How can you deconstruct the 'fences' that have been placed around you?
In order to deconstruct the fences, do you first need to recognize that there are fences around you and then articulate why they are there?
Think. Digest. React.
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In life there are many fences that keep things both in and out, I think one of the biggest fences in life is the fence of judgment. Most teenagers are so afraid to jump over that fence and to break out of their shell, just like me. Many people don’t know the sarcastic side to my personality; they just know the sweet, quiet, and considerate Andrea. Myself not completely knowing the people in my school, I am afraid that I will say the wrong thing to someone and offend them. Most teenagers compare themselves to others and change accordingly so that they don’t stick out and become the center of attention. I myself try to stay true to myself and to show the quirky side to my personality. In order to deconstruct the fence of judgment you need to stop worrying about what your peers think of you and to just be yourself. It doesn’t matter what other people think if they are your true friends they would accept you as you are and maybe even join you. When you are so worried about what other people think of you, you find yourself concentrating on that and you end up a changed person and all of your beliefs and hopes completely changed. The only person I am completely myself with is my dad, when I am with him I find myself smiling all of the time and I don’t even think about what I am saying because I know that he won’t care. When I am with him all of the fences are down and I am myself. He and I are really close and every morning on the way to school I at least laugh 4 times during the trip. Now enjoy the trip and sometimes (just sometimes) I look forward to the rides with him.
All people have fences whether perceived or real put up around them. I feel very lucky that I do not have many and I am grateful for that. I think my family and where I live have a lot to do with that.
I feel there are a couple of fences placed around me though. Having come to Berwick Academy in the ninth grade, while most of my classmates have been here for several years, places a social fence around me. There are many cliques and social circles that have been established and I find it difficult to break into these and be accepted. As always people are quick to judge and they seem to feel privileged and treat me as an outsider.
The other fence I see is an academic one. I think that I am at a disadvantage having come here late and from a public school, where they have different standards. I have to work much harder to keep up.
I recognize these fences but feel that I can break them down. I need to always work hard and keep socializing. I also am playing lacrosse this semester which should help me meet and develop relationships with my team mates.
As Troy in Fences was a victim of his past, he dragged his son into being a victim by not letting him play football because of his prior experiences. Also, in Romeo and Juliet, the two feuding families never are able to get over their past so that Romeo and Juliet find happiness. Barack Obama states it best in his, “A More Perfect Union” address when he says, “…that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past.” I am determined to break down my fences because I do not want to be a victim of my past.
Life has many fences and the hardest step to deconstructing them is realizing that they are there. Out of the many fences that exist the most important one to me are experiences. You can choose to learn from experiences (good or bad) and from learning from your mistakes you grow as a person and you are able to move on. Or the second option is to refuse the truth of the situation at hand, people who refuse to learn from their experiences find themselves in later years looking back wishing that they could have dismissed that moment and taken it to grow. One moment that I think everyone on our class can relate to is the class that we had our big breakdown where Mr.Kasprzak haulted the class because of our lack of effort and attention over a period of time. We all took that moment and treated it a different way. I personally was curious of why it was happening but after I got home I realized that it was events leading up to that moment and not just one big problem, and after discussing it with the class and getting everyones opinion we were able to put an answer and a conclusion on what happened. If we tried to act like nothing ever happened, we would have held the feeling that we had and we would have been angry, confused and disapointed that it happened.
The most important step is realizing that the fences are there first. In order to take them down you have to know that they are there and in order to discover that they are there you have to open your eyes past your front yard and look at the things that shape your society.
In life everyone has experienced or has a fence surrounding them. There are boundaries in life that have been set up and some are unable to become undone. There are fences forcing people to become stationed where they are. Their choices have been stripped and their privileges stolen. Fences have held us in and pushed things out. Fences can keep a group together. Most people in public schools have many fences. There are fences within the cliques and people find it difficult to fit in. Having been at Berwick Academy since Kindergarten I feel as though I do not experience these fences of the cliques. I find Berwick Academy very uncliquey compared to other places in my life that I have been. Most people are kind and respectful of others and all want to experience the truth of learning. As George spoke about it I too believe that there are fences of academics at Berwick Academy. Berwick Academy has a reputation better than most schools. At it everyone tries and it has been shown through that by the numbers in percentile of the graduating classes from past years. People have been encouraged to push themselves further into the depths of learning. People have been able to push themselves through fences and learned to propel forward in life. They have broken fences that separate and change them. Their lives have moved forward and they have changed. If you want to move forward and surge through that certain fence you have to open up your eyes and acknowledge the fence than you have got figure out the way to overcome it.
