3.2 Fences Symbols Act 1 Scenes 2-3

Troy is mad that Cory is being recruited to play football...

"TROY: I told that boy about that football stuff. The white man ain't gonna let him get nowhere with that football. I told him when he first come to me with it. Now you come telling me he done went and got more tied up in it. He ought to go and get recruited in how to fix cars or something where he can make a living."

Troy boasts that he is not afraid of death...

"TROY: Death ain't nothing. I done seen him. Done wrasled with him. You can't tell me nothing about death. Death ain't nothing but a fastball on the outside corner. And you know what I'll do to that! Lookee here, Bono... am I lying? You get one of them fastballs, about waist high, over the outside corner of the plate where you can get the meat of the bat on it... and good god! You can kiss it goodbye... That's all death is to me. A fastball on the outside corner."

Lyons asks to borrow $10, Troy offers to get him a job collecting the garbage...

"LYONS: Naw, Pop... thanks. That ain't for me. I don't wanna be carrying nobody's rubbish. I don't wanna be punching nobody's time clock.

TROY: Whats the matter, you too good to carry people's rubbish? Where you think that ten dollars you talking about come from? I'm just supposed to haul people's rubbish and give my money to you cause you too lazy to work. You too lazy to work and wanny know why you ain't got what I got."

August Wilson symbolically uses the Maxson porch in order to suggest that this family is based on strong relationships, but is also unbalanced. This can be seen in the description of the house, where the porch "...lacks congruence. It is a sturdy porch with a flat roof." The porch is shown to be "sturdy" or strong, but the lack of "congruence" also means that it is not even or flat. Since the porch is a place where families relax and spend time together, this porch can be a symbol for the family structure of the Maxsons. As a result, Wilson suggests that the Maxson family, like their porch, is unbalanced despite its strong relationships.

Lesson 3.1

Aim: Students will analyze the setting of Fences by August Wilson.

HW: Finish reading Act 1, Scene 1 and complete the notes in your packet!

Do Now: Read the author biography on your page. As you read, annotate to identify facts about the author's life that you believe might have influenced his writing.

I. Do Now

II. Act 1 Scene 1 Recap

III. Symbol Analysis

IV. Act 1 Scenes 2-3

V. Exit Ticket

Evidence

Context

Analysis

Justification

Claim

I. Do Now

II. MP2 Calendar

III. Task 5

IV. Anticipation Guide

V. Video

VI. Act 1, Scene 1

1) Search for 2 quotes on the symbol of the fence.

2) Continue gathering notes on characters, conflicts, and scenes.

Use the Text - Plot - Subtext - Inference - "So What?" Sheet to build an argument about the symbolic meaning of the fence on the Symbols page of your packet.

Today we will read the opening pages of Act 1, Scene 1. As we read, be sure to take notes in your packet for the scene, as well as for any characters, settings, or other ideas that you have on the text!