ANing

Presentation: Minor Characters in //Fences// INTRODUCTION Minor characters in plays are often overshadowed by major characters, sometimes even viewed as unnecessary. However, in August Wilson’s //Fences//, which follows the life of Troy Maxson, a former African American baseball player who is now a lowly worker for a garbage company, minor characters become vital components that create a series of transformations in the play. Although they seem distant and somewhat separated from the events on stage, minor characters such as Alberta, Gabriel, and Raynell prove to be __external representations of parts of Troy's character, and more importantly, unbeknownst to them, act as catalysts for the destruction of his relationships.__ __ ALBERTA    __ __ Alberta represents Troy’s endeavor to escape from his responsibilities in reality. Unbeknownst to her, her seemingly ordinary affair leads to the destruction of Troy’s relationships with Rose. Ironically, although she does not appear on stage, or have any lines, the creation of her relationship with Troy triggers the transformations in his life, as well as his progressive self-isolation. When Troy realizes that his home came at the price of Gabriel’s sanity, he claims to “__ walk down to Taylors’” (28). When he is unable to cope with reality and the guilt it brings, Alberta becomes his means of escape. As he “walks down”, he is also walking away from his home, where he faces his family, and towards escape. Furthermore, he replaces “Alberta’s” with “Taylors’”, suggesting that Alberta has become a fantasy for him, which he tries to hide from reality. As Alberta’s relationship with Troy develops, the deterioration of Troy’s relationship with Rose is accelerated. As Bono notes that Troy “[runs] right down to Taylors’ and told that Alberta gal” (43) when he is promoted to a driver, it is apparent that Alberta has more than an object of pleasure for Troy. The contrast in imagery, between Troy formerly simply walking to Alberta’s, and now running to see her, suggests he has developed a greater attachment to his escape. In comparison, he subsequently calls for Rose like “calling a dog” (44). The loss of affection in his tone hints that as his relationship with Alberta grows, it causes his relationship with Rose to shatter. Later, when Alberta is finally impregnated, her relationship with Troy reaches a climax of intimacy, which turns the slow decline of Troy’s relationship with Rose into an instant collapse. Originally a married couple, Rose now questions “where was ‘we’ at when [Troy] was down there rolling with some godforsaken woman” (68). The word “we” initially symbolized the unification between Troy and Rose. However, Alberta’s pregnancy becomes the breaking point, at which Rose denies the existence of a “we” between Troy and herself. To her, Alberta’s presence in his life represents the end of their relationship, since Troy decided to “roll with some godforsaken woman”, rather than stay with her. Thus it is apparent that the creation of the bond between Alberta and Troy has destroyed the union between Troy and Rose. Meanwhile, this climatic point also further emphasizes Alberta’s role as a symbol for Troy’s need for escape. Troy argues that his affair with Alberta allows him to “step out of [the] house and get away from the pressures and problems… be a different man”, and “be a part of [himself] that [he] ain’t never been” (69). Ironically, although homes are generally associated with shelter and comfort, he compares his house to a shell or prison, which he must “step out of” by being with Alberta. Similarly, he claims that he needs to “get away from pressures and problems”, suggesting that “pressures and problems” are diseases or plagues which he must run away from. The alliteration emphasizes his inability to face the issues in reality. Instead of dealing with the problems, he chooses to escape through Alberta. When he argues that Alberta allows him to be a different man, he suggests that through his affair, he can live in “the world [that] suddenly got big” (53) when he left his father. The affair gives him the impression that he is a free man again, before starting a family. Ironically, Troy initially desired to settle down and be “safe” (70) with his family after years on the streets. However, he later strives for the apparent freedom from his early days again, which he believes to have accomplished in his relationship with Alberta. The ultimate irony in this interaction is that Alberta is likely unaware of the developments of Troy’s relationships on stage. She is unaware that her love affair has caused a man to break away from his family. Thus it is safe to conclude that Alberta is a catalyst in the play, inadvertently leading to the destruction of Troy’s relationship with Rose. Consequently, Alberta’s role in //Fences// can be compared to a rope. On one hand, in Troy’s search for escape from his responsibilities and problems in life, Alberta approaches him as the escape rope he longed for. Unfortunately, as Troy holds on to this rope, Alberta becomes a rope that strangles him. Or more precisely, the rope strangles and kills Troy’s marriage. Therefore the two aspects to Alberta’s role are similar to the characteristics of a rope. GABRIEL Meanwhile, as Troy’s brother, Gabriel unintentionally becomes his conscience, advising him against his actions, and the loss of his relationship with Troy damages Troy’s ties with Rose and Cory. Throughout the play, Gabriel believes himself to be the archangel Gabriel, constantly warning others to “get ready for the judgment” (27). Ironically, although other characters dismiss warnings of a divine judgment from an insane man, Gabriel’s verses such as this one become valid warnings to Troy. As Troy continues to have his affair, Gabriel continues to warn him of a “Judgment Day”, foreshadowing a moment where Troy will have to face the consequences of his misdeeds, thus involuntarily becoming Troy’s voice of conscience. Gabriel’s inadvertent prophecy later proves to be correct, as Troy is forced to cope with Rose’s spiritual departure from him upon learning of his affair. Additionally, Gabriel is often mentioned offering “flowers for [Rose]”, especially offering her “the same rose like [she] is” (46, 66). His affection