In Fences the boundaries that lie in front of Troy is a Fence. He seems to only be able to step into his yard as well as his house and be who he wants to be. But the moment he steps outside of that house he isn’t treated as an equal or a superior. He is looked down upon by all of those who have white skin. Troy wants to be able to drive the garbage truck and he argues that everyone should get a chance. The color of a person’s skin isn’t important. You must be able to gaze down deep inside. The fence of racial inequality has been proved to be one of the lasting fences in the world.
Today in America many fences have been destroyed and torn down for the better as well as some coming back up. There are fences all around the world. There are fences in poverty stricken area’s but when you look at those you realize mostly the people who are suffering are the people of colored skin tones. The whites even after all these years have not been able to help. They have said that they have wanted too but they seem to be unable to push past that fence and be able to reach out. The support has most certainly improved over the years. One of the world’s biggest fences is the fence against poverty. Many people once they realize the horrors of poverty they can see how badly this world is suffering by that one fence. If I look back to the first time that I witnessed poverty was this summer. The family that I was with was driving through a poor part of the town. I remember the exact feeling as I recall it. Repulsiveness and bile developed in my throat, I wanted to vomit I wanted to cry. I remember how dramatically I felt my face pale. I wanted to find a way to break through the fence and help these people whom were suffering greatly. There are fences in life that severly serve as long term purposes. I realized that even though you want to help push past these fences you first have got to acknowledge what is going on. You have to really feel that passion burst inside of you. But most importantly you cannot just sit there and say “I want to break down that fence that is separating me from this or that” You have to figure out a way to do so.
I think that fences are part of everything that we do in life. There is always a boundary as too how far a person will go. Though people leave their "comfort zones" and reach beyond their fences it seems to me like they are simply building new ones.
I have always been the shy girl. Even in a class of 30 kids whom I had known since kindergarten I refused to open up. Even when I was with my best friends I didn’t say much. Whenever I would go to speak up it felt as if I was leaving the only safe place I had. I was so afraid to say something wrong. I did not want to be disliked so I kept quiet. I felt that if I said nothing at all, people would have no reason no to like me. My shyness acted as a fence, protecting me from saying anything that might not have been what everyone else wanted to hear. This past year I have started to talk more and not be as shy. I realize that not being noticed is not always the best thing. I don’t have 9 years to get to know my classmates and they don’t have that long to get to know me. In order to take down the fence I have to learn to like myself, to know that the things that I say are important. It is a difficult task but by taking small steps beyond the fences that I have built up I will be able to do it. If I sit and wait for people to get to know me I w ill run out of time. I guess mostly I just have to realize that I do have friends and people do care what I have to say.
So yes I do think that you need to recognize that there are fences and what they are in order to deconstruct them. I think that each fence takes a different technique to take it down.
I think that in Maine we don’t have that many fences, because we have what we like to think of as an open community. But I think there are barriers in our school, like what clothes you wear, or who you hang out with. I don’t think it is healthy, but I also don’t think you would find it any different in any other school across the U.S with the amount of money we have. It is sometimes sad to realize that the clothing you wear can define your social and economic status in your school. But I think it is also possible to break this barrier. Our school is open enough to let those who don’t wear or act the way they like in. Sometimes.
I think the only way to escape the barriers and to make sure you aren’t part of them is by fighting ignorance. If you are educated then you can make your own informed decisions about your ethics and morals. I think that xenophobia and homophobia and racism are the three biggest crimes of our population, and they are common and they are full of hate. This hate is based on nothing, based on a fear that spawns out of ones own shortcomings. It is a mistake to ever hate someone because they aren’t the same as you.
