FENCES

SYNOPSIS:

Troy Maxson is a garbage collector who prides himself on his ability to provide for his
family and keep it together. He is the patriarch and central character in Fences, (1950
- 1965), he continually places barriers between himself and the very people he loves
the most. Troy’s rebellion and frustration set the tone for this play as he struggles for a
sense of fairness in a society that offers none. He and his son clash over their conflicting
views of what it means to be a black man in mid-century America.

CHARACTERS:

TROY MAXON: The protagonist of Fences, Troy is a working class African-

American man who lives with his wife Rose and their son Corey and. He works for the
Sanitation Department as a trash collector. He is devoted to providing for his family
and guaranteeing that his sons have better lives than he did. Having been a great player
baseball play in the Negro leagues, Troy was too old to join the Major leagues when
they were finally integrated. It’s this experience, and several others from his past that
color his outlook on life and his relationship with his sons.

ROSE: Rose is Troy’s second wife who he married upon his release from prison. She is
the mother of h is youngest son, Corey. She is a 43-year-old housewife who makes
time for her Church regularly. The compassionate matriarch of the play, Rose is a fair
judge of character who hopes for a better future for herself, her husband, and her son.
She has high hopes for Corey, and keeps on looking forward instead of romantically
clinging to the past like her husband. She personifies the qualities of love, patience,
and forgiveness — and has plenty of opportunities to exhibit all three.

BONO: Having served time together in prison, Troy and Bono became very close and
remain best friends well out of their time spent in jail. Having seen Troy through thick
and thin, Bono often serves as the voice of reason and perspective for Troy—especially
when it comes to Rose Maxon. Despite having been friends with him for over thirty
years, Bono’s concern for Troy’s marriage trumps his loyalty to the friendship. Bono
himself is a devoted husband to his wife Lucille.

GABRIEL: Gabriel is Troy’s brother who suffered a head injury during World War II.
Part of the effect is his nonsensical ramblings that actually touch on quite a bit of truth.
He is sometimes convinced that he is the Angel Gabriel waiting for St. Peter to open
the gates of Heaven. He is the wise fool, often knowing more about those people sur
rounding him than they know about themselves. Gabriel receives money from the
government because of his injury, some of which Troy used to pay for the house where
the Play takes place.
MONOLOGUE ACT I - SCENE III

TROY: Like you? I go out of here every morning… bust my butt putting up with them
crackers everyday… ‘cause I like you? You about the biggest fool I ever saw.
(Pause)
It’s my job, it’s my responsibility! You understand that? A man got to take care of his
family. You live in my house, sleep on my bedclothes, fill your belly up on my food…
cause you my son. You my flesh and blood. Not cause I like you! Cause it’s my duty
to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you! Let’s get this straight here, before it
go along any further… I ain’t got to like you. Mr. Rand don’t give me my money come
payday ‘cause he likes me. He gives me ‘cause he owes me. I done given you
everything I had to give you. I gave you your life! Me and your mama worked that out
between us. And liking your black ass wasn’t part of the bargain. Don’t you try and go
through life worrying about if somebody like you or not. You best be making sure they
doing right by you. You understand what I’m saying boy?

MONOLOGUE ACT II - SCENE I

TROY: Rose, I done tried all my life to live decent . . . to live a clean . . . hard . . . useful
life. I tried to be a good husband to you. In every way I knew how. Maybe I come into
the world backwards, I don’t know. But . . . you born with two strikes on you before
you come to the plate. You got to guard it closely . . . always looking for the curve-ball
on the inside corner. You can’t afford to let none get past you. You can’t afford a call
strike. If you going down . . . you going down swinging. Everything lined up against
you. What you gonna do. I fooled them, Rose. I bunted. When I found you and Cory
and a halfway decent job... I was safe. Couldn’t nothing touch me, I wasn’t gonna
strike out no more. I wasn’t going back to the penitentiary. I wasn’t gonna lay in the
streets with a bottle of wine. I was safe. I had me a family. A job. I wasn’t gonna get
that last strike. I was on first looking for one of them boys to knock me in. To get me
home. Then I saw that girl . . . she firmed up my backbone. And I got to thinking that
if I tried . . . I just might be able to steal second. Do you understand, after eighteen
years I wanted to steal second.
SINOPSIS:

