The Black Oral Tradition in August Wilson's Fences

Abstract

August Wilson commits himself to the task of writing a chronicle of African American life in the twentieth century. He finds fertile resources in the black oral tradition. In fact, through characters in his plays, he tells the history of his own ancestors in a manner similar to African tribal story-telling.

In Fences, Wilson traces three generations of an African American family, the Maxsons. The protagonist, Troy Maxson, tells long stories about the racial discrimination and exploitation he has suffered. He improvises stories freely and mixes facts and fictions. Wilson also uses songs, another important element of African American tradition, to be integrated in the play. It serves as a kind of metaphor for the black cultural identity. The present paper analyzes those aspects of Wilson's story-telling in his most popular play, Fences.