Analysis: "Fences"

“Fences,” by August Wilson is a play that revolves around the life of Troy Maxson and his relationships with the characters who surround him. Troy is the protagonist of the play, although he is a perfect example of a tragic-hero. The play begins with Troy being admired, followed, and respected by most of the other characters, although through the course of the play Troy’s hypocrisy and illusional personality causes him to lose any relationship he had with his wife, children, and friends. His character creates conflict with every character because he chooses not to agree with anyone’s opinion besides his own, and this often causes him to contradict himself. For example, when Troy’s son, Cory, wanted to play football to get a scholarship for college, Troy will not allow it because he thinks Cory needs to get a trade. Although Troy once was faced with this same predicament when he was not allowed to play in the major leagues because he was black. I believe Troy does not want Cory to live out his dream of excelling in sports because he was not able to when he was young. Another reason Troy does not want Cory to play football in college is because he refuses to change his perception of time which causes him to be stubborn and selfish, and reoccurring personality trait of Troy throughout the play. 

Another negative trait Troy possesses is his refusal to accept the reality of his actions. In the first half of the play, Troy will not admit his affair with Alberta, which inevitably leads to an illegitimate child, Raynell. When confronted with his wrong doings, Troy believes he had an affair to escape his troubled life, although he is the one creating the trouble in his life. Also, he will criticize Rose for playing numbers, saying it is a risky and pointless gamble, even though he gambles his life by having an affair which ultimately leads to losing everything good in his life. Troy only perceives his life through his own mind and will not take into account what others think of him and what he is actually doing. 

Wilson uses many symbols throughout “Fences,” some more obvious than others. The most obvious symbol is the fence that Rose continuously asks Troy to finish. Bono comes out and tells Troy, Cory, and readers the meaning of the fence, "some people build fences to keep people out…and other people build fences to keep people in." Rose wants the fence to keep her family close and safe, while Troy uses the fence to push people away, which is seen when he kicks Cory out of the house and tells him his belongings will be outside the fence. Another symbol which is much more subtle is the family’s last name, Maxson. While reading criticisms about the play, I found that Maxson was an amalgamation of Mason and Dixon, the imaginary line which separated slave and free states. I believe this name stood for Troy’s way of thought. Below the Mason-Dixon line is Troy’s depressed way of thought, believing that he is nothing more than a garbage man. Above the Mason-Dixon line is Troy’s personality of always talking about the dreams he once had, which are now gone, although he still persists to talk about throughout the play. 

Analysis: "A Raisin in the Sun"

“A Raisin in the Sun,” by Lorraine Hansberry tells the story of the Younger Family, an African American family living in the South Side of Chicago in the 1950’s. The entire play takes place in the Younger’s small apartment with different characters coming in and out. The obvious conflict throughout the duration of the play is what the family is planning to do with the deceased Walter Younger’s life insurance of 10,000 dollars. Although, I believe the main central conflict is the fight between assimilation and pride in African culture. One of the main examples of this conflict is the character of Beneatha. Throughout the play Beneatha fights with herself, and her suitors, on whether she should continue to assimilate towards the American dream and way of life, or if she should accept her African heritage. Also, her suitors, George and Asagia, represent the two different opinions. George, an African American college student, represent assimilation with his way of thought and through wearing, literally, “white shoes”. Asagia represents pride in being from Africa, through his gifts to Beneatha and his overall opinions throughout the play. 

Although Beneatha is a very important character in “A Raisin in the Sun,” Walter Lee Younger is the protagonist of the play. Throughout the play, Walter struggles with living in a racist country and being known as just a driver for a white man. He feels less and less like a man as the play progresses. Walter only believes he can be a true man if he has money and other materialistic belongings, such as a car and a house. At the end of the play Walter finally feels like a man, but not because he has worldly riches like the white man. Instead, he refuses to move out of a house in an all white neighborhood that his mother purchased with his father’s insurance money. This action of standing up to a white man, Mr. Linder in this case, shows that Walter is finally proud of his family and his current situation, instead of always wanting more.The antagonist is not a single character but instead America and the white race as a whole during the 1950’s. The entirety of the play deals with the Younger family fighting against judgments of the white race and their own feelings of inferiority. 

