“Fences”
Study Guide
Epigraph
1. Look at the four line epigraph written by August Wilson at the beginning of the play. What do Wilson’s words mean and how do they apply to the play?
Setting:
1. What does the Maxson house look like? What mood does this setting create for the reader?
The Play:
1. How were European immigrants treated when they moved to the cities of America?
2. How were the descendants of African slaves treated when they moved to the cities of America?
3. What is the time period of the play?
Act One:
Scene One:
1. What year is it in the first act of the play?
2. How old is Troy?
3. What happens on Friday nights at the Maxson house? In other words, what is the Friday night ritual?
4. What are Bono and Troy discussing as they near the Maxson house?
5. Why does the author include the disagreement about shopping at Bella’s in the play? In other words, what does this disagreement show about Rose and Troy?
6. Who is Jackie Robinson? What significance does he have to the play?
7. What is Troy’s relationship with death? With the devil?
8. What is Troy’s relationship with Lyons?
9. What is Lyons’ philosophy of life?
Scene Two:
1. What things does Troy take issue with upon waking up the next morning?
2. Who is Gabriel? What does he believe his purpose is?
3. Where did Gabriel move? Why is this a point of concern for Rose?
4. How does Troy feel about his brother? Why is Troy bothered that Gabriel helped him to buy his house?
Scene Three:
1. When Cory and Troy work on the fence, they discuss buying a television. What does this discussion tell you about both characters?
2. What does their discussion about baseball tell you about both characters?
3. Why is Troy mad at Cory for quitting his job?
4. What happens when Cory asks Troy, “How come you ain’t never liked me?”
5. At the end of this scene, Troy speaks. What do his words tell you about his mental state?
Scene Four:
1. What happens to Troy at work?
2. How do Bono and Lyons react to this news?
3. What happens when Lyons tries to pay Troy back for the money Lyons borrowed?
4. What does Troy find out when he goes to see Mr. Stawicki?
5. Troy tells a story about his own father in this scene. What new information does he share? How does this information help explain how Troy acts?
6. Why does Troy say, “Part of that cutting down was when I got to the place where I could feel him kicking in my blood and knew that the only that separated us was the matter of a few years” about his own father?
7. Troy also explains his own past in this scene. What does the reader find out? Why couldn’t Troy play baseball professionally?
8. What does Troy do that makes Cory angry?
9. What is Cory’s first strike according to Troy?
Act Two:
Scene One:
1. Why does Troy have to go see the police in this scene?
2. What argument do Troy and Bono have about the fence?
3. What does Bono explain to Troy about Rose’s desire to have the fence?
4. Why does Bono tell Troy that Rose is a good woman?
5. What deal do Bono and Troy make regarding the fence?
6. What does Troy admit to Rose? How does she react? What does he say in response?
7. At the end of the scene Troy and Rose are struggling. What role does Cory play in this scene? How does he make strike two?
Scene Two:
1. How much time has elapsed since the last scene?
2. What does Rose want to know regarding Troy’s whereabouts?
3. What does Rose accuse try of doing to Gabriel?
4. What happens to Alberta?
5. How does Troy react to the news?
Scene Three:
1. How much time has elapsed since the last scene?
2. What does Troy ask Rose to do?
3. How does she react? Why does she agree to his request?
Scene Four:
1. How much time has elapsed since the last scene?
2. How has the Friday night ritual changed since Troy confessed to Rose that he was going to be a father?
3. What happens between Cory and Troy in this scene?
4. Why does Troy yell out, “I can’t taste nothing” at the end of the scene?
Scene Five:
1. How much time has passed since the end of the last scene?
2. Who is being buried?
3. When Cory comes back, what does he tell Rose? How does she respond? Where has Cory been?
4. Where has Lyons been?
5. Who else comes for the funeral?
6. How do Raynell and Cory bond?
7. What is the role of improvisation in the play?
8. What is the role of the blues in the play?
9. What is the significance of the last part of this scene (when Gabriel tries to play the trumpet)?