"Dreams Deferred: Baseball as a Motif of Racial Inequality in Fences"

"Dreams Deferred: Baseball as a Motif of Racial Inequality in Fences"

This essay will examine how Baseball in Fences represents the racism and denied opportunities that many African Americans faced in the 20th century, and how these outside circumstances lead to Troy’s defining characteristics. In Fences, Wilson gives Troy a background of a talented ballplayer, and his now shattered dreams of playing at the professional level. Troy was a victim of the MLB’s segregation policy and was too old when the sport became integrated in 1946. His lived experience of struggle has made Troy the person, and father he is in the play. He’s hard-working and has a strong sense of responsibility, but is also bitter and resentful towards his current situation. I’ll provide the necessary context of a history of segregation in baseball, the Negro Leagues, Jackie Robinson and Josh Gibson as pioneers of equality in the sport and more. Also, how this history is tied to Troy and what his character is meant to represent. I pay attention to Troy’s own dialogue about the injustice he faced, and the impact on his relationship with his younger son Cory. By showing how closely intertwined Troy’s struggles against institutional racism, and how this shaped him as a man, provides a more nuanced understanding of him as a character.