towards Rose contrasts with Troy’s insensitive treatment. As Rose compliments Gabriel for being “right nice”, he is again acting as Troy’s inner voice, urging him to emulate his own kindly treatment towards Rose. Moreover, his gift of a rose is repeated when Troy confesses his affair to his wife. Gabriel’s repeated act at this crucial moment relates back to the first occasion when he gave her a rose. At this point, he is again unconsciously acting as Troy’s inner voice, reminding him that he should have displayed more care and attention to his wife, as Gabriel does. Furthermore, this time, he even displays a quarter, wanting to “keep [his] quarter till it stop shining” (67). Unbeknownst to him, his attachment to the quarter is an analogy for the affection Troy should have conveyed to Rose, strengthening his role as Troy’s conscience. It appears that Gabriel is using the quarter to illustrate to Troy that he should have halted his affair, and grasp Rose tighter, thus preserving his marrigage. Unfortunately, Troy’s rejection of this “messenger”, followed by his ultimate decision to send Gabriel away gravely harms his relationship with not only Rose, but also his son, Cory. When Troy, whether intentionally or unintentionally, sends Gabriel away to the hospital after asserting that doing so was unnecessary, Rose simply points out that he “went back on himself” and will “have to answer for [his act]” (75). In the beginning of the play, Rose displays a content tone, thinking she can “grow” by relying on Troy. This tone then transitions into an angry tone upon hearing of Troy’s affair, and now into a cold and judging tone, which portrays her progressive detachment from Troy. Her comments concerning Gabriel are placed right before Alberta’s death, thus foreshadowing further damage in her relationship with Troy. Similarly, Troy’s relationship with Cory breaks down due to this same process Gabriel undergoes. Cory expresses his resentment towards his father in their final encounter, reminding him that he “took Uncle Gabe’s money he got from the army to buy [the] house and then… put him out” (87). Similar to with Rose, the playwright places Cory’s statement right before he picks up the bat and starts the fight. It is therefore apparent that in Troy’s relationship with both Rose and Cory, Gabriel’s outcome acts as a forerunner to bring about the destruction of the relationships, foreshadowing Troy’s steps to his own isolation. Ironically, in the same way as Alberta, Gabriel, a mad man, is unaware of the transformations he has caused. From his perspective, he seems to be living in an alternate world compared to the other characters. However, he manifests himself as a catalyst and forerunner, quickening the changes in relationships, but still remaining in his fantasy world. As a result, Gabriel can be compared to a hammer. As Troy carries out his series of misdeeds, including his affair, Gabriel delivers warnings for him to stop his actions, similar to a hammer hitting Troy on the head. However, when Troy ignores the warnings, and throws the hammer, sending Gabriel away, the hammer hits Rose and Cory, breaking apart his relationship with them. Therefore Gabriel’s significance in //Fences// is best represented as a hammer. RAYNELL Similarly, Raynell’s arrival breaks down relationships. From her own perspective, she is merely a young girl, but in the play, she becomes the product and symbol for Troy’s hypocrisy. Although he believes Rose, as well as his family “[will] always be number one with [him]” (54), he departs his wife to have an extramarital relationship. As a result, he becomes “somebody’s daddy” (66). After Alberta’s death, Raynell, his daughter, remains to remind him of his deeds. Raynell is both a symbol and a tool for Troy’s hypocrisy. After demonstrating his irresponsible attitude towards his family through his affair, Troy pretends to be a considerate man by defending his daughter. He points out that she is “innocent… and [has no mother]” (78). His concern for Raynell contradicts his lack of attention to his existing family, which preserves his hypocritical image, even after Alberta’s death. Although he would not even let his son play football, he now would “appreciate it if [Rose would] help [him] take care of [his daughter]” (79).Thus not only does Raynell’s presence remind the audience of Troy’s duplicitous behavior, she allows him to further reveal his controversial acts. Meanwhile, Raynell also acts as a third and last catalyst for the annihilation of Troy’s relationships. As Rose adopts her, she now “[has] a mother, [but Troy is] a womanless man” (79). By becoming a member of the family, Raynell causes Troy to be rejected by his relatives. Rose’s word choice, “womanless” illustrates the termination of Troy’s relationship with her, but also brings forth the end of his relationship with others. Structurally speaking, shortly after the Masons welcome Raynell, Troy’s relationships with Bono and Cory deteriorate. When Bono visits him afterwards, he is only “stop[ping] by to see [him]” (82), and does not engage in long conversations anymore. Subsequently, Cory “walks... out of the yard” (89), away from Troy after their violent clash. Therefore the structure of the play demonstrates that Raynell’s acceptance in the family is a catalyst for the downfall of Troy’s relationships. Similar to Alberta and Gabriel, Raynell ironically did not intend to bring about these collapses in relationships. In her eyes, she is still a young, innocent girl. The greater irony is that children are generally intended to bring family and people together, but in this case, she causes her father to lose his connections. Consequently, Raynell is best compared to a bell. She exists in Troy’s life to remind him of his affair, like a bell ringing by his side. However, Raynell also causes Troy to lose his ties with others, like a bell chasing other away from Troy. Therefore it is appropriate to compare Raynell to a bell. CONCLUSION In conclusion, Alberta, Gabriel, and Raynell overcome the common insignificant view placed on minor characters, becoming vital components in the progressive deterioration of Troy’s relationships. They act as external representations for Troy’s inner nature, while accelerating his march towards his isolation.