Fences: A Play by August Wilson (1986)

Fences: A Play is part of a series of plays by August Wilson that explore the African-American experience in different decades. The setting for Fences is the 1950s, most likely in Pittsburgh, though it could be any northern, industrial town of the time. The work centers on Troy, an illiterate garbageman, his family, and his friends. Fences is ultimately about relationships, especially the choices people make when interacting with one another and how those choices affect one another.

Book cover: Webintituteforteachers.org, August Wilson Seminar

Wilson is adept at transcribing the vernacular language of the characters - each one has a unique "voice" with their own speech habits. This same aspect can make the play both difficult to understand and uncomfortable to read. Difficult, because there are certain phrasings or assumed knowledge about the African-American experience that readers may not understand. Uncomfortable, because the language is often harsh, using words that are taboo in our culture, and Wilson employs certain African-American stereotypes in the characters' traits and actions. These challenges do not hinder the play, however, but make it more tangible and real for the reader.