A fence has two purposes; to keep something or people in, or to keep something or people out. In the play, the fence plays significant roles to Troy and Rose. To Troy, the fence is a sort of restriction. At a point in the play, he says he feels "stuck" with his lifestyle and that is why he sort out an extra marital affair with another woman. Also to Troy, he builds the fence to protect his family from death, as shown in the video above. He is having another conversation with death and he decides that death is not welcomed into his home or anywhere near him or his family until he is "ready for him."
The fence is also significant to Rose. She recognizes the fence as a way to protect her family and to keep the people that she loves closest to her. |