Thinking About Fences

Sorry this response is a little late :/

"How do you regard Troy's actions? Does his sternness or unfaithfulness change your perception of him?"

It's difficult to judge Troy's character fairly, expecially from my perspective. Let's face it, I'm a white, middle-class, educated girl who has never experienced the kind of desperation that Troy has faced. I almost feel out of line to say anything negative about him, but since he is just a character and not a real person, I suppose I'm allowed to analyze him. Troy has obviously lived a life filled with disappointment and heartache. Although we don't know the details, we do know he was married once before he met Rose, so there must be some bitterness or sadness associated with that failed relationship. Also, although he's not impoverished, he is clearly struggling to make ends meet as a garbage man. And the fact that he was never able to play professional baseball is a constant source of resentment and anger in his life. So it's safe to say that Troy's life hasn't been an easy one.

But even after all that, is he still justified in having an affair? To me, the answer is a definite no. As he himself says about Rose, "See this woman, Bono? I love this woman. I love this woman so much it hurts" (I.1) and "You can't find a better woman than Rose" (II.1). If he loves her, doesn't he respect her enough to be faithful to her? He mentions also that she's the best thing that ever happened to him. So Troy takes the one thing in his life that's actually going as planned, that actually brings him happiness, and he messes it up! What bothers me even more is the fact that Rose has suffered right beside Troy. She has had to buy food with his meager earnings, and she's raised his children, and yet she's never been unfaithful. Why is Troy allowed to sleep around and Rose isn't? In one of my favorite parts of the play, Rose defends herself so passionately: "What about my life? What about me. Don't you think it ever crossed my mind to know other men?...You not the only one who's got wants and needs...But I held on to you, Troy. You was my husband" (II.1). Troy looked out only for his own needs when he slept with "that Alberta gal," but Rose made a decision to put her family first. To me, I can't help but have a negative perception of Troy because of his unfaithfulness.