Troy left this legacy behind of being a hard worker and
providing for his family the basic necessities. In the beginning of the book we
realize early on that Troy works hard for his money when he is not willing to
give his older son Lyon money. Troy goes on to say, “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 you wanna know why
you ain't got what I got” (Wilson 17). Troy is hard working man and unless you
live in his house he doesn't easily give out his money, but he is happy to help
his son get a job so he can work for what he wants. Later on throughout the
play we start to see a change in Troy. His job is eating away at him and coming
home is just another reminder of how much he has to work to pay and support his
family. Which is why Troy finds an interest in Alberta because she is something
different, a change in his lifestyle. Just like when Troy says, “I can sit up
in her house and laugh. Do you understand what I’m saying. I can laugh out loud…”
(Wilson 69). He gets so caught up in his legacy of working hard that he feels
he needs something new like cheating on Rose with someone other woman. In the
end it doesn't play out well for Troy. He dies of a heart attack when he was
outside swinging the bat. Rose states that Troy, “swung it and stood there with
this grin on his face…and then he just fell over” (Wilson 96). This little piece
that rose says makes me think that maybe Troy wished he had followed a
different path and made his legacy with baseball.
I believe the fact that Troy died swinging his bat did not have to do with baseball, but it was more symbolic of him fighting till the end. Troy is seen to have a couple of self-dialogues with death throughout the play, "Come on! It's between you and me now! Come on! Anytime you want! Come on! I be ready for you . . . but I ain't gonna be easy" (89). Him not going easy might represent him fighting for the rest of his life.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that little phrase by Rose doesn't necessarily mean that he wanted a life or legacy in Baseball I believed it meant that Death finally caught up to him and he stuck out with a fastball on the outside corner. That's why i think he grinned when he was going to the hospital because death finally caught up with him
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