Racism is everywhere; it is all around us and in most cases resides within us. Racism basically refers to the characterization of people (based on ethnicity) with certain distinct traits. It is a tool that people use to distinguish themselves from each other, where some use it to intentionally inflict verbal, physical or mental attacks on others while some simply use it to distinguish or differentiate themselves from each other. It all depends on the context in which it is used. August Wilson's play Fences is set between the late 1950s and 1965, a time when struggles against segregation were just emerging. The main protagonist, Troy Maxson, is an African American who works in the sanitation department; he is also a responsible man whose frustrated dreams make him prone to believing in self-created illusions. Wilson's most obvious intention in the play "Fences" is to show how racial segregation creates social and economic gaps between African Americans and whites. Racism plays a very influential role in Troy's life, but more importantly it was the force behind his actions that saw him make biased and judgmental decisions for himself and his family. The show's lessons are intended to shed light on how racism can affect the mental and physical lives of Troy Maxson and his family. Troy's life trials are filled with racial discrimination that hurts him mentally. His attitude and behavior towards others are governed by experiences and in most cases he uses the symbol of death in his fictional stories to represent the white man's oppression. The comedy Fences, which is largely about Troy, begins with Troy entertaining Bono and Rose with an epic tale of his struggle with death or in other words...... middle of paper...... fence it was already too late. His actions and decisions had already destroyed his family to the point of rendering the meaning of the fence inert. The effects of racism clearly affected Troy's entire role. The show also goes on to suggest that social and political forces played a major role that impacted the lives of African Americans during the 1950s and that years of oppression were factors that affected how black people lived. trail of animosity between him and his family. In my opinion his story is that of a tragic hero. He began to be loved and praised by his family but eventually, gradually, he began to succumb to the weight of racism. It can be said that the effects of racism eventually got the better of Troy, and consequently governed its life. Like his fictional stories, death finally took him.