Happiness is a multi-facetted issue, we have people who feel
it is a right, that you have to deserve it, or that it is too good to be
true. I believe that troy feels
happiness is a right, but also that he has to go out and find it, on page 68
and 69 of Fences troy tells rose “I can
step out of this house and get away from the pressures and problems…be a
different man”. This shows that he feels
that he has almost a double life, on one side he is this hard working provider,
and on the other he is a care free soul who loves to laugh. In early questions we mentioned that troy has
a responsibility to his family, that it is his job, and just like his job being
a garbage man he takes days off, goes home and relaxes. I feel that his happiness is merely an
escape, and once you find a door chances are you’re going to open it and walk
on through, but you never know if it’ll close on you. In society, or at least most of the society I
believe that they feel that happiness is a right and that they should follow it
wherever it takes them, regardless of the people who get hurt along the
way. This isn’t my view but I look
around and see guys and girls doing crap like Troy does in Fences and I wonder why no one really gives them a talking too,
anyone who does can’t make a dent because it’s always “she didn’t make me happy
anymore” or “I just wanted to enjoy myself” I feel we take happiness for
granted, using it as an excuse rather than a way to have some joy in your own
life. There are some similarities
between societies view of happiness and Troy’s, both are seen to gratify
themselves, both don’t seem to care for the consequences or want to let the “happiness”
go. However I believe that unlike the
happiness in the book, we feel that our happiness can be bought, or marketed,
with self-help books and songs to be purchased, website campaigns, who cares? We
are a selfish nation, it’s not all about us, maybe if you looked around and
helped someone out giving them happiness could bring some to you too.
I strongly agree with your post when you talk about how Troy feels that happiness is a right. In my post I also talked about that, that supports the reason why he went out and cheated because he felt like he wasn't getting enough for everything he was doing at home. You made a good point!
ReplyDeleteI agree that today happiness is an excuse to do what ever you want to do. I like that you put that analogy of happiness being a door that you can escape from and find your happiness. I don't agree with the thing that Troy feels like its completely a right to be happy like i think he fully thinks its something you have to work towards.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis of Troy. I would like to add that to get to his happiness he put his loved ones at risk of losing their happiness. Also, He is willing to go out of the way of the acceptable behavior to sleep with some other woman. He was using his happiness selfishly.
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