Simply put, Fences is another installment of August Wilson's American Century cycle set in the 1950s . Troy Maxson is a sanitation worker who once dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, but that dream was ultimately denied due to racial discrimination. Family tension is created when Troy prevents his son Cory from meeting with a college football recruiter. Cory is best described as being a dynamic character as he grows throughout the plot. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In Fences, August Wilson demonstrates the theme that it is up to each individual to escape the perpetual cycle they are placed in as they endure the reality of the world they live in through the character of Cory Maxson . Cory eventually escapes from his father Troy after having his dreams constantly destroyed by him. This occurs after the two characters have an altercation that results in Cory's defeat: "Tell mom I'll come back and get my stuff." This was the last straw for Cory and Troy after their many arguments over Cory's desire to play football. Cory saw this as an opportunity to escape Troy once and for all and ended up doing so. Later in the film which jumps 8 years later, to 1965, Cory returns home in a military uniform: “Look at you, man. Look at you. Doesn't he look good, Rose. I gave them corporal stripes. » Joining the military was probably another dream of Cory's, except unlike a football career, he didn't encounter any obstacles in his way and was therefore able to achieve this dream. This shows how Cory's quality of life improved after escaping his father's grasp. However, even though Cory physically escaped his father, he still had to escape his shadow. In a conversation with his mother, Rose, he declares that he will not attend Troy's funeral: "Mom, I have something to tell you. I don't know how to tell you this. . . but I must tell you. . . I’m not going to Dad’s funeral.” This tells us, the audience, that Cory is still not at peace with his father because he is still haunted by him and thinks he should continue to rebel against him. He later changes his mind after he and his half-sister, Raynell, sing a song in Troy's memory: "You go in the house and change their shoes like mama told you so we Let's go to Dad's funeral. Now that he has let go of his anger towards Troy, Cory has finally managed to escape his father completely and make peace with him. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayTo sum it all up, Cory Maxson was the character used by August Wilson to demonstrate the universal theme that it is up to everyone to escape the endless cycle they find themselves in as they endure reality. Throughout Fences, Cory escaped from his father after his shattered dreams and ultimately escaped his father's shadow. I recommend you go see or read Fences if you haven't already as it is one of August Wilson's greatest works and rightly deserves its critical acclaim..