Essay on "Fences by August Wilson"

Essay 3 pages (1093 words) Sources: 4 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Fences by August Wilson

In order to understand Fences by August Wilson, it can be important to understand the history of baseball. The beauty of Wilson's work, though, is that you do not actually have to understand baseball to see the broader information that is contained in the play. You might not understand all of the jargon that Wilson uses, but the joy and pain of the book come through very clearly, whether baseball makes sense to you or not. Most people who read the play want to know more about baseball because they find the play to be very interesting and it makes them feel as though the game might become interesting as well. For those who do not feel this way about baseball, however, the work can still be enjoyed because of the very real characters and the way that the individuals interact with one another. It is reminiscent of the lives of many people today and in the past, and that means that a lot of people can relate to it on various different levels, whether they like baseball or not (Wilson, 1986).

Being able to relate to characters in a play or a book is something that keeps readers and watchers interested and coming back. If the characters are so far removed from real life, there would be no interest on the part of the audience and no realism that could be identified with. This is the curse of many plays, but not Fences. It gives a very unique perspective on the history of African-Americans and shows the richness that is part of everyday life. This is significant no matter what a person's race or ethnic background, and is also important regardless of whether these people are educated or not and what kinds of jobs and lives they actually lead. Everyone has a story to tell, and using that real-life type of story and the much-loved pastime of baseball help to make the work even more valuable and entertaining for most people who would come along and watch the play or read it.

If you have an understanding of baseball and its history, however, there is more to the story than would otherwise be seen. Baseball came about through stick and ball games that were played throughout history in all sorts of different countries (Block, 2006). Even though it is now the American national pastime, baseball did not truly originate in America. It likely came from Romania or another similar country. By the 1860s, baseball was being playing on a semi-professional level within the United States (Ward, 1994). Mexican-Americans have contributed a lot to the game as have other nationalities. In addition, there have been many reasons for people to get together and either watch baseball or play it, depending on their ages and skill levels and how much they enjoy outdoor activities (Block, 2006). The most important thing about baseball that most people notice is that it seems to bring individuals together quite well. Most people enjoy it or can relate to it in some way, and this is part of the reason that Wilson incorporates it into his work - because it helps people in society to relate to what he is addressing and makes them feel as though their… READ MORE

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