I think living in southern Maine we don’t really see a lot of the racism that is ever-present in our society. Maine has a higher percentage of Caucasians then any other state in the U.S, and so we don’t really get into contact with much ethnic diversity. We simply say that we aren’t racist, but if you were put into a situation that tested it would we actually follow that? No one who goes to school at Berwick Academy has had to worry about where there next meal is coming from. No one has had to go to welfare, or had to sleep on a bench. I don’t think it is realistic to say that African Americans living in the slums, ghettos, and housing projects of our society have much of a chance of getting out. They have been caught in a never ending cycle of poverty, violence, and hopelessness. The more they work the more they realize that they have been damned into a hell on earth, and there is no escape.
I think that the only way to deconstruct your fences is to first realize what they are and why they are there. You cannot attempt to break down what is preventing you from reaching your aspirations unless you understand its source. Then, after realizing what the fence is, you must try to change your life in order to break past that restriction. Sometimes the fence can even be yourself, or rather your fear of doing certain things that you want to do, but must take risks in order to accomplish. I know that for me, my fears of taking these risks often threaten to prevent me from reaching certain goals or connecting with other people. When I don't know a person very well, I find it hard to establish a bond with them because I'm afraid of change. I don't like uncertainty or anything different than what I already know. But this mentality only backfires and sends me into a reinforcing cycle of failure. I know that I must try to recognize my fears/fences in order to destroy them. I think that fear of change is also a fence for society as well. People don't like having to adapt to new ideas or changes, whether the changes are positive or not. But change is the only way to move forward. Change is also the only way to deconstruct your fences. You can't just sit there and hope that whatever holds you back will just disappear. You must first recognize them and realize why they are there, or who caused them, and then find out how you will bring them down. This is the hardest part of destroying your fences, in my opinion. I know that for me, the only way to destroy my fear of trying new things is to actually try them. Taking action is the only way to deconstruct your fences and try to alter your life for the better.
We create or have fences around us everyday which prevent us at times from experiencing different aspects of life. The hardest step is realizing that there are fences created around us and making the change to deconstruct it. By doing this you will learn to be a stronger person by taking an initiative to make a change.
I am a person that likes things to always stay the same and really don’t like change. This creates a fence between me and the changes taking place in my life. I am never open to those changes happening and when they happen I end up worrying that nothing will ever be the same again. When we moved from Virginia when I was about five, I was as upset as a five year old could get. I was devastated at the fact that I would have to leave my neighborhood and even though I hadn’t started kindergarten yet, I’d have to leave my preschool where I had created many friendships. I hated the fact that I would soon be living in a different house with different looks and different sounds. I never did realize I was creating a barrier between me and something new that was about to happen. The first couple of months I hated it, except my family thought that the new house and neighborhood were great. While I still couldn’t accept the fact that we had finally moved to a different state smaller changes seemed to accompany this big move. I soon realized that instead of accepting the change and not complaining I had only made myself miserable in this whole process. By creating a fence between me and the process of change it only made it harder to accept the fact that everything was changing, but I soon learned to. I still have a fence created between me and change and in a way am still afraid of it though it has lessened from before. I used to feel it might ruin everything that there is in my life, but now I am looking at it as it must happen for a reason. By realizing that I was creating a barrier between me and a normal life action I decided to make the change of destructing the fence.
Deconstructing a fence is realizing the barriers that you have created in your life and making an effort to destroy them. Going past what you are comfortable with is the first step to this process. For me it was learning that changes aren’t always going to be bad and may sometimes be the reason for something good happening in the future. I realize that deconstructing this fence has only helped me grow and made me a better and stronger person.
