Fences

a play by August Wilson
Winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama

some excerpts that resonated with me:

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Lyons, Troy's 34-year old musician son, asks to borrow $10 (again). Troy works as a garbage collector and chastises Lyons for not having a real job.

TROY: I told you I know some people down there. I can get you on the rubbish if you want to work. I told you that the last time you came by here asking me for something.
LYONS: Naw, Pop... thanks. That ain't for me. I don't wanna be carrying nobody's rubbish. I don't wanna be punching nobody's time clock.
TROY: What's the matter, you too good to carry people's rubbish? Where you think that ten dollars you talking about come from? I'm just supposed to haul people's rubbish and give my money to you cause you too lazy to work. You too lazy to work and wanna know why you ain't got what I got.
...
LYONS: You and me is two different people, Pop.

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Cory, Troy's second seventeen-year-old son, struggles against Troy to continue to play football and potentially get recruited for college while Troy, who loves baseball but was never able to play professionally before the Jackie Robinson era, insists that Cory quit football to continue working at the A&P.

CORY: How come you ain't never liked me?
...
TROY: Like you? I go out of here every morning... bust my butt... putting up with them crackers every day... cause I like you? You about the biggest fool I ever saw.
(Pause.)
It's my job. It's my responsibility! You understand that? A man got to take care of his family. You live in my house... sleep you behind on my bedclothes... fill you belly up with my food... cause you my son. You my flesh and blood. Not 'cause I like you! Cause it's my duty to take care of you. I owe a responsibility to you! Let's get this straight right here... before it go along any further... I ain't got to like you. Mr. Rand don't give me my money come payday cause he likes me. He give me cause he owe me. I done give you everything I had to give you. I gave you your life! Me and your mama worked that out between us. And liking your black ass wasn't part of the bargain. Don't you try and go through life worrying about if somebody like you or not. You best be making sure they doing right by you. You understand what I'm saying, boy?
CORY: Yessir.
TROY: Then get the hell out of my face, and get on down to that A&P.

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Rose, Troy's second wife and mother of Cory, after overhearing the previous conversation:

ROSE: Times have changed from when you was young, Troy. People change. The world's changing around you and you can't even see it.
TROY: (Slow, methodical.) Woman... I do the best I can do. I come in here every Friday. I carry a sack of potatoes and a bucket of lard. You all line up at the door with your hands out. I give you the lint from my pockets. I give you my sweat and my blood. I ain't got no tears. I done spent them. We go upstairs in that room at night... and I fall down on you and try to blast a hole into forever. I get up Monday morning... find my lunch on the table. I go out. I make my way. Find my strength to carry me through to the next Friday.
(Pause.)
That's all I got, Rose. That's all I got to give. I can't give nothing else.

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Troy drunkenly confronts Cory for trying to walk around him on the steps of the porch without saying "Excuse me."

TROY: You just gonna walk over top of me?
CORY: I live here too!
TROY: (Advancing toward him.) You just gonna walk over top of me in my own house?
CORY: I ain't scared of you.
...
CORY: I ain't got to say excuse me to you. You don't count around here no more.
TROY: Oh, I see... I don't count around here no more. You ain't got to say excuse me to your daddy. All of a sudden you done got so grown that your daddy don't count around here no more... Around here in his own house and yard that he done paid for with the sweat of his brow. You done got so grown to where you gonna take over. You gonna take over my house. Is that right? ...

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Seven years later, Cory returns on the date of Troy's funeral. He is a Corporal in the Marines.

ROSE: You just like him. You got him in you good.
CORY: Don't tell me that, Mama.
ROSE: You Troy Maxson all over again.
CORY: I don't want to be Troy Maxson. I want to be me.

___

Did Cory ever go to College?