Friday, January 8th

 1. LIT HIIT-Secondary Characters

Secondary characters: The secondary character is more than just a minor character. He or she is necessary to the story because this character reveals key details, motivates the protagonist, foils the protagonist, or helps define the story's setting.

Lit HIIT- Fences Secondary Characters

2. Historical context: Historical context is the social, political, cultural, economic, and environmental situations that influence the events or trends we see happen during that time.

To consider....

• August Wilson wrote Fences as one of his decades in his 10-play cycle. He purposefully consulted and considered the environment and the context of the 1950s.. specifically, 1957. How does this play reflect and speak to... post-war America? Pre-Civil Rights America? Pre-Vietnam America? 
• How does Troy's last name enhance this context? 
• What role does Pittsburg play in Wilson's message/themes? 

3. Fences as Metaphor

Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things. As a literary device, metaphor creates implicit comparisons without the express use of “like” or “as.” Metaphor is a means of asserting that two things are identical in comparison rather than just similar. This is useful in literature for using specific images or concepts to state abstract truths.

As Jim Bono says, "Some people build fences to keep people out and other people build fences to keep people in."

To consider.... 

• Psychological/emotional fences
• Economic fences
• Race fences
• Literal fences/boundaries 
• What if the fence Wilson is really talking about is the limitations some people face in the world? What invisible, but powerful, fences created the circumstances for the Maxon family in this play?
• What is significant about Troy's first name in relationship to this metaphor?

4. Thematic Issue: Family and Community Relationships

In Fences, August Wilson explores family relationships and the responsibilities of parents and children. According to Wilson, “One of the questions in Fences was ‘Are we our fathers’ sons? And if in fact we are our fathers sons, must we become our fathers? Are the tools that they have given us to participate in the world… are they sufficient for our survival and progress?”

To consider....

• What is the impact of Troy's relationship with his father on his current relationship with his own son? 
• How does Troy's experience with his own family impact the way he interacts with the community? 
• How can an individual's relationship with family extend to their perception of community?
• How does Gabe's sacrifice in the war amplify a son's dedication to an "absent parent?" 

Homework for Tuesday: 

1. Finish Act 1 of Fences. 

2.  Work through the Thematic Issue of Family and Community Relationships (see above). Put ideas in notes. 

3. Watch Davis and Washington interview (Schoology). Look for hints of universal themes. 

4. Work on IB LP expectations.