Troy's+Baseball

In August Wilson’s __Fences__, baseball was a prominent component of Troy’s life and gave him hope and strength in his youth, but failure in the sport later became stubborn barriers that blinded Troy from the signs of a better life for African Americans and ultimately, baseball turned into an escape for Troy’s disappointing and stagnant life.
 * Introduction **

TS sounds direct and clear. Great irony here.

Ø **Early success of his career as a great hitter in the Negro Leagues, when baseball was of utmost prominence in his life ** · Gave him dreams and hope; let him realize that he has a talent when he was in prison v “You got take the crooked with the straights. That’s what Papa used to say. He used to say that when he struck out. I seen him strike out three times in a row…and the next time up he hit the ball over the grandstand. Right out there in Homestead field. He wasn’t satisfied hitting in the seats…he wanted to hit it over everything! After the game he had two hundred people standing around waiting to shake his hand. You got to take the crooked with the straights. Yea, Papa was something else” (II.v.94).  · Contrast between his life as a black baseball player to a white baseball player in the Major League v //“I saw Josh Gibson’s daughter yesterday. She walking around with raggedy shoes on her feet. Now I bet Selkirk’s daughter ain’t walking around with raggedy shoes on her feet! I bet you that!” (I.i.9). // · <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Bitter experience that led to stubborn views as a African American about his society

<span style="color: rgb(46, 245, 49);">Not sure how this section supports TS..seems primarily descriptive, but not directly related to topic. Where is the "hope and strength"? <span style="color: rgb(31, 246, 9);">

Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Disappointment in baseball evolved into stubborn barriers that blinded Troy from the signs of a better life for African Americans in a racist world. ** ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Believe that white people stole his opportunity and dream v<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“But…you born with two strikes on you before you come to the plate” (II.i.69) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Feels jealous when black players start to enter and he himself is too old; baseball became a lost dream v<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“Jackie Robinson wasn’t nobody. I’m talking about if you could play ball then they ought to have let you play. Don’t care what color you were. Come telling me I come along too early. If you could play…then they ought to have let you play” (I.i.10). //<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">

<span style="color: rgb(46, 245, 49);">Text is going to have to be clearly connected to ideas. Explain thoroughly.

Ø<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Often uses baseball analogies in many areas of life to escape from failures and disappointments ** ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“stealing base”: affair with Alberta; he escapes from the current disappointments in life v<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“Then when I saw that gal…she firmed up my backbone. And I got to thinking that if I tried…I just might be able to steal second. Do you understand after eighteen years I wanted to steal second” (II.i.70).” <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Baseball became a lost dream; made Troy blind to changes over the years ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“strike outs” in relationship with Cory; fight involving the bat; confine Cory with authority v<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> **//<span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“Troy advance backs Cory up against the tree. Cory grabs up the bat…Cory swings the bat at Troy a second time. He misses. Troy continues to advance toward him //****<span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">” (II.i.59). **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> ·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Baseball involved in a violent outburst

<span style="color: rgb(46, 245, 49);">Baseball helps Troy escape from failure? A contradiction here?

What else included in your argument? Visuals?