Study Questions for Fences
from U. of Indianapolis
Back to Drama Topics
- What is the symbolic role of fences in this play?
- One of the motifs that links this play to many of the plays we've read
this semester is the notion of the cyclical pattern of family, that is, the
idea that the sins and virtues of one generation are played out again in the
next. How powerful is this pattern, and is there any real hope to break free
of it?
- What is significant about the occupations or situations of the members of
Troy's family in the final scene of the play?
- To what extent is Troy wrong about how American society has changed during
his lifetime? To what extent is he right?
- How important is baseball as an element of Troy's past? (Check the links for some
sites about the Negro Leagues.)
- Troy talks a great deal about the important of independence and
self-reliance, but he is also a user and manipulator of others. Does this
make him a liar? self-deceptive? something else?