Sports Have an Impact on the Maxson Family

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Troy Maxson loved playing baseball and knew he was good at it, but by the time he wanted to go into the big leagues, he was too old to play professionally. In August Wilson's Fences, Troy's son Corey is about to graduate high school and has a chance to be recruited for college football. Troy doesn't allow Corey to play football because he wants Corey to work and earn his money for a living. Troy passed on his great skills in sports to his son Corey, but because of Troy's decision, Corey has to end his sports career just like Troy.

Corey is disappointed in his father for not signing the papers for him to be recruited to the college for football. Corey got good grades in school and knew he would have a great future ahead of him if he got into the college with the football recruitment. Rose wanted this for Corey and saw how going to college could give him more opportunities to succeed in life.

For Troy, sports represented his downfall and I think he didn't want his son to face the same pain he had to when he wasn't allowed to play a professional sport. Even though Corey and Rose were optimistic about the recruitment, Troy knew how difficult it can be for colored people to play sports fairly and to get what they deserve. Corey was very upset with his father for not allowing him to play football, but Corey was still able to make a living for himself which made Rose and his family proud.

For Corey, football was his only chance towards a better future. College was important to Corey and he knew football was his only chance to getting to go to college. When Troy didn't sign the recruitment papers, Corey was devastated and felt worthless. Rose saw this and was upset that Troy would not simply let his son play football.

Sports were how the Maxson men expressed themselves and they knew they were good at sports. Troy didn't want to see that his son was better than him because of the fact that he was able to go into professional sports at a younger age. Overall, Corey not playing football anymore stopped the cycle of the Maxson men expecting sports to pay for their future, whereas instead they were able to find steady jobs and earn a good living.