I am currently listening to the Red Sox game on the radio and Joe Castiglione has spoken about three times about how difficult it is to hit a homerun because of the Fences in the ballpark they are playing at. The Red Sox are currently playing the LA Dodgers at the famous Coliseum it is a stadium that hasn’t been played at since the 50’s and 60’s but now it is most recently used as a football stadium. The Coliseum hasn’t hosted a Major League Game since September 20th 1961. This certain game is a history making game seeing as it is supposed to draw a record making game. Joe Castiglione has brought up several times about how the Fences make this field different. Everything about this game is different. He has spoken about how the Fence has jutted out. Everything in this ballpark seems so classical and old fashioned. The ballpark has a 62 foot screen in Left Field that makes it nearly impossible to hit a homerun out of. It’s difficult for many baseball players to hit a homerun in this ballpark. Many of the players were not looking forward to playing in dimensions such as these. But as I lay in my bed and I have heard as the Red Sox announcer Joe Castiglione talk repeatedly about the different dimensions and the troubles that fences cause it makes me think about the fences in life in general.
In baseball fences play two major roles they keep the balls from becoming homeruns as well of keeping fans out of the field. The fences pose as obstacles during the game. As Joe Castiglione touched upon you would have to be very strong and have the power to be able to hit a homerun in this park.
In life as well you must be very powerful and strong to overcome fences. Fences can be overcome in several ways. A person has to really push themselves to destroy that fence. As in baseball one would have to figure out that way to muster the power to hit a homerun to overcome that fence. A homerun in a way is like finally overcoming an obstacle.
Fences are very strong impacts in life. They have been known to push people to their maximum. When one really wants to break through that fence they really have to figure out the way and than never give up. In baseball when you are able to hit that homerun you are able to overcome come the obstacle that the fence provides you. But outside of the game, one has to figure out what they must do to find that way to break that obstacle that holds them back.
Fences are built up all around us. All of our fences are at different levels and different places in there building. Some are fully built, half way there and almost fully developed. I believe that we need to stop lying to ourselves. There are cliques at Berwick Academy. There may not be as many as a public school, in fact there aren’t as many as public schools, but my point is that we have them. They are present all through out the high school. When you look around our freshman locker area there are certain groups of people standing together, telling secrets, and talking about things that they only feel comfortable talking to with those people. I find myself hanging out with my best friends a lot of the time, the people that I feel most comfortable with. I believe that there are fences built up around all these groups of people.
When you are in a group and someone comes up to you and tells you that they think that you spend all your time with that person, your immediate reaction is to tell them to just come and talk to them. I have been put in this situation and it is not as easy as just stepping up to the plate and talking. When ever this has happened to me I don’t know what to talk about and feel like those people really don’t want me there. I am afraid to say something that they think is stupid or have them not feel comfortable around me. There automatically is a fence that is put up around me and only a few things can creep out of the imperfections in that fence.
It has been an extremely hard transition for me from eighth grade to ninth grade and trying to handle all the social changes and developments that went on. The fence that is around me has been extremely hard to break down. Right now I have only chipped away at my fence. It is going to take me a long time to realize that people change and people make new groups of friends that they would rather hang out with. This wall might not be fully broken down until I graduate from high school and don’t physically see the cliques that were present in my high school career. Even though I feel like I am always missing something and that someone is always gone that used to be there for me before, I will have to accept that they have moved on. It is not anyone’s fault when people change and find new groups of friends but it is someone’s fault when they have completely let go. I find myself in this exact position. I have let someone that was like a sister to me, leave me completely. We might still talk and acknowledge each other when walking to classes or before school starts, but we are not as close as we used to be. I need to find a way to break this wall down as quickly as I can and gain back the friendships that I have lost. This fence is in my way although it may not be physically standing there, it is somehow around me and not letting me get to these people to try to mend our friendships back together.
I think to deconstruct the fences around us we need to realize that there are two types of fences: the fences that bind us and the fences that protect us. Troy made the mistake of not putting any fences around Lyons and now is overprotective of Cory. There is a very thin line between protective and being enslaved; Troy can’t find this line because of his thirst for power. I think this applies in every part of life because there will always be people who like to have complete control over a situation, those who just want to watch the work be done for them, and those who have great ideas but can’t voice there opinion. I think I can fall into any of these three categories at times and I need to do a better job listening and putting my full effort into everything.
