Hypocrisy

=HYPOCRISY= = =  In August Wilson's //Fences //, Troy appears as an irresponsible, violent, and most of all, hypocritical father. As shown by his affair and his treatment towards his sons, it is an indisputable fact that Troy fails to live according to the values he preaches. However, Troy’s hypocrisy is a result of two aspects of his character. On one hand, he must accept responsibilities as the man of the house. On the other hand, his desires and need for escape cause him to rebel against these responsibilities that he teaches to his sons. Therefore the conflict between Troy’s familial duties and his personal dreams causes him to be hypocritical.  

I. As both a father and a husband, Troy is expected to obey and preach certain values, creating constraints on his lifestyle. 

· “You go on and get your book-learning so you can fix yourself up in that A&P or learn how to fix cars or build houses or something, get you a trade.” (I. iii. pg. 35) 

Troy’s refusal to allow Cory to play football, due to the alleged racist practices in sports, seems like an outdated argument by someone declining to accept new ideas. However, feeding a family with a pitiful job, it is unsurprising that Troy looks to the closest solution for his son to earn a remotely better living. To Troy, his duty as a father is to ensure that Cory finds a job, and is able to support himself with a better job than his own. Therefore Troy must opt for the most practical option for his son, despite his personal feelings towards the A&P. However, a father’s value on practicality does not necessarily conform to Troy’s personal ideals.

· “Got it all over the front page of the //Courier // about them raiding Sefus’ place… where you be hanging out with all them thugs […] They got some rogues… is what they got.” (I. iv. pg. 45)   While Troy’s concern over the venues where Lyons plays music may sometimes seem unreasonable, it is his duty as a father to be worried about his son. When Sefus’ place is raided, Troy wonders whether Lyons should be playing there. It is expected that Troy, as a father, needs to be troubled over his son’s security. The ellipses and pauses in his speech further emphasize his regret in seeing Lyons possibly “hanging out with all them thugs”. However, while Troy attempts to express worry, it appears that he is more frustrated by his son's visit. The first words he utters upon his son's appearance are "aw, hell" (45), allowing his inner feelings to overcome his outer duties for a moment. As a result, despite his efforts to conceal his discontent, he fails to show genuine worry about his son. Furthermore, Troy's reluctance in allowing his son to be in the same venues as "thugs" suggests that Troy himself is also staying away from inappropriate activities, thus placing constraints on his lifestyle. <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">· <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">“Naw… you go ahead and keep that ten dollars […] The next time you feel like you wanna come by here and ask me for something… you go on down there and get that.” (I. iv. pg. 46) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">

As a father, Troy hopes to stay connected to Lyons. He may believe that he “has to” aid Lyons whenever necessary, as it constitutes part of his duties. He never states that he helps Lyons because of love, but rather because he is obliged to do so. Personally, Troy prefers not to give his money to others, manifested by his negative attitudes when lending Lyons money, and giving his salary to Rose. Moreover, right before Lyons explains that he is here to return the money, Troy's initial reaction to his son's visit is that he is "fixing to ask [him] for some money" (46). Depite being Lyons' father, it is apparent that his inner desire is to have Lyons depart from him, never to borrow his money again. Consequently, Troy demonstrates that his concern for Lyons is mostly insincere. Nevertheless, he is aware that in the family, he is obligated to distribute his money to his relatives in need. On the other hand, he keeps in mind that he would rather keep his money to himself.

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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">II. <span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">The constraints on Troy’s lifestyle suppress his inner desires, but he ultimately succumbs to the latter, resulting in hypocrisy. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">· <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">“The A&P ain’t never done nothing for me. I spends my money where I’m treated right. I go down to Bella’s” (I. i. pg. 7) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">

Although Troy instructs Cory to obtain a job at the A&P for the sake of practicality, he personally prefers Bella’s over the former. His preference is due to better treatment towards African-Americans. Despite being fully aware of lower prices at the A&P, and allowing his family to frequent the store, he exhibits a hypocritical behavior. Troy is willing to sacrifice Cory’s football career for a job at the A&P, but refuses to shop there himself. It is therefore apparent that the disparity between Troy’s duties and desires cause him to act as a hypocrite. <span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">· <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">“I’m talking, woman, let me talk. I’m trying to find a way to tell you… I’m gonna be a daddy. I’m gonna be somebody’s daddy.” (II. i. pg. 66) <span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> Troy’s ultimate act of hypocrisy in the play is having an affair and impregnating Alberta, when he repeatedly reminds his family to lead honest and responsible lives. As a father, Troy has given his fullest effort to set a superficial example, preaching ethically correct values. However, he is actually depressed by his meager income, and poor status compared to his days as a top baseball player. As a result, Troy accumulates inner frustration at his failure to lead a wealthy life. In search of escape, he finds Alberta, who allows him to “be a different man” (II. i. pg. 69). As he finds an escape from the constrained life of a father and husband, his desire for freedom overcomes the need to “live what he preaches”, causing his acts of hypocrisy. Furthermore, when Troy states for the first time that he is “gonna be a daddy”, he realizes that he inadvertently refers to being Lyons and Cory’s father. However, he then corrects himself, stating he will be “somebody’s daddy”. The addition of “somebody” in his speech suggests that he is dissatisfied with the responsibilities he must assume with Rose. Instead, he hopes that being the father of Alberta’s child will offer more freedom, considering he has already discovered happiness with Alberta. Thus, the near repetition of this line emphasizes the source of Troy’s hypocrisy: restriction with Rose as a father, freedom with Alberta as himself.

<span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">· <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">“(//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'">Lyons exits the yard […] Rose exits the yard […] Bono exits […] Cory…walks slowly out of the yard and up the alley) //” (II. iv. pgs. 81, 82, 84, 89) <span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif'"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> Troy apparently tries to keep his family members and friends close to himself, as he is expected to do so as a father. However, he is psychologically stuck back during his baseball career, unable to fully devote his attention to the family. He appears attached to his family, trying to help Lyons and Cory survive, albeit through controversial methods. However, on the inside, he is probably indifferent towards his son. As a result, he fails to maintain a stable family, ultimately secluding himself, and pushing away the people around him. His hypocritical acts, such as having an affair, have led to all characters leaving him. In this reference, their departures are manifested as physical exits from the stage, yet they also symbolize the end of their relationships with Troy. While Troy claims to feed and look after the family, and physically support them because “he has to”, he actually causes them to leave him, his final act of hypocrisy. Consequently, Troy’s inner temptation to isolate himself overcomes his duties as a father to feed the family, resulting in him blocking out all other characters from himself.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'"> <span style="color: rgb(28, 202, 46); font-family: Georgia,serif"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">As shown by this modified version of the Yin-Yang symbol, Troy’s hypocrisy comes from the clash between his duties and desires. On the outside, he is the man of the home, responsible for both feeding and supplying the family, and educating his sons with correct values. Troy incessantly tells his sons to lead honest lives, and strive for careers for the sake of practicality, not enjoyment. Although his method of conveying his message often appears inappropriate, Troy is simply trying to fulfill his duties as a father, portrayed by the white portion. However, on the inside, Troy is much happier without these duties. While he preaches seemingly moral values to his children, he is actually unable to lead a life as a father with constraints. Thus, Troy’s desire to be free and “a different man” is displayed as the black portion inside the white circle. Ultimately, he fails to contain his inner desires with his role as a father and husband, succumbing to his heart, and committing acts considered as hypocrisy, compared to the values he teaches to his sons. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'">