August Wilson’s Fences is among the most outstanding and compelling literary works of all time regarding its style, character, plot, and rhythm organization. This essay analyzes Wilson Fences based on the following elements.
First, plot. The storyline of Fences follows the life of Troy Maxson, who works as a sanitation worker. The first scene opens by introducing Troy as a hardworking individual. However, as the subsequent stages open up, it introduces readers to even Troy's darker side, a cheat. Similarly, the first act of the play exhibits the dissatisfaction Troy has with his work. After that, the third scene demonstrates all the major conflicts within the play. Therefore, following a more complex and engaging plot structure typical of great writers, which adds suspense then finally a conclusion.
Second, in most of Wilson's plays, the author uses typically realistic writing styles that reflect people in their daily lives. The Fences is no different. Besides, almost all the characters in this play are black people speaking Africa-American dialect resembling Pittsburg's dialect-where Wilson hails from. A technique is known as poetic realism, where characters speak in ways easily found in the everyday lives.
The last literary aspect under analysis is rhythm or tone. The characters in August Wilson's play speak in a voice that blends a unique mix of African-American dialect with heightened poetry. The rhythm manages to be interestingly lofty and approachable concurrently. The characters in the play, though somewhat more prominent than their actual selves manage to represent not only all African-Americans but the whole of humanity.
Work Cited
Jacobs, Lee A. The Bedford Introduction to Drama. 8th ed.,
