Leshchik 1 Olga Leshchik Professor Seddon COMPSTD 2367.08 23 October 2015 The American Dream of an African American Man InFences,August Wilson tells a story that includes baseball as a major part of the play. Even though baseball is a huge part of the play, the game itself is not actually played. Troy, who is the main character of the play, is the main source of all the conflicts that occur in the story. Whenever a conflict occurs in the story, Troy uses baseball analogies to explain his reasoning. Baseball also plays a historical part of the play to create the setting and the characters. In the play, baseball echoes the history of America and the racial discrimination that occurred to African Americans. The game of baseball plays a major role in Troy’s life. He played baseball in the Negro Leagues but the game for him ended because of his color. African Americans were not permitted on baseball teams because of how white people discriminated against them. It was not until 1947 when baseball became integrated and the colored were allowed to play. That did not mean racial discrimination disappeared from baseball. It would still take a while for everyone to accept the African American community and to realize that they are the same people, all here to achieve the American dream. Wilson sets the story in 1957 to show Troy’s experience of how “theAmerican dream remained out of reach for people of African descent” (Koprince par.8). Everyone had a different American dream, but baseball was Troy’s. He never got to achieve the ultimate “America Dream” because
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