The Jazz Dreamer
Fences by August Wilson is a dramatic and powerful play about Troy Maxson, a hard, gruff man, who has had to learn to survive in a world he does not understand. Growing up, Troy had an awful example of a father. He ran away from home at the age of fourteen, and had to find a way to live even though he had nothing. Now a father himself, Troy finds himself becoming as angry and hard as his father, although he has only ever tried to be a responsible man. Lyons, Troy’s oldest son from his first marriage, is the opposite of Troy. A struggling musician, Lyons’ fatherless childhood condemned him to be an irresponsible dreamer who believes in a future of liberation.
Without having a father to teach him, Lyons grew up unaware of responsibility, and represents Troy’s first failure as a father. Troy was forced to become a man as a child, as his father was a harsh man. “All he (Troy’s father) wanted was for you to learn how to walk so he could get you to working. When it come time for eating…he ate first. If there was anything left over, that’s what you got” (50). However, when Lyons was a child, Troy was in jail for…
He is not a true part of the family, and his purpose seems to be to show parallels in father/son relations. Cory is like Troy, as Troy was around during his childhood and ended up being as harsh as Troy’s father. Lyons ended up to be more like Bono, who also dreams of a better world and whose father was not around during his childhood. Despite being ignored and unwanted, Lyons is not bitter or disrespectful towards his father. When his lifestyle is once again being commented on by Troy, Lyons only responds calmly, “You and I is two different people, Pop” (18). Just as Bono does not hold resentment towards his father, Lyons does not hold resentment towards Troy. Lyons lives his own life without the shadow of his father, and becomes his own…
