After reading Fences in its entirety, I feel that Troy is an absolutely deplorable character. At first I believed he was simply a victim of circumstance, living in a time when people of his race were treated as if they were less than white citizens of the same cities. As I continued reading, I found a man who cheated on his wife, capitalized on his brother's misfortune, and not only denied his son the opportunity to have a better life, but denied him love as well. Eventually, I realized that the more things change, the more they stay the same. In the first two scenes, I thought Troy was a reasonable character. He complained about the black man's lack of a seat at the grown-ups' table, but he seemed quite good-natured. He told stories of encounters with the devil and death and treated his wife as if she mattered. When his friend hinted that he might ingratiate himself with another woman, he interpreted it as simple flirtation, and I was inclined to believe him. Troy was brave enough to stand up for himself at work, asking why only white people drove garbage trucks and black people had to haul garbage, which I thought was a sign he was aware of and perhaps part of the movement for equality. As Scene 2 closes, Troy leaves to go listen to a baseball game, and we somehow understand what he's really doing. In Act II, Troy makes his revelation to Rose and admits his infidelity and that he had fathered a child with his mistress. It's bad enough that he fathered a child with another woman, but to add insult to injury, he talks about how when he's with her he can run away from home and all his responsibilities. He says he can laugh in his house, as if Rose has somehow denied him the right to laughter and happiness. As he says... in the middle of the paper... he makes me study. It has always been his dream for at least one of his children to graduate from college, and at 38, I am the first to attend. I couldn't imagine her trying to sabotage one of her children because their life might be better than hers, she would rejoice at the idea. Gabriel, however, was the tragedy that hit me hardest. I have a son with autism and it is my constant fear that one day, when I am no longer here to protect him, someone will take advantage of him in this way. Only for Gabriel was I hoping for an unpleasant end for Troy. As interesting as it is, I doubt I would seek out a production of this play, I would leave the theater angry and it would not be a pleasant experience. Works Cited Wilson, August. "Fences." By Yanni, Robert. Literature: approaches to narrative, poetry and theatre. McGraw Hill, n.d. 1467-1516.