F e n c e s
A c t O n e , S c e n e O n e
1. Wilson writes that together “with his blackness, [Troy’s] largeness
informs his sensibilities and the choices he has made in his life.” What
aspects of your identity most inform your “sensibilities” and your choices—
your age, your race, your beliefs, your financial background, something
else? Explain your answer in a paragraph.
2. Troy and Bono’s friendship is founded on Bono’s admiration of “Troy’s
honesty, capacity for hard work, and his strength.” What three characteristics
do you most admire and seek in a friend? List the qualities, and
then write a brief explanation for each as to why it is so important to
you.
3. Troy’s first line includes the controversial word “nigger.” Write a one or
two-paragraph letter to August Wilson about how you feel when you see
this word and why you think he decided to include it in Troy’s first
speaking line.
4. Troy has just filed a complaint with his employer concerning the
unequal way whites and “coloreds” are treated in his company, and some
of the other black workers fear that Troy’s boldness will get all of the
blacks fired. Wilson doesn’t include the dialogue Troy has with Mr.
Rand in the play. In a page or so, write the scene between Troy and Mr.
Rand as you think it would have taken place. Before starting the dialogue,
imagine and describe the setting in a sentence or two.
R e s p o n s e J o u r n a l
5. Wilson writes that Rose’s devotion to Troy “stems from
her recognition
of the possibilities of her life without him: a succession of abusive men
and their babies, a life of partying and running the streets, the Church,
or aloneness with its attendant pain and frustration.”
In a paragraph, write about what you think your life will be like if you
decide never to get married. Do all of the other options seem negative
like Rose’s?
6. Rose and Troy disagree about what sort of grocery store to patronize.
Troy would rather go to a store where he and his community are respected
and treated well, even if it means having to pay more. Rose thinks it
makes no sense to pay more regardless of how one is treated. Pretend
you are with them and they ask for a third opinion to settle the matter.
In a paragraph, write what you would say, making sure to include which
side (if any) you would take.
7. It is 1957, and Troy is skeptical about how far the “white man” is going
to let Cory go with football. Imagine that Fences is set in our time. Do
you think Troy’s response to Rose’s news would be any different? In a
paragraph, write out what you think Troy’s response might be.
8. Troy holds little respect for highly acclaimed professional baseball players
like Jackie Robinson. He feels that he was a better player, but was
never allowed the chance to prove himself. Write about a situation or
time when you didn’t get the recognition you felt you deserved—and it
seemed as though someone less talented than you did. Do you still feel
resentful about it?
F e n c e s
9. Troy says “Death ain’t nothing but a fastball on the
outside corner”. The
story he tells about his struggle with death further illustrates Troy’s sense
of self-confidence—not only could he beat Jackie Robinson, he could
beat Death, too! In contrast, Rose gets upset even talking about death.
Write a short poem about how you feel when you think of “Death”
approaching you. You might start it “Death ain’t” (or isn’t) or “Death
is…”
10. Lyons says, “I don’t wanna be carrying nobody’s rubbish.” Do you think
most people end up with jobs they like? Do you think that you will end
up with a job you like? Explain your answer.
11. Lyons defends himself against his father’s accusations that he is lazy by
stating, “I know I got to eat. But I got to live too. I need something that
gonna help me get out of the bed in the morning. Make me feel like I
belong in the world.”
Lyons’s statement reflects a basic moral dilemma: the importance of
financial security versus the importance of happiness. Assume that you
are faced with two career choices. Career “A” features a steady, secure
income but involves doing work that does not interest you. Career “B”
interests you, but doesn’t offer a steady, secure income. Make a pro/con
list for both career options and decide which you would choose. Does
your choice reflect the work ethic of Troy or of Lyons?
R e s p o n s e J o u r n a l
A c t O n e , S c e n e Two
12. Do you agree with Troy that lotteries take advantage of the poor?
Pretend that your state is in the middle of a heated debate on whether to
have or dispense with a lottery. A local newspaper has invited people to
send in letters expressing their opinions on the subject. Write such a
letter, making sure to include both your opinion and the reasoning
behind it.
13. Although he doesn’t mention it, Rose intuitively senses that Troy is worried
about what happened at work yesterday. In a paragraph or two,
describe a time when you were able to sense what someone was thinking
even though he or she didn’t speak of it directly. How could you tell
what was really on that person’s mind?
14. If it weren’t for the money Gabe got from the government for his war
wound, Troy would not have been able to buy a house. It upsets Troy to
realize that he is fifty-three and wouldn’t have a home if not for that
money. Imagine that, instead of going to a listen to a ball game, Troy
decides to write a journal entry addressing these circumstances at this
end of this scene. As Troy, write the entry.