I think to break down the fences that bind us we need to make our own. This self discipline will gain the trust of those around us and slowly the restrictions will be lifted. There are some fences that we cannot break down but if we have self discipline you will live inside them anyways. For example, the rules set by your parents (e.g. curfew, homework, sports, etc…) can be modified or even lifted if they have your trust, but the rules set down by the state or country (e.g. drinking, driving, stealing, etc…) will never be lifted because they can’t guarantee that everyone will have the same self discipline. In a way, both your parents and the state are trying to protect you until you can be independent and live inside these fences. Troy doesn’t realize this because he can’t let go of his son and his power.
In Lyons’ case, he can’t live inside these fences because no one was there to build them. He had to go past them in order to survive but now he can’t go back in. Lyons is the victim of the lack of protection and support from his parents. My parents are very important to me because they are there to raise me and give me what I need to live on my own with self discipline. Then, in Cory’s case he can’t become independent and have a life of his own. I can relate to Cory because I would like my parents not to know everything that’s going on in my life. I need to feel like I can make the right decision on my own and if I don’t then I need to learn from my own mistake. The fence that binds me the most is that of trust and beyond that fence is independence.
Fences are able to work both ways, prevent things from coming in, but also from going out. The longer and the more time you spend having a fence around you, the larger it will grow and the more noticeable it will become, until you are completely isolated inside. You must break a fence before you are surrounded or else it is basically impossible, and I think that is one of the hardest parts. But before any of this you must realize that you have a fence surrounding you, one that might be blind to you, but everyone around you can see. People before me have said this and I agree. I know that many people in Berwick Academy would say that there are no cliques, or groups, but that is just a cover. No matter where you go certain people will get along and certain people wont, and before you know it, or even realize it, you have created a clique because you surround yourself with the people you like. This has especially become a problem for high school with all of the new kids coming in and trying to mesh with the old. In this process people were forgotten and a fence was built with people on the outside and inside. The groups on either side of the fence were a mix of old and new, but one thing was the same about them, the insiders were connected with each other and the outsiders connected with each other. The fence was invisible to people, partially because they didn’t see it, but mostly because they didn’t want to believe that it was their; but with time the fence grew larger and more visible until almost a complete barrier was built between the groups. People made pathetic attempts to cross the barrier, or go threw some of the holes in the fence to connect with other groups, but all missions were failed. People in the different groups started confronting one another about the problem, but even then nothing changed. We have made it past the first two steps for breaking a fence, we have admitted there is a fence, and have discovered what it is and what we could have if we crossed it. What we must do now is take action and start chiseling away the fence until it is gone. We can also learn from our experience by not letting more fences be built or by breaking other existing fences down.
In the world that we live in today fences are found every where. Fences between race, religion, and gender. Fences shape lives and also set boundaries to them. Our experiences shape our lives but also separate our lives from others. As white students at a New England private school we have completely different lives than that of Geoffrey Canada in the Bronx or someone living in the Harlem ghetto. There the boundaries are no longer black and white but all minorities are fighting to protect their own. That is what life is about for them.
Fences between people and cultures are not built in one generation. The opinions and standpoints are passed down and with each generation the wall becomes more complete. Growing up in an environment where you hear racist comments and are taught a racist standpoint you will become racist. In order for these the fences to be broken down this cycle needs to end. There needs to be someone who can take that and not agree with it.
Cory in Fences by August Wilson is in that type of situation where being able to break away from his father would be hard. Troy won’t sign the papers for Cory to play football but instead makes him help build the fence despite the fact that he wants his son to have a better life. This entrapment by Troy is just an example of what really happens, kids get stuck in the same place their parents are because of habit.
For the fences to be broken down in our world they need to be realized and people need to change the cycle that we are in that continues them. Until we realize the cycle there is no way we can discontinue it.
