Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women by Susan Moller Okin - Essay Example

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, men and women have equal rights but ironically that none of the states that signed haven’t provided any equal rights to women. Racial abuse is a serious offense and should be dealt with with serious punishments. In the play Fences, author August Wilson tries to show how black people suffered under white leadership. In his play, August Wilson tries to show in what situations black people lived, how they were treated and how their basic rights were abused. 

Fences
           All of August Wilson’s plays take place in his hometown Pittsburgh, and the current play also takes place in Pittsburgh. The story was set in the 1950s in which the main character was Troy Maxson. Troy’s last name Maxson is taken from the Mason-Dixon line, which is considered to be an imaginary line that defines the separation of slave states and free states.

           Maxson’s story represents an amalgamation of his past in the south where he spent his childhood and present life in the north with his wife and son which are inextricably[1] linked. After the failure of Reconstruction, like other blacks, Maxson and his best friend Bono walked north to find a livelihood. Because of the absence of infrastructure and resources they were forced to live in shacks and years spending in jail for stealing. Maxson’s story indicates how the situation would be when a black man earning low-income has to face a highly competitive and financed society.

           Rose is Troy Maxson’s wife and the mother of his second child. Lyons was Troy’s first son. He was born to a woman with whom Troy had a relationship in jail. This happened before Troy became a baseball player and before he met Rose. Rose is a 43-year-old housewife who loves her family and always stood up for charity work whenever needed by the Church. Unlike Maxson who is highly imaginative, Rose is a realist and always strived to improve her family’s financial position. Whenever she had a chance she bought lottery tickets so that her family’s financial situation may improve. Lyons also plays the numbers and local lottery and for income always depends on his girlfriend Bonnie.

           Rose asked Troy and Cory to build a fence in their small, dirty backyard so that she can keep her loved ones close to her heart. Cory is Maxson’s second child and the only son of Rose. Cory was a highly ambitious teenager and always got decent grades and was good at football too. In those days only white men used to be truck drivers. Unlike his father who protested this in silence, Cory raised his voice against this indifferent behavior and became the first black truck driver in the town. Rose always supported his son whether in domestic issues or other issues. Because of his good performance in football college recruiters were coming to see him play football. But Maxson was not willing to permit his son to play football. He didn’t hear the deeds of his son and Rose. Cory left the family and joined the Marines.

           Following his best friend Bono’s advice, Maxson started to build the fence. Bono said by building the fence Maxson can tell his wife how much he loves her. Bono always suspected that Maxson was hiding something. As he suspected Maxson revealed he was having an affair with Alberta who is now laboring.

          When he confessed this to Rose she became furious and vowed not to take him again into the family. She felt betrayed and wasn’t willing to forgive him at any cost. Alberta died after giving birth to a girl child. When Rose heard this she was in full tears just like any mother would be. She has forgiven Maxson of his deeds and adopted the child who was named Raynell Maxson.

           Eight years later Troy Maxson died and Cory returned home to attend the funeral. Gabriel Troy’s brother expresses his cry by dancing at the funeral.