Cory in the Play is the son of Troy and Rose Maxson. He gets good grades after graduating from high school and decides to start a life of his own despite his father’s disapproval. He is a talented football player and marvels many as the college recruiters come to watch him play. He is respectful and in the beginning, wants to be like his father (Fences 1.3.118). He is talented and has the ambition to realize his aspirations as he confronts his Troy, his father during his play and decides to leave home. Despite Cory initial attempt to be like his father, he ends up trying not to be like him. He works in vain to persuade his father to like his baseball talent (Fences 2.5.14).
Throughout the play, Cory is defined as being protective, as he always was on the side of anything that he believed to be right. For instance, he runs to the aid of his mother when his father was battering him. “Troy you are hurting me….Cory comes up behind Troy and grabs him.” He steps in and saves his mother against the fathers wish. This moment puts his relationship and his father off balance as the father as rebellious views him.
Additionally, the situation becomes a defining moment in his life as he tries to be different from his father. His dislike for his father grew worse every moment after this. His father’s disapproval of his choices and character also becomes evident (Yasayan 119). Despite all this, he never loses his determination, as he believes he will change his life and future by playing football. Despite his father’s disapproval as he believes Cory’s choices do not reflect the true nature of the racist world. Cory without mincing his words tells his father that he would still play the game with or without his approval (Fences 2.1).
In his early life, Cory grew up fearing his father, as he had to seek the father’s approval in everything that he did. “I used to tremble every time you called my name” (Fences 86). Cory was always at the edge with his father and took him a lot of time to gain the confidence to face him in moments that he thought were awful. He often had the feeling that the father did not love him and tried much to gain his acceptance and favor (Fences 1.3). His love for football grew out of wanting to please his father and his quest to be loved by his father. He thought by doing things his father liked, this would eventually win his father’s approval (Yasayan 126). He, on the other hand, wins his mother’s favor as she promises to sign the college football recruiter’s papers and allow Cory to play football.
In conclusion, Cory struggles to find his identity by doing things to please the dad. He realizes that this will not be easy and thus opts to follow his dreams and vows to be different from the father. In the quest for a better future, becomes defiant as he pursues his dream to become a football player, a choice that doesn’t go down well with the father as he believes Cory’s aspirations do not reflect the true nature of the racist world. His disapproval of the father’s acts are evident when he protects his mother from the father’s battering and his option not to attend his funeral.
Works Cited
“Dreams of Deferred: Exploring the Masculine Mystique in August Wilson’s Fences.”
Journal of American Studies of Turkey, vol. 46, 2017, pp. 117-136.
Wilson August. Fences. Yasayan Vahit, 2017.
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