Character Analysis Essay
In this play, Fences by August Wilson, Mary Alice plays a character named Rose. Rose is Troy’s wife. She has two children with him. They have been together for eighteen years.
Rose is a family woman. She doesn’t mind staying home to take care of the house. She is always there to make sure Troy and Cory have clean clothes and food to eat. She is also an understanding person.
In the play one important interaction Rose had was when Lyons needs money and Troy doesn’t want to give it to him, Rose convinces him to lend him some money. Another time was when Cory was going to be recruited to play football, Rose was all for it. She was the one encouraging him while Troy didn’t want him to get involved with sports at all. Rose also got into an argument with troy because of the affair he had with Alberta.
Some words spoken in the play that would help you understand Rose was in act two scene three when she says “okay, Troy…you’re right. I’ll take care of your baby for you…’cause…like you say… she’s innocent…and you can’t visit the sins of the father upon the child. A motherless child had got a hard time. From right now…this child got a mother. But you a womanless man”. This would help you understand that Rose is a very strong and courageous woman. She is strong because even though Troy cheated on her, she still stays strong and doesn’t show her true feelings. She doesn’t show him that deep down inside she loves him, she is also courageous because she builds up the courage to take care of another woman’s child.
In the play Troy comes on strong because he has been through a lot of things in his life. First his mother left him. Then he leaves his house when he was fourteen years old because he didn’t get along with his father. Then his dreams of playing baseball were crushed. Bono follows Troy around because he is Troy’s best friend. They have known each other for some thirty odd years. Bono and Troy always look out for each other. Cory is an athletic kid. He wants to be a football player because he enjoys doing it. Because of the fact that his father, Troy, won’t let him play football he holds a grudge against him. Gabriel thinks he is Archangel Gabriel because he was injured in WWII. He also has a metal plate in his head. Even though Gabriel is mentally disabled, he doesn’t bother anyone. He is harmless and he always has his older brother Troy watching him. Lyons is thirty four years old. He is also a musician. He loves and lives for music. He loves his music because it is the one thing in his life that gives him the strength to wake up in the morning.
In the play Rose changes how she treats Troy. Before she was very concerned with him and everything that he did, now she doesn’t really care because she cheated on her. After Troy dies she is left to take care of Raynell and I think Rose forgives Troy for what he did to her.
I feel that Rose is a great character. She knows what she wants. Whenever something comes up she knows just how to take care of it. She always took the time to understand her children.