The Patriarchy Game in Fences

The dramatic text can admit several political reflections, which are increased in intensity, as the text materializes in performance. In this article, we bring a critique of patriarchy, based on black feminism, gender studies and intersectionality. The play we have chosen is Fences (1985), a poignant text from African American literature created by playwright August Wilson (1945-2005). In the work, the protagonist Troy is bound by the American racist system, behaving according to the strict rules of Baseball. In the game, his wife Rose has little chance of winning. And it is precisely this reduced life for Rose that Wilson points out brilliantly, making it possible to conceive a critique of the family institution and of Western capitalist society, all sustained in patriarchy.

Keywords:
African American Literature; August Wilson; Baseball; Fences; Patriarchy