Troy's Legacy

At Troy’s funeral, his family and friends often make comments about some of his memories. Some of his family members were even hesitant to show up to his funeral. “Mama… I got something to tell you. I don’t know how to tell you this…but I’ve got to tell you... I’m not going to Papa’s funeral” (Cory 96). When Cory is talking to Rose in that scene, he says he needs to finally be able to say no to Troy, and Rose tells him that he is just like Troy in all ways. I would say Troy’s legacy is his children. He tried everything to raise his kids better than how he was raised. His father did not care too much about him and his siblings, and his mother left them when he was younger. Troy’s kids each end up making good decisions in their life in the end. Cory joined the military but didn’t end up playing football, and Lyons is still struggling to find a true job, but he stuck to what he wanted to do just like Troy did when he played baseball. “You got to take the crooked with the straights. That’s what Papa used to say. He used to say that when he struck out” (94). With Lyons being the oldest, I think he learned the most life lessons from Troy. I believe Cory learned almost just as much from Troy. He was the only one who was following in his footsteps a little bit. And even Rose says that Cory has a lot of Troy’s characteristics in him. “You just like him. You got him in you good” (97). I think when Rose said that she did not mean in a bad way. Raynell shows a little bit of the same stubbornness that Troy had. Troy’s legacy is his kids because each one of them symbolize a little part of him.