Annotated Bibliography on Approaches to Teaching the Plays of August
Shannon, Sandra G., and Sandra L. Richards, eds. “Approaches to Teaching the Plays of August Wilson.” Modern Language Association, 2016.
The play, Fences was written by August Wilson. The article by Shannon and Sandra evaluates the theme of love and relationship, as revealed in the play. The author explains how the heated dialogue between Troy and Rose at the front porch of a shabby shack builds the theme of love and relationship.
In Act One, scene four, Troy and Bono relate their childhood life stories. The painful memories enhance the understanding of the challenges African-Americans undergo. Troy reveals that his father did not stay with one woman for long. As a result, Troy grew up without motherly love. When Troy was fourteen years old, his father noticed the girl Troy and affection on. Troy’s father raped the girl, which terrified Troy. Troy says, “sometimes I wish I had not known my daddy.” (Shannon & Sandra, 5). The scene showed complex relationships that existed between father and son in the 1950s after the abolishment of slavery.
theme of love is evident in the play Fences. Balancing between love and obligation is a crucial challenge facing Troy because he loves himself exceedingly. Troy fails in his family life because of his lack of appreciation. Troy says to her wife, Rose, that “locked myself into a pattern trying to take care of you all. Forgot about myself.” In the 1950s the black men did not give their wives a chance to make family decisions. Troy is incapable of loving his family because he believes that love is an obligation.
The article critically analyzes the theme of love and relationship in the play, Fence. Direct quotes are used in the article to support the main ideas. I will adopt the same technique in the researched essay to make it more convincing to the audience