August Wilson's Bio with Works Cited and Plot of Fences

August Wilson (1945-2005)

He was born as Frederick August Kittel on April 27,1945 in Hill District, Pittsburgh, PA. His father was German and his mother was African American. Not much is said about his school life except when he goes to High School at Central Catholic High School, but there he receives threats and abuse and thus changes school. Afterwards he goes to Connelley Vocational proves to not be right school for him. He then goes to Gladstone High School in 1960, but drops out of HS in 10Th grade when a teacher accused him of plagiarizing a 20-page paper on Napoleon. From there on he gets his education at the library and on the street. From 1962-63, Frederick August Wilson worked in many places as a porter, short-order cook, gardener, dishwasher and even enlisted in the army for three years but only lasted one. After a hard time, in 1987 Fences opens on Broadway and wins wins Pulitzer with an income of $11 million in its first year (Broadway's record for a non-musical). Of course he had other literary works such as The Piano Lesson (1990) ,a Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and Joe Turner's Come and Gone. Below is a list of some other awards he received found on Wikipedia:

1985: New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
1985: Tony Award nomination for Best Play, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
1987: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play, Fences
1987: New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, Fences
1987: Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Fences
1987: Tony Award for Best Play, Fences
1988: Literary Lion Award from the New York Public Library
1988: New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
1988: Tony Award nomination for Best Play, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
1990: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play, The Piano Lesson
1990: New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, The Piano Lesson
1990: Tony Award nomination for Best Play, The Piano Lesson
1990: Pulitzer Prize for Drama, The Piano Lesson
1992: American Theatre Critics' Association Award, Two Trains Running
1992: New York Drama Critics Circle Citation for Best American Play, Two Trains Running
1992: Tony Award nomination for Best Play, Two Trains Running
1996: New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, Seven Guitars
1996: Tony Award nomination for Best Play, Seven Guitars
1999: National Humanities Medal
2000: New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play, Jitney
2000: Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play, Jitney
2001: Tony Award nomination for Best Play, King Hedley II
2002: Olivier Award for Best new Play, Jitney
2004: The Freedom of Speech Award at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.
2005: Make_Shift Award at the U.S. Confederation of Play Writers.
2007: Tony Award nomination for Best Play, Radio Golf

The time period in which this book took place is so important because it was the time where the civil right movement was at it's climax. At the same time it was very important because during the 1950 women were also gaining lots of rights. The time period plays a very important role because it affected the characters in a certain way.

Characters from Fences:

Troy Maxson: 53 year old heavy man who is African American. He is married to Rose and has 3 kids: Lyons, Cory and Raynell. His best friend is Bono and is always talking about how they have to be faithful to their wives.

Jim Bono: He is Troy's best friend who advises Troy to always be fair to his wive. They both have what is known between them "man talk".

Rose: Troy's faithful wife who ends up raising Raynell, daughter of Troy and Alberta.

Lyons: Troy's son with a previous marraige, shows up on rare occations.

Gabriel: Brother of Troy.

Cory: The son of Troy and Rose, plays on the football team but yet seems as an unwanted child of Troy because of the way he treats him.

Raynell: Daughter of Troy's affair with Alberta, she is innocent and has no fault of anykind based on what Troy did.

Alberta: Woman who Troy had an affair with.

sources:

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PLOT of FENCES:

1.Exposition-1957 at Troy's backyard. He is having a conversation with Bono about their day at work. August Wilson presents the time to be very cool, calm and dry.

2.Rising Action-Troy buys a drink to a woman named Alberta, Bono just warns him to fair with Rose because she is a very good woman.

3.Climax-Troy's conscience bothers him after meditating on what Bono said and thus confesses to Rose that he will a future father of a child with Alberta. On her rage, Rose flips out and doesn't find an explaination as to why Troy would do such a thing.

4.Falling Action-Troy knows that he must leave to see his new born child, and then with time brings her home where Rose raises her.

5.Result/Conclusuion-Raynell is the name of his daughter who has now grown tothe age of 7. Troy dies and the play ends with his funeral.