Troy Maxson es un recolector de basura que se enorgullece de su habilidad para

proveerle a su familia y mantenerla unida. Él es el patriarca y figura central en Fences.
Constantemente está creando barreras entre sí mismo y las personas que más ama. El
espíritu rebelde y la frustración de Troy componen el tono de esta obra mientras él
lucha por conseguir un sentido de justicia en una sociedad que no le ofrece ninguna.
Él y su hijo confrontan sus visiones de lo que significa ser un hombre de color a
mediados del siglo XX en Estados Unidos.

PERSONAJES

TROY MAXON: El protagonista de Fences, Troy es un hombre afroamericano de la

clase trabajadora que vive con su esposa Rose y su hijo Corey. Troy trabaja para el
Departamento de Limpieza como recolector de basura. Está comprometido con
proveerle a su familia y con garantizar que sus hijos tengan une mejor vida que la que
él tuvo. Aunque fue un gran jugador de béisbol en las Ligas Negras de Béisbol, Troy
estaba demasiado viejo para unirse a las Grandes Ligas cuando finalmente fueron
racialmente integradas. Es esta experiencia de rechazo y frustración, aunada a otras de
su pasado, las que definieron su forma de ver la vida, así como su relación con sus
hijos.

MONÓLOGO ACTO I – ESCENA III

TROY: ¿Quererte? Salgo todos los días… me parto el lomo aguantando a esos güeros
(blanquitos) todos los días… ¿porque “te quiero”? Eres el tonto más grande que haya
visto.

(Pausa)

Es porque es mi trabajo. Es mi responsabilidad. ¿Entiendes eso? Un hombre tiene que

encargarse de su familia. Vives en mi casa, duermes con mis ropas, llenas tu panza
con mi comida… porque eres mi hijo. Porque eres mi carne y hueso. ¡No porque te
quiera! Porque es mi deber cuidarte. Te debo eso. Dejémoslo claro, antes de que
sigamos… No tengo porque quererte. El Sr. Rand no me paga cada quincena porque
le caigo bien. Me paga porque me lo debe. Yo ya te di todo lo que te tenía que dar.
¡Te di la vida! Entre tu mamá y yo nos encargamos de eso. Y el querer tu negro trasero
no era parte del trato. No vayas por la vida preocupándote si la gente te quiere o no.
Preocúpate de que te traten como te mereces. Que te cumplan. ¿Entiendes lo que digo,
hijo?
MONÓLOGO ACTO II – ESCENA I

TROY: Rose, He tratado de vivir toda mi vida de manera decente… he tratado de

tener una vida limpia… duro…. Útil. He tratado de ser un buen esposo para ti. De
todas las maneras que conozco. Tal vez llegué al mundo torcido, no lo sé. Pero…
cuando naces ya con dos strikes contra ti siquiera antes de llegar al plato. Tienes que
vivir con cuidado, con el bat al pecho… Siempre pendiente de que no te manden
una curva peligrosa. Porque no puedes permitirte que te agarren descuidados, no
puedes permitirte que te hagan otro strike. Y si caes… hay que caer bateando.
Porque todo está en tu contra. ¿Qué se puede hacer? Los engañé, Rose. Me rendí.
Cuando los encontré a ti y a Cory, y un trabajo medio-decente… Estaba cómodo.
Tenía una familia, un empleo. No me iban a meter ese último strike. Estaba en
primera, esperando a que me dejaran correr. A que llegara a casa e hiciera una
carrera. Y entonces veo a esta chica… me dio valor. Me puso a pensar que si lo
intentaba… podría robarme segunda. ¿Entiendes? Después de 18 años quería
robarme segunda.