August Wilson Fences Research Paper

Words: 256
Pages: 2
Open Document
August Wilson’s Fences, written in 1985, follows a former Negro League baseball star now scraping by as a sanitation worker, Troy Maxson, in segregated Pittsburgh during the 1950s. Fences is the third play in Wilson’s “Pittsburgh Cycle” which aims to tell authentic stories of Black Americans that are both relatable and educational. This cycle began in the 1900s and ended in the 1990s. Fences fell in the 1950s and tells a story related to the barriers or fences most Black Americans came up against at this time due solely to their Blackness. August Wilson, being a Black man himself, had grown up in the segregated Pittsburgh area during the 50s and had experienced or at least witnessed much of what he discusses in this play. This helps to justify
Show More

Related Documents: August Wilson Fences Research Paper

August Wilson Fences Research Paper

world of fences, there is a strong dichotomy between those who have and those who have not, those who drive the garbage truck and the ones putting in the garbage. August Wilson wrote the play Fences in 1985, the period of the “war on drugs”, rising poverty, and rising hate for social welfare. Fences echo these issues being set in 1950s Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Injustice pervades both times. The persistent cycle of discrimination and systemic racism takes on new forms as the characters in Fences are used…

Words 1740 - Pages 7

August Wilson Fences Research Paper

August Wilson, an acclaimed poet and playwright, wrote the play Fences in 1986. Fences was awarded both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play during its theatrical premiere in 1987. The play delves into the struggles faced by the Black community as they strive to establish a secure place to call home in the racially divided landscape of 1950s urban America. August Wilson's play "Fences" delves into the rich tapestry of African American culture. It vividly depicts the challenges…

Words 365 - Pages 2

August Wilson Research Paper

August Wilson Frederick August Kittel, Jr was born April 27, 1945 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Frederick August Kittel, Sr. and Daisy Wilson. He was the fourth of six children, and was raised by his mother “in the black slum of Pittsburgh”(Gale). His father was a German immigrant who never really made an appearance in the apartment. Wilson officially cut all ties with his father when he took his mother’s name in 1965. Wilson learned to read at age four and from then on consumed books…

Words 620 - Pages 3

University Course Catalog Description

educational equality foundation. Students will utilize multiple genres and viewpoints (including visual media and performance art) to explore contexts of YA literature development, multi-modal literacy curriculum design, educational standards, current research, theory, and writing practices. Critical issues will include Bildungsroman (the classic coming-of-age novel), popular teen culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, censorship, inclusive classrooms and appropriate use of technology. II. Course…

Words 2591 - Pages 11