Get on your mark! Get set! Go! From the moment we are born, we enter the race of life. The race to win, to live victoriously, or to be successful in the race of life. Generally, we can say that success is defined as the accomplishment of something attempted. Therefore, anyone can be successful. But, as a society, what is valued as success? I believe society holds unrealistic values for a meaning of success. August Wilson's "Fences" display men who fall short of society's view of success.
             Troy Maxson is a man who thinks he is a failure but finds it hard to admit. Troy is a middle age black garbage man who feels held back by the "white man". "Why you got the white men driving and colored lifting?"(p.9). The quatation mentioned is an example of how Troy feels he will never amount to anything because he is a black man in the "white man's world". Therefore, Troy limits his goals in life. Maintaining a job, having a roof over his head, and food on the table is Troy's idea of success. This is his idea of success because he has accomplished this while having a hard life. Troy fences himself into his own little world where there is no room for anyone to question or judge him.
             Meanwhile Troy's bitterness towards the "white man" creates callousness towards his son Cory. Cory, being a high school student, anticipates making it big playing football. Troy says in Act 1, Scene 1, "I told that boy about that football stuff. The white man ain't gonna let him get nowhere with that football"(p. 14). Troy does not like that idea of Cory playing football because he thinks the "white man" will hold him back from his true potential as a football player. Troy thinks Cory should put his efforts into something that he can use in the world. "You go on and get your book-learning so you cna work yourself up in that A&P or learn how t...