Topic: Fences
In your essay, you will identify how each character has a dream deferred, how the character copes with the loss of the dream, and its ultimate effect on the character.
Before you begin to write the essay, you must select a total of 6 quotes, 2 for each of the main characters. One quote needs to address the dream deferred; the other quote should support the effect on the character.
Thesis Statement: In August Wilson's play "Fences," the characters experience dreams deferred, and their coping mechanisms and the ultimate effects of these deferred dreams are pivotal in shaping their lives.
Troy Maxson:
Dream Deferred: "I wanted him to learn how to walk... I wanted him to be like me, to be able to stand up and say to hell with you! To be able to stand up and say I got my own man" (Act 1, Scene 3).
Effect on Character: "I've done locked myself into a pattern trying to take care of you all that I forgot about myself" (Act 2, Scene 1).
Rose Maxson:
Dream Deferred: "I planted myself inside you and waited to bloom. And it didn't take me no eighteen years to find out the soil was hard and rocky and it wasn't never gonna bloom" (Act 2, Scene 4).
Effect on Character: "From right now... I don't care if he's blind or crippled or crazy, I don't care. I can't live that way" (Act 2, Scene 4).
Cory Maxson:
Dream Deferred: "The white man ain't gonna let you get nowhere with that football noway... You just another n**ger on the street to him" (Act 2, Scene 1).
Effect on Character: "I'm seventeen years old. You don't have to like me. Mr. Rand don't like me. That's got nothing to do with it" (Act 2, Scene 4).
Each character in "Fences" experiences a dream deferred, and their responses to these deferred dreams significantly impact their lives. Troy Maxson's dream of fathering a son who could assert his independence and stand up for himself is deferred by his son's inability to fulfill Troy's aspirations. This deferred dream leads Troy to neglect his own needs while obsessing over his son's potential, ultimately impacting his sense of identity and fulfillment.
Rose Maxson's dream of a loving and nurturing relationship with her husband is deferred as she realizes that her marriage has not provided the emotional fulfillment she once hoped for. This deferred dream prompts her to redefine her priorities and assert her own needs, ultimately leading to a transformative realization of her own worth and agency.
Cory Maxson's dream of pursuing a career in football is deferred by his father's disillusionment and disapproval. This deferred dream prompts Cory to assert his independence and reject the constraints imposed upon him, signaling a shift in his understanding of self-worth and autonomy.
In "Fences," the characters' coping mechanisms and responses to their deferred dreams illuminate the resilience and agency inherent in their experiences. While the loss of their dreams initially causes emotional turmoil and conflict, it also serves as a catalyst for personal growth and self-realization. The ultimate effects of these deferred dreams shape the characters' journeys, leading them to confront their own identities, redefine their aspirations, and forge paths towards self-empowerment.