Moral Ambiguity and Racism in ‘Fences’ by August Wilson
Can a Morally Ambiguous Character Be Loved and Loathed?
According to Krakowiak (474), audience members in a play want to enjoy themselves. Therefore, it is possible for an audience to love a character that is morally ambiguous. This is always due to a positive and influential ‘origin story’ (Grall 843), which is what the audience initially knows about the protagonist when the play or movie starts.
For example, in Fences, Troy is the morally ambiguous character because the audience is conflicted on whether he is a good person or an immoral individual. Even though Troy refuses to give Lyon ten dollars for personal use, he still lets Rose have the money and allows her to offer the ten dollars to Lyon. Troy believes Lyon is his responsibility despite a grown man capable of fending for himself.
Another example of Troy’s moral ambiguity is his treatment of Corey. Although the audience feels like Troy is a bad father, for refusing to let Corey pursue his football career, he still loves him. Troy provides Corey with everything he needs, and even wants him to have a successful life he never had.
At the same time, Troy’s initiative to take the responsibility of Raynell is a good character despite having cheated on Rose, which is a moral ambiguity that conflicts the audience. So, yes, morally ambiguous characters like Troy can be both loved and loathed by the audience. As reiterated by Tsay-Vogel and Krakowiak (396), this is because audience members usually have their own attributions on a character.
How Racism Derails American Dream
In the play, African-Americans are depicted to be suffering and losing opportunities due to racism. The play is set in the 1950s when African Americans didn’t have as many privileges as the white people. As noted by Armstrong (228), black people at the time believed racism increased their odds of failure in life. This is reiterated in Troy’s beliefs and speeches, which were against Corey’s pursuit of a football career.
Other examples of racism derailing the American Dream include Troy’s father, who was a sharecropper who worked for a white landlord to receive meagre income that couldn’t take care of his eleven children. This led Troy’s father to being a “devil” for he drove Troy’s mother away for being abusive.
Ironically, the same fate befell Troy, who became harsh towards his own son, Corey, and drove him away from home until his death. Racism as a derailer of dreams is also evidenced in Troy and Bono’s place of work, where African Americans were not allowed to be drivers.
How to Erect a Fence Around Loved Ones
The play’s writer August Wilson uses the title “Fence” as a symbolism, where it acts as a representation of a barrier, both literally and figuratively. To Rose, the fence is meant to protect her family against outsiders. Also, to Rose, the fence is meant to “keep people away” from interfering with their lives as a family. Similarly, Troy seems to build a figurative fence to keep people away, including his own family members.
Corey complains to Troy on why he doesn’t like him, and so Corey tries really hard to win his approval. This applies in real life, especially when battling societal forces. People tend to build a fence towards loved ones by keeping secrets from them. For example, Troy cheats on Rose for such a long time that he even gets Alberta pregnant.
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Works Cited
Armstrong, Joslyn et al. ““A Dream Deferred”: How Discrimination Impacts The American Dream Achievement For African Americans”. Journal Of Black Studies, vol 50, no. 3, 2019, pp. 227–250. SAGE Publications, doi:10.1177/0021934719833330. Accessed 27 Jan 2021.
Grall, Clare et al. “Using Attribution Theory To Explain The Affective Dispositions Of Tireless Moral Monitors Toward Narrative Characters”. Journal Of Communication, vol 68, no. 5, 2018, pp. 842–871. Oxford University Press (OUP), doi:10.1093/joc/jqy049
Krakowiak, K. Maja. “Some Like It Morally Ambiguous: The Effects Of Individual Differences On The Enjoyment Of Different Character Types”. Western Journal Of Communication, vol 79, no. 4, 2019, pp. 472–491. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/10570314.2015.1066028
Krakowiak, K. Maja, and Mina Tsay-Vogel. “The Dual Role Of Morally Ambiguous Characters: Examining The Effect Of Morality Salience On Narrative Responses’’. Human Communication Research, vol 41, no. 3, 2018, pp. 390–411. Oxford University Press (OUP), doi:10.1111/hcre.12050
