. To express his losing he talks to Mr. Death as if Mr. Death is a human. He wants to build him a fence around the yard. Troy wants to build a fence around what belongs to him. He wants the fence becoming the boundary between what belongs to him and the death until he is ready for the death to come to pick him up. Troy is talking about his business with the death.
why he does not want to lose the people that he loves again. Troy builds the “fence” to keep the death out. He is ready for the death to come to him if he has made himself sure that his family is ok. The thing that Troy does then is by finishing building the fence around the yard. After the fence is finished by him, he will be ready for the death whenever it comes to him.
The fifth is seen from Troy’s relationship with Lyons. Dealing with Troy’s fencing in people’s lives, the second person to discuss is Lyons. Lyons is Troy’s son from his previous marriage. This is about how Troy fences Lyons’s life in. Troy fences Lyons’ life in by never being there for Lyons. When Lyons grows up, there is no father to take care of him. Troy leaves his first wife and his son, Lyons. He does not feed them. Lyons grows up without a father or role model. For Troy, Lyons is a lazy child who comes every month to his house to borrow 10 dollars from him. Troy does not like the job that Lyons has which is a musician. According to Troy, it is better for Lyons becoming a garbage collector like him because he will get the real money. Troy wants to change Lyons, yet it is impossible since Troy has no involvement in raising Lyons:
TROY. Boy, your mama did a hell of a job raising you.
LYONS. You can’t change me, Pop. I’m thirty four years old. If you wanted to change me, you should have been there when I was growing up. I come by to see you . . . asking for ten dollar and you talk about how I was raised. You don’t know nothing about how I was raised. (p.1039)
TROY. I’m talking woman, let me talk. I’m trying to find a way to tell you…I’m gonna be a daddy. I’m gonna be somebody’s daddy. ROSE. Troy…you’re not telling me this? You’re gonna be ..what? TROY. Rose…now..see…
ROSE. You telling me you gonna be somebody’s daddy? You telling your wife this? (p.1052).
She does not believe that she is listening to her husband’s affair directly from his mouth. Rose never imagines that she will hear the confession after eighteen years of marriage. It does not make sense for Rose that Troy does affair in his age. Rose has done the best she can as a wife. One thing that Rose does not want is if there is half nothing in a family. Her whole family is half. No one has the same mother and father in her family. That is why it is very difficult for Rose and her brother and sisters to sit together and talking about their mom and dad since each of them has different mom and dad. Rose does not want the condition happens again in her own family with her husband. She does not want her children to experience the same thing like what she has before. Yet, Troy disappoints her:
ROSE. I done tried to be everything a wife should be. Everything a wife could be. Been married eighteen years and I got to live to see the day you tell me you been seeing another woman and done fathered a child by her. And you know I ain’t never wanted no half nothing in my family. My whole family is half. Everybody got different fathers and mothers… my two sisters and my brother. Can’t hardly tell who’s who. Can’t never sit down and talk about Papa and Mama. It’s your papa and your mama and my papa and my mama. (p. 1052)
asks Rose to understand him and to come to an understanding dealing with his affair. The result is that Troy’s explanation makes Rose get more pain in her heart:
TROY. It’s just…She gives me a different idea…a different understanding about myself. I can step out of this house and get away from the pressures and problems…be a different man. I ain’t got to wonder how I’m gonna pay the bills or get to the roof fixed. I can just be a part of myself that I ain’t never been.
ROSE. What I want to know…is do you plan to continue seeing her. That’s all you can say to me.
TROY. I can sit up in her house and laugh. Do you understand what I’m saying. I can laugh out loud…and it feels good. It reaches all the way down to the bottom of my shoes. Rose, I can’t give that up.