My favorite aspect of the play was Lorraine Hansberry’s use of symbols. Two main symbols were Beneatha’s new haircut and Mama’s plant. In the middle of the play Beneatha decides to cut her hair, changing it from straightened to a small afro. The straightened hair represented Beneatha’s assimilation to white culture and the afro represented her decision to become more prideful in her African heritage and her identity as a black woman. Mama’s plant is a symbol of her dream for her family. In the beginning of the play she cares for the plant relentlessly with love, although stating the plant does not have enough room or light. This statement is directly similar to her family, as she loves them unconditionally, but she wishes they had more light and room. The light and room she longs for her plant could also be a symbol for the freedom and happiness she longs for her family.

Poetry Analysis: "Before the Birth of One of Her Children"

“Before the Birth of One of Her Children,” by Anne Bradstreet is a poem from a mother to her unborn child, warning her child about the world she is about to enter. In beginning of the poem, the mother is telling her child that death is inevitable and a part of life. This is evident in the first line, “All things within this fading world hath end.” Bradstreet then writes of the mother’s own death and that it could be soon in the line, “How soon, my Dear, death may my steps attend.” The mother’s possible early death could be because this poem was written over 300 years ago, and childbirth was a very serious risk. In the end of the poem, the mother is telling her child to forgive her for her “many faults that well you know I have.” She is also telling her unborn child to watch over her “little babies, my dear remains.” This entire poem is based around death, especially the possible death of the mother. I think Bradshaw was scared she could possibly die during one of her pregnancies, and this was poem was autobiographical. 

Poetry Analysis: "This is Just to Say"

“This is Just to Say,” by William Carlos Williams is an extremely short poem. The first thing I noticed was how Williams wrote the poem to seem like it was just note to be found on an ice box. At first, it does not seem to have much symbolism or meaning to it. The first form of symbolism I found is in the third stanza in the line, “Forgive me.” The fact that the word “Forgive,” is capitalized makes me think that the narrator is sorry for much more than just eating a plum. Another example is in the last 3 lines of the poem, they were delicious/ so sweet/ and so cold.” I believe the author was comparing these lines to the relationship between himself and whom the note was intended for.”

Poetry Analysis: "To an Athlete Dying Young"

“To an Athlete Dying Young,” by A. E. Holston is about dying at a young age. In the first two stanzas the athlete was brought home “shoulder-high,” although, in the first stanza is was because he had won a race. In the second stanza is was because he was being carried home in his coffin. In the middle of the poem, the author is telling the athlete that his was a “smart lad,” to die when he did because he will never have to see his record broke or see his glory face. Although I am sure the narrator is not happy the athlete has died. The last stanza is stating how the athlete will still be and running in heaven in the line, “And round that early-laureled head will flock to gaze the strengthless dead.”

Poetry Analysis: "Thinking About Bill, Dead of AIDS"

“Thinking about Bill, Dead of AIDS,” by Miller Williams is a poem of a  narrator speaking about his friends dying of AIDS. Instead of speaking of just his emotions towards his friend dying, the narrator uses words such as “we” and “us,” speaking of many people feeling sorrow. The poem begins with the narrator talking about how he never knew that AIDS was so powerful in such lines as, “We did not know how the first thing about, how blood surrenders to even the smallest threat.” I enjoyed how the author compares the attack of AIDS to an actual battle between warriors. The uses this form of personification is the lines, “the body rescinding all its normal orders to all defenders of flesh, betraying the head, pulling its guards back from all its borders.”

Poetry Analysis: "To My Dear and Loving Husband"

"To My Dear and Loving Husband," by Anne Bradstreet is obviously a poem expressing a wife's love and devotion towards her husband. The narrator believes that the couples’ love makes them one through the line, "If ever two were one, then surely we," and “If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.” The last line of the poem, “That when we live no more we may live ever,” is a paradox because it is a contradicting statement. Although, in this line she is implying that their love will live after they die.