August Wilson was the fourth of seven children born to Daisy Wilson, a Black domestic worker from North Carolina and Frederick August Kittel Sr., an absent, white, German-American baker. His father was largely absent during his childhood, leading him to adopt his mother's surname at age of twenty. At the heart of Fences lies a personal exploration of father-son relationships that transcends demographics, and powerfully interrogates generational cycles in a form that rivals Miller’s “Death of A Salesman.”

Troy Maxson, shaped by a childhood under an abusive and neglectful father, attempts to parent his own sons—Lyons and Cory—with a sense of responsibility, but also control and fear. He believes he is protecting Cory by discouraging his football aspirations, but in doing so, repeats the same cycle of emotional suppression and denial of dreams that defined his own upbringing. Cory’s eventual rebellion and decision to join the Marines represent a pivotal effort to break free from this generational weight . August Wilson illuminates how trauma, pride, and cultural inequity shape fatherhood within the West.