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Sports/HistoryThis can be used to shape a mini-lesson. Negro League Baseball (1920-1960) is referenced several times throughout Fences. Major League Baseball was integrated in 1947, 10 years before the play begins. Troy Maxson is bitter that he was never given the opportunity to play in the major leagues. His wife tells him he was too old… a criticism that many had of Satchell Paige, by the time he joined the Major Leagues. A bit of background about Negro League Baseball will clarify many of the references made in the story. White players, Babe Ruth and George Selkirk, are also named in the play. The 1996 movie, The Soul of the Game (PG-13) tells the story of the Negro Baseball Leagues through the eyes of Satchell Paige, Josh Gibson and Jackie Robinson, all referenced in Fences. Screen for one scene where Gibson is nude. It is during an episode of what appears to be mental illness. Pointing this out to students in advance seems all the warning necessary. Total running time is 95 minutes. A simple and inexpensive reference book for the classroom is: A Negro League ScrapbookCarole Boston Weatherford Boyds Mills Press ISBN: 1590780914 2005
A simple lesson plan to go along with this book is available on Weatherford’s website: http://www.caroleweatherford.com/baseball.htm Exploring the Influence of Church on the African American Community There is a subplot of the influence of church throughout Fences, particularly in the character Rose. Rose sings Jesus, Be a Fence at the beginning of Act 1.2. The song is actually an anachronism, written by Sam Cooke in 1961. Some students may be familiar with a 2000 version recorded by Gospel Singer Fred Hammond. Wilson’s play, while influenced by church, is not a morality play. In Wilson’s description of Rose (Act 1.1 p.5) he seems to compare a life in the Church as unattractive as a life of partying or being with abusive men. If there is a local minister who would be willing to talk to your class, it may be useful to gain some perspective of the role of the Black church in the community. There is a cross-curricular connection here to the Civil Rights Movement, the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and even the role that community leaders play in Boston. Local Minister, Rev. Eugene Rivers is often featured in the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald for his role trying to curb youth violence in the city. The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, Inc. would be pleased to help you make this connection, if you are interested. Act 1, Scene 3Synopsis The audience finally meets Cory and the major conflict between him and Troy is finally exposed. Troy wants Cory to find stability in a job, while Cory believes that his best opportunity is to attend college on a football scholarship. Troy’s aversion is grounded in his own experience trying to gain a place playing baseball in the National Leagues, to no avail. Figurative Language
Discussion Questions These questions can be used to guide a class discussion, or they can be used as prompts for entries in students’ reader’s response notebooks and/or writer’s notebooks.
Activities Max Connection Students may choose to work on this independent activity individually or with a partner. ** Note that this activity is an important building block to prepare students for one of the options in the final project. Begin by leading a full-class discussion to get students to think about how Wilson portrays Cory’s struggle throughout Fences, and also about Max’s struggle as captured in the video To the Max. Pose the following questions: What challenges have you gone through in your life? How do your challenges compare to those faced by Max and Cory? What courageous things did Max do that helped others? What heroes and celebrities helped Max be brave? What heroes helped inspire Cory? Then, in pairs or individually, have students write a scene that depicts a struggle they have gone through in their lives. Alternately students can write a dialogue between two of the following: themselves, Cory, Max. Act 1, Scene 4Synopsis Troy reveals the story of his past. Using the activities from Scene 3, analyze whether Troy was a courageous teen. If you highlighted the “sins of the father” passage in the epigraph, this is a worthwhile point at which to explore it again. Figurative Language
Discussion Questions These questions can be used to direct a class discussion, or as prompts for students’ entries in their reader’s response notebooks and/or their writer’s notebooks.
Activities Slang or Not? Depending on the maturity of your students, you may wish to directly confront the use of “nigger” throughout the text. An excellent hour-long documentary was produced by Trio in 2004. At the time of this printing, segments of the film were available on-line at http://www.trioplus.tv/plus/n_word/. This video works well in the classroom, since students will recognize many of the commentators, including comedian Chris Rock, actor Samuel L. Jackson, and Whoopi Goldberg. Multiple sides of the argument, both in favor of its use and against, are eloquently presented by members of various races. It is worth purchasing if it ever becomes publicly available. Doing an internet search close to the time of presenting this lesson is highly recommended, considering that this debate seems to resurface about once a year. The most current public controversy at the time of developing this curriculum guide is the use of the word on Aaron McGruder’s The Boondocks, a series that airs on Cartoon Network. For information about the series visit: http://www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/boondocks/. One suggested article is The Meanings of a Word by African American writer Gloria Naylor. It first appeared in the New York Times in 1986 and is available at www.sebsteph.com/Professional/Bart’s%20class/Readings/naylor.htm Naylor contrasts the first time she was called a nigger by a third-grade classmate, and the use of the word by members of her family. This article contrasts nicely with the way Wilson’s characters use the word, and the way it is used by many in the black community. Suggested Student Activities After engaging with the resources listed above, allow your students to respond to the question, “Is the use of the word nigger offensive?” You could hold a debate, or use a fishbowl, or Socratic Tag. **See Appendix A for a detailed description of how to use the methods of fishbowl and Socratic tag. Producing the Play This independent activity could be successful for individuals, pairs, or small groups. Have students act in the role of producer. Have them write up a description of what type of actors they are looking for to fill the roles of Troy, Bono, Lyons, Ruth, Cory, and Alberta. You may want to have students bring in pictures of whom they would have play which roles. Students also should write a paragraph explaining why each actor would be perfect for the role. Act 2 of Fences |