Happiness in Fences and Society

In Fences, characters are often put up with ordeals they struggle to get by. From Cory attempting to maintain a job and a spot on the football team, to Troy wanting to be a faithful husband but still get away from the problems. When these characters are placed in these situations, we often wonder why they can’t just do what makes them happy. How do Troy and Cory come up with solutions to make themselves happy in their difficult situations? It seems as if happiness is burdened or dependent on others throughout the book. Cory surely wants to give football a shot, he even has his own plan to maintain his job part-time. “Come on, Pop! I got to practice. I can’t work after school and play football too. The team needs me” (36). If Cory didn’t have to worry about his father’s opinion, he would be doing what he wants and playing football. In Troy’s scenario, he feels stuck in the same place, “It’s not easy for me to admit that I been standing in the same place for eighteen years” (70). Yet Troy seems quite content when he describes his experience at the other woman’s house, “I can sit up in her house and laugh. Do you understand what I’m saying. I can laugh out loud . . . and it feels good” (69). If the characters weren’t weighed down by expectations and other family members, I believe they’d be doing what they wanted; playing football, seeing other women, etc. True happiness in Fences is the freedom to do what you’d like, not to be worried by any external factors.

In our society, we preach kindness, giving, and benevolence all as common practices. “Why shouldn’t someone be happy, there’s no reason not to?” is something often heard. Why is it that someone should be entitled to feel happy? People relate happiness with the material possessions, people in your life, and self-actualization. A lot of the aspects of fulfillment can’t be achieved by everyone. The feelings of joy and peace of mind should be earned, not expected. Society as a whole looks at things different compared to the individual, people are oftentimes placed in tough situations where happiness does not come easy. There is no right to being as content as someone, when there is no ‘happy’ standard of living.

Both values of contentment – the play and society – relate in the sense that happiness is not granted easily. Through Troy’s perspective, he can hold himself back and stick with his wife to keep her satisfied, or he can fulfill his desires and see another woman. In either case, Troy can’t truly become happy because of the circumstances. In reality, we can’t expect to be pleased, because life isn’t that fair. That idea is reoccurring throughout Fences, evidently shown through the medium of the Maxson family.