F e n c e s
A c t O n e , S c e n e T h r e e
15. Troy is angry with Cory for having gone to football practice before doing
his chores, yet Troy himself has avoided working on the fence for weeks.
Does this seem unfair to you, or perfectly in keeping with a parent’s
rights? Explain your answer.
16. As Troy and Cory work on fencing the yard, they argue over the sensibility
of buying a television. Fast-forward this scene to today. What luxury
item do you think Cory would be asking for now? As Cory, write your
father a letter convincing him to buy this item for the family. Consider
what you know of Troy and use arguments that you think would appeal
to him in particular.
17. Troy is reluctant to buy things on credit. How do you feel about buying
things you don’t yet have the money for? Are credit cards liberating in
that they don’t limit us to what we can afford at a given moment—or are
they a trap? Explain your answer.
18. Cory recognizes that his father’s bitterness may be responsible for Troy’s
unreasonable assessments of major league players’ talents. Think of the
time when you first realized that an adult in your life was capable of
mistakes and faulty reasoning just like children are. Did the realization
bring you closer together or build a fence between you? Write a paragraph
describing the incident and your feelings about it both then and
now.
R e s p o n s e J o u r n a l
19. When Troy insists that Cory take back his after-school job instead of
playing football, Cory knows that a potential college scholarship is at
stake. What do you think motivates Troy to deny his son this chance?
Try to consider Troy’s perspective as you respond.
20. Troy thinks it is unreasonable for Cory to expect Troy to like him. What
do you think? Assuming they are good providers, is it important for
parents to also like their children? Do you feel as though your parents
“should” like you simply because you are their child? Explain your
answer.
21. Troy refuses to admit that the main reason he couldn’t play Major League
ball is that he was too old when the opportunity presented itself—if he
could
do so, he’d be a very different man. As Troy, write a diary
entry in
which you admit the truth to yourself and explore why it has been so
difficult for you to do so. Include whether or not you will tell Rose or
Cory what you know or if it is important to you to continue acting as
though it was only prejudice that kept you out of pro ball.
22. Rose tells Troy that times have changed since Troy was Cory’s age.
Assume that you will at some point have a child. How do you think
times will have changed between now and the time when your child is
your current age? Make a list of at least five things that you think will
be different by then. For starters, consider possible changes in the civil
rights arena, the environment, politics, and science.
F e n c e s
A c t O n e , S c e n e F o u r
23. Although he has no driver’s license, Troy is entirely confident that he
will be able to perform his new job duties. In a paragraph, describe a
time when self-confidence helped you to succeed when your ability
alone may not have.
24. Describe a time when confidence hindered you—in other words, when
you were
over-confident and didn’t
succeed where you had been sure
you would. What did you learn from your failure? What do you think
Troy will learn if he finds he’s unable to drive a truck?
25. Troy’s father made up the song about Blue and passed it down to Troy,
who in turn taught it to Cory. Pick one thing that you have learned
from a parent that you will be sure to pass on to your own children. It
could be a song, a recipe, a ritual, a way of looking at the world, or
something else. Why is it important to you to keep that thing “alive”
through another generation?
26. When Lyons invites Troy to listen to Lyons’s band play jazz, Troy says, “I
don’t like that Chinese music. All that noise.” Do your parents enjoy
the music you listen to now, or prefer music from their own youths?
Answer and explain why you think they like what they do.
R e s p o n s e J o u r n a l
27. When Cory gets “to the point where he wanna disobey me,” Troy says,
“then it’s time for him to move on.” Troy expects Cory to live by his
rules while he lives in Troy’s house. Make a list of five rules for living as
a part of your household that you’d lay down if you had a teenager.
Defend each rule with at least one reason as to why it should be house
policy.
28. Troy learned to play baseball during his time in the penitentiary. Many
people today debate whether prisons should provide recreation for
inmates. Imagine that your state prison warden has proposed a recreation
program that includes a series of sporting events in which inmates
from each of the state’s three prisons compete against one another.
Write to the state prison warden to support or oppose the proposal. Be
sure to include reasons why you feel the way you do about this issue.
29. If, like Troy, you had to leave your family’s house and be out on your
own by the age of fourteen, what would you do? (Assume it would be
impossible to crash at a friend’s or other relative’s house) Would you try
to find a job? Do you think you’d need to steal in order to survive? In
one or two paragraphs, describe what you think your life would be like
for your first month on your own.
30. Troy has spoken to Cory’s coach and had Cory removed from the team.
At this point, what would you do if you were Cory?