ROSE. Maybe you ought to go on and stay down there with her…if she a better woman than me. (p. 1053).
to his wife and families. He never realizes his wife’s giving – that his wife is dedicating all her lives to the husband:
ROSE. I been standing with you! I been right here with you, Troy. I got a life too. I gave eighteen years of my life to stand in the same spot with you. Don’t you think I ever wanted other things? Don’t you think it ever cross my mind to want to know other men? That I wanted to lay up somewhere and forget about my responsibilities? That I wanted someone to make me laugh so I could feel good? You not the only one who’s got wants and needs. But I held on to you, Troy. I took all my feelings, my wants and needs, my dreams… and I buried them inside you. I planted a seed and watched and played over it. I planted myself inside you and waited to bloom. And it didn’t take me no eighteen years to find out the soil was hard and rocky and it wasn’t never gonna bloom.
But I held on to you, Troy. I held you tighter. You was my husband. I owed you everything I had. Every part of me I could find to give you. And upstairs in that room…with the darkness falling in on me…I gave everything I have to try and erase the doubt that you wasn’t the finest man in the world. And wherever you was going…I wanted to be there with you. Cause you was my husband. Cause that’s the only way I was gonna survive as your wife. You always talking about what you give…and what you don’t have to give. But you take too. You take…and don’t even know nobody’s giving! (p.1053).
ROSE. Okay, Troy…you’re right. I’ll take care of your baby for you . . . cause like you say . . . she’s innocent . . . and you can’t visit the sins of the father upon the child. A motherless child has got a hard time. From right now . . . this child got a mother. But you a womanless man. (p. 1055).
The seventh is seen from Troy’s relationship with Gabe. The fourth person that Troy fences in is Gabe, his own brother. Troy fences Gabe in by signing him away to the asylum for his pension. At first Troy says that he wants to see his brother free. He will never send Gabe to the hospital. He even argues with Rose because of Rose suggestion to put Gabe to the hospital for his safety and comfort. It seems that Troy forgets his own words. Then, he puts Gabe to the asylum and he gets half of Gabe’s money:
ROSE. I said send him to the hospital . . . you said let him be free . . . no you done went down there and signed him to the hospital for half his money. You went back on yourself, Troy. You gonna have to answer about that. (p. 1054).
The eighth is seen from Troy’s relationship with his father. In his present life Troy fences people’s lives in. Yet, in his past life he was the one that was fenced in his relation with his father during his childhood. His father built a fence between himself and Troy. He did not allow Troy to come into his life. Troy did not get happiness from his father in his childhood. Troy was a child who did not get enough affection from a father. According to Troy, his father was so cruel. When the eating time came, Troy even only got leftover from his father if there was any. His father was in the first priority of all the things without paying attention to his children:
When it come time for eating . . . he ate first. If there was anything left over, that’s what you got. Man would sit down and eat to chickens and give you the wing. (p. 1048)
Troy did not have any sweet memories from his childhood. His father even did not give him time to play as what other children had. The only thing that his father wanted from Troy was to work on the field. In his childhood, Troy knew nothing but worked on Mr. Lubin’s land to help his father earning money.
TROY. And didn’t know nothing. The only part of the world I knew was the forty-two acres of Mr. Lubin’s land. That’s all I knew about life. (p. 1049)
No one was strong enough to live together with Troy’s father. His mother left when Troy was eight years old because she could not stand her husband’s evil anymore and never came back again for Troy. Troy was so scared of his father. Finally, Troy also left his father house when he was fourteen. The fence between Troy and his father is the evil of his father.
TROY. [. . .] My mama couldn’t stand him. Couldn’t stand that evilness. She run off when I was about eight. She sneaked off one night after he had gone to sleep. Told me she was coming back for me. I ain’t never seen her no more. All his women run off and left him. He wasn’t good for nobody [. . .] (p.1048)
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CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
Fences by August Wilson is a play about Maxon’s family. Symbol is an important element in this play because it can help the readers to understand the story well. The symbol that the writer analyzes in this paper is the word “fence”. This word has both literal and symbolical meaning.
