The Plot Summary of the Play "Fences" By August Wilson

Troy and Bono are friends working together throwing away trash for their jobs, Troy begins to get irritated on the fact how colored men are always the one throwing trash and not driving. Bono asks Troy if something was up with the girl at the bar, Bono always sees him eyeing her. Troy immediately responds he never would lay eyes on another woman besides Rose. Rose tells Troy about Cory’s recognition of being recruited into college football. Troy says he would never play unless there are kids opposite of his skin color. Troy also does not want his son playing because deep down he has jealousy because he was not able to pursue his goal of being a professional baseball player because of his age, he was too old to be playing in the “negro league”. As Troy continues talking, his oldest son Lyons walks in the household knowing it is his father’s pay day.

Lyons is a very passionate jazz musician who doesn't really worry about getting a job because he believes music will pay his bills. He later then asks Troy for 10 dollars, an argument broke out and Lyons’ mother stopped it and he got the 10 and left. Rose later reminds Troy to build the remaining parts of the fence. While working on the fence his son Cory breaks the news to his dad that he has stopped working to full commit to high school football since a recruiting coach from North Carolina is coming to see him play but his father puts an end to his plan by not supporting it and strictly demands him to redeem back his job. As time progressed and his job started showing different results, Troy has been upgraded to the first ever negro trash truck driver in his city.

Throughout the whole day passed, Cory finds out his father went personally to the head coach of football and had him removed from the team, Cory is vivid with the action his dad has taken but his dad warns him that he has to cool down because that is strike one. Gabriel, Troy’s brother isn't the most intelligent or normal person there is, his brother is in special needs. His brother had committed a crime in which Troy had to go down to the department himself to get him out. After he bails him out, Bono and Troy begin to go back to work on the fence. They all later learned why they are making the fence and what it represents, it represents that if the barrier is set up nothing can enter the family’s side pure love and positive energy.

Later Troy confesses and tells Bono on his adultery crime he is doing behind his wife Rose back with his mistress Alberta, Bono tries his best to encourage him and tell him Rose is the love and mother of his kids to show respect. Bono tells Troy when they finish the fence he is going to buy his wife, Lucille a new refrigerator of her choice. Troy comes with his family to decide what should happen in 3 weeks with his brother Gabriel on if he should be entered into an asylum. Troy later then confesses to his the sad truth about his affair. When explaining all this event the worst was yet to come, Troy tells Rose about his mistress being pregnant. She tells Rose he will be awaiting a daughter. As rage was already going through Rose’s mind she started accusing of Troy for receiving and not giving. She points out the fact why he wants to set his brother in the asylum for his own self benefit. As the tension rose higher and higher Troy raised and grabbed Rose shoulder, with the contact being done Cory noticed and took matters into his own hands and started a brawl with his father and won it. With that being said his father advised him he was on strike two. As Cory and his mother have all desire they can not, in the 50s it was difficult for the housewife to own a house. For the next 6 months Troy was just living in that household not communicating with anyone but just waiting for his mistress’ due time.

Troy is waiting for his premature, born at 6 months, daughter. Alberta, the lady in the affair with him, went into early labor risking her health. With the baby being born in a risky situation and timing it put Alberta in risk of miscarriage, the unlucky percentage wins and makes Troy lose his wife. Rose tells Troy he signed his brother Gabriel because he did not read the paper work well. Troy is going crazy because of what he is being put through. He finishes building the fence and he immediately challenges death to come after him, he feels stronger because he is alive for now. His daughter was named Raynell and as she grows Troy begins to realize he is not well trained to be a single father so he goes to Rose for mercy and forgiveness. Rose takes in Raynell as of her own because she has no blame for all the mistakes her father has commited in the past. Cory was on his last strike so his father made him leave the house on behalf to prove him or mature him. Rage was filling up Cory’s mind so he discuessed and verbally assaulted his father with his failures in his life and his romance as well. He exposes his father by claiming the bills are paid because of his uncle Gabriel because of the help the government provides for him.

Troy was tired of it so he physically attacked Cory and later kicked him out the house permanently, with so much anger Troy goes outside and calls death to a challenge and just as soon as he swings. He was struck out. Troy has died from a heart attack, his funeral was being planned 8 yars later. When Cory was kicked out of his home he had no where to go so he chose the path to the marines. He had returned for his father’s funeral. Cory did not choose to attend his father’s funeral to try to prove he is a man, his mother spoke to him and made it clear not going did not make him a man. Raynell and Cory began to sing their father’s songs in honor towards him as their uncle Gabriel seemed dissappointed and hurt. The gate to heaven have opened.