F e n c e s
A c t Tw o , S c e n e O n e
31. To Troy, Bono says, “I done learned a whole heap of things about life
watching you.” Make a list of at least five things you have learned about
life from your friends. Then list three things you think your friends
have learned from you.
32. Troy says that his heart tells him “right from wrong every time,” and that
it has
not told him that having
an affair with Alberta is wrong. Pretend
that Troy is on a talk show and has just said this. You raise your hand
and the host brings the microphone to you. Write out what you’d say to
Troy at this point, including whether you agree with his reasoning.
33. Bono says, “Some people build fences to keep people out…and other
people build fences to keep people in.” If you were to build a fence at
this point in your life, which kind would you build? Explain your
answer.
34. Pretend that you are Rose and have just been told not only that your
husband has fathered a child by another woman, but that he wants to
continue seeing her. Taking the time period and your financial situation
into account, write a journal entry exploring your feelings and what
your options might be.
R e s p o n s e J o u r n a l
35. With Alberta, Troy feels as if he is able to laugh and be a different person—
one he likes more than the person he is with Rose and Cory. Write
about a time when you were with someone who made you feel like this.
What about the person made you able to be “different”? Why did you
feel unable to continue to be this “different person” when you were with
other people?
36. Troy has compared facing death and now compares his married and family
life to a baseball game. If you were to compare your life to a game,
what game would it be? Write a poem or descriptive paragraph in which
you compare your life—and how living it feels to you—to a game. Don’t
feel as if your choice must be restricted to sports; board games, party
games, and video games are other possibilities.
37. Imagine that, rather than going inside for watermelon, Gabe witnesses
the entire conversation between Troy and Rose. As Gabe, write a paragraph
recounting and responding to what you have seen. Write in
“Gabe’s language.”
F e n c e s
A c t Tw o , S c e n e Two
38. Troy, who is illiterate, thought he was signing a form that released Gabe
from jail, but actually signed a form to have Gabe committed. Make a
list of at least five problems you would face daily if you were an illiterate
adult in today’s society.
39. When Troy loses Alberta, he becomes determined to build the fence
around his yard to keep Death from sneaking up on him again. How do
you feel as Troy’s world unravels? Do you sympathize with him or think
justice is being served? Explain your answer.
A c t Tw o , S c e n e T h r e e
40. For the first time, Troy has a daughter. From what you know of Troy’s
character and the way Troy has raised and treats his sons, how do you
think he will raise and treat his daughter?
A c t Tw o , S c e n e F o u r
41. As Bono, write a journal entry about what it was like to see Troy for the
first time in a month. Do you still admire him at all? Do you miss him?
Why did you decide to “dump” him?
42. As Cory, write a journal entry in which you explain why you found
yourself unable to swing the bat.
R e s p o n s e J o u r n a l
A c t Tw o , S c e n e F i v e
43. When Bono sees that Cory has become a corporal with the Marines, he
says, “Your daddy knew you had it in you. He used to tell me all the
time.” In the span of the play, we never get to hear Troy say much about
his belief in Cory. Pretend there was a missing monologue earlier in the
play when Troy told Bono how he felt about his younger. Write Troy’s
monologue. In it, try to capture Troy’s style of speaking.
44. When Cory refuses to go to Troy’s funeral, Rose tells him, “You’re just
like [Troy]. You got him in you good…You Troy Maxson all over again.”
As Rose, explain what it is about Cory’s behavior that reminds you of
Troy.
45. How do you feel about the way
Fences ends? Do you find it a fitting or
an unsatisfying ending? Write a short letter to August Wilson, the playwright,
commenting on the ending and whether you would have ended
the play differently.
46. Imagine that Troy had the chance to say a few last words of wisdom or
love to each of his family members and Bono. Write out one or two sentences
Troy might have said to Rose, Raynell, Cory, Lyons, Gabe, and
Bono.
47. In a paragraph, name your favorite character from
Fences and explain
why she or he is your favorite.
F e n c e s
48. Pretend that a new film version of Fences
is beginning production and
that you are the casting agent. Choose an actor to play each of the following
roles. After choosing, write a quick note as to why you think
each choice is perfect for the part.
Troy
Rose
Cory
Gabe
49. Imagine, as above, that you are working on a filmed version of Fences.
This time, however, you are the person responsible for the soundtrack.
Name three songs you’d include in the movie. Include which scene
you’d use each song in and why you think the songs fit well with the
scenes.
50. Write an epilogue to Fences.
Pretend that ten to fifteen years have
passed, and explain what has become of Rose, Raynell, Cory, Lyons,
Gabe, and Bono.