In the description of the setting and in the conversations of the characters in the play, the word “fence” is presented as the real fence. The fence is described unfinished in the first scenes and then finished in the last scene. The characters talk about the same fence like what people usually build around their yard. It is the real fence that Rose wants Troy to build fence around the house. Thus, at this point the meaning of the word “fence” is a means of protection, a barrier intended to prevent escape or intrusion or to mark a boundary (Webster, 1986: 456). Though the word “fence” is presented as physical fence in this play, it can be seen that there are further meanings beyond the literal meaning of the word “fence”.
The second is seen from the character of Bono. In his conversations with Troy and Cory, Bono says that there are two possible reasons for people to build fences around their house. The first is to keep people in. The second is to keep people out. Bono then emphasizes Rose’s aim to have the fences around the house. According to Bono, it is because Rose loves her family very much and that is why she wants to have “fences” around the yard. The function of the “fence” is to keep her beloved ones in. She wants to keep her family in. Here, the word “fences” is symbolical. Rose wants to hold on to all her family. The real “fence” that Rose wants her husband to build represents her huge will to keep his family in. Seen from Bono’s conversations with Troy and Cory, “fence” is something that can make Rose can hold on to all her family.
The fourth is seen from Troy’s monologue. Troy wants to finish building the fence around what belongs to him. Troy wants the death to stay on the other side of the fence until he finishes building it. His effort to finish building the fence reflects his wish not to lose what belongs to him in a sudden like what happens to Alberta. From Troy’s monologue it can be seen that the “fence” that he is talking is the border between him and death.
The fifth is seen from the relation of Troy and Lyons. Troy fences Lyons in by never being there for Lyons. Lyons grows up without a role of a father. He grows up without role model because Troy leaves Lyons and his mother. Troy does not take part when Lyons’ growing up. In this case, “fence” means a gap between Troy and Lyons.
The sixth is seen from the relation between Troy and Rose. Troy fences Rose in by giving the responsibility to take care of his daughter (Raynell) as the result of his affair with Alberta. Here, the fence that Troy uses is Raynell. Though Rose hates Troy so much and does not consider him as her husband anymore, Rose has to take care of a daughter which is not hers. In this condition, “fence” means Troy’s action to make Rose become in charge of a child who is not hers.
The eighth is seen from the relation between Troy and his father. Troy was fenced out by his father in his childhood. His father did not allow Troy to get affection from him as his father. His father also did not give Troy time to play as what children usually have. His father was so evil. In this case, “fence” means the evil of Troy’s father that made Troy do not get happiness in his childhood and decided to run far away from his father.
45
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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APPENDIX
The Summary of Fences
This play is about Troy’s life. In childhood, Troy did not get enough affection from his parents. He lived with his strict and selfish father until he was fourteen years old before he decided to escape from his father cruelty. Troy’s mother left the family when he was eight years old because she couldn’t stand the evil of his father. Started from that day Troy had to live with his father without mother beside him. He watched and felt his father’s rudeness.
Troy’s new life is with his own family. He lives with his wife, Rose, and his son, Cory. He also has another son named Lyons from his previous wife. Lyons has been married. Troy is a garbage collector who wants to have an opportunity as a truck driver like what the whites have. Finally, he becomes a truck driver as what he expects. Bono suspects that Troy has an affair with a girl named Alberta. Troy tells the truth to Rose after Alberta is in pregnancy. After this confession the relationship between Troy and Rose is getting worse.
be treated well in the team just because of being black. Cory assumes that his father does not like to see him succeeds in sport. He believes that his father is envy of him because his father did not have a chance to be a professional baseball player at his time. Troy also does not really like his son Lyons. Lyons often borrows money from his father. According to him, Lyons is a lazy man. Troy wants Lyons to leave his job as a musician and become a garbage collector. According to Troy, musician is a useless job. As a father Troy often has different opinion and point of view with his two sons and his wife.
The day when Alberta gives birth, Troy has to face the reality that Alberta dies. Troy has a daughter from Alberta named Raynell. Troy begs Rose to take care of Raynell. Rose treats Raynell as her own daughter then. Yet, her relation with Troy keeps being bad. While Cory leaves home because he has a bad argument with his father. Cory says that the money that Troy uses to get the house is his uncle’s money, Gabriel.