From the reading, I've come to many different conclusions on the matter of Troy. One idea I have noticed is he didn't, and doesn't live the life he wishes he lived; he never had the options to get what he wanted. He realizes that Rose is the same; she didn't have much of anywhere to turn in life. That is why Rose married Troy, because he was "good enough" and the "best she could get". Life has hardened Troy to the point where he cannot just be kind. He is gruff, and often expresses exactly what he is thinking in rude, too truthful, and upsetting ways. His reasoning is nobody treated me nicely, so why should I treat them nicely. It is a harsh world, and I am not going to be the one to soften it. This attitude he has towards the world causes the rudeness in treatment we see towards Rose, and his reactions to both Cory and Lyon's aspirations that seem unreachable to him. Also, because he knows Rose has settled for him, he feels that he is superior because she cannot leave him anyway, because she has no where better to be. As both a father and husband, he has failed miserably. As for trying, I think he tries harder than a lot of people who have it a lot easier. It is hard for him to accept that his sons could possibly have options that HE didn't have. It makes him feel inferior, and he doesn't like that, so he tries to deprive them. At the same time, the fear that they will go through what he did also haunts his rude remarks and demands. He is torn, and wants to be both the best father and husband, and do whatever he pleases. My opinion on Troy is that he is a very torn character. I’ve been a Troy before, and I’m very sure you have been too. Remember that time you were babysitting your younger sibling? You knew you were in control and had no choice but to listen so you were rude and took advantage? Or have you ever watched someone you know be offered everything you tried for and couldn’t reach? Or worse yet, ever reacted with a comment about how stupid, pointless, or how much you’d never want to do that? Then you realize these thoughts are wrong, and your cover for the rude comment is “I just don’t want you to go through the same bad experience as me.” Or maybe someone told you something you thought was the absolutely most pointless thing you’d ever heard and said right to their face what you thought? Now judge Troy. Is he really any different than all of us? Why did August Wilson create a character such as Troy? I think he is trying to send us all a message. Make us realize our flaws, realize we aren’t perfect. He wanted to make us aware of our Troy-like pettiness, and to teach us all a lesson about ourselves and the ones around us. Another example of a Troy-like motive is Stradlater in The Catcher in the Rye. He believes he is superior to Holden, and therefore is rude and bosses him around. None of this makes him a bad person; it just means he is giving into the stresses in life, and to what he has learned in life. I think this is an important lesson to remember, you don’t have the right to treat anyone badly, because then there will also always be someone above you to treat you badly in return. Most importantly, use your opinion, if what you see someone else doing doesn’t seem right, does this mean you can or should do it too?
Fences are a very common aspect of our everyday life; whether theses fences hold you in or keep you out depends on the how you choose to live your life. First off, I believe that there are some fences that need not be deconstructed, but serve as a guide in life and are necessary in order to stay on a path towards success. These fences can be viewed as a positive influence in life, helping you stay focused and on task. Fences can be simply described as boundaries that either hold you in or separate you from temptations or fears in life. These fences can be set by either your parents/influences or your environment and experiences dealt with every day. I believe that fences created by parents are generally bred into your life and serve as your instincts. In order to deconstruct a fence that has been placed around you, first you must identify what is causing this fence to restrain you. The way I see it, deconstructing a fence is like breaking out of your comfort zone. You must first acknowledge this fear and then take charge. Speaking from personal experiences, one fence that held me back in the beginning of the school year was getting to know everyone. The first couple of weeks it was pretty awkward getting to know everyone in the school, especially since I barely knew anyone at Berwick in the first place. Although at the time I did not view this situation as a fence, I knew what had to be done. I would try to get to know everyone as best as I could and so this was just one my many approaches of crossing a fence in the past. As mareesa said, each fence takes a different technique to cross. The key is finding these techniques, and using them to break down barriers in order to learn and grow in life. You might be surprised at how much you can learn by viewing each barrier in life as a fence. The one solution to deconstructing a fence in life is to understand that one is there and what must be done to take it down.
Compared to other parts of the United States, residents of Maine or most parts of New England are faced with many fences in their every day lives. However, there are a few minor fences that I'm sure everyone can relate to. Andrea and Mareesa have talked about shyness and inability to step out of their comfort zone as one of their personal fences. However, this has never been a problem for me. Perhaps when I'm meeting new people I may come across as shy, but once I've talked to someone for awhile, I'm usually outgoing and speak my mind. I am comfortable with saying nearly anything, and this acts as a fence for me. I've always had a sarcastic manner. Mostly everything I say with my peers is in a joking way. However, some people take my joking seriously. They think that I'm being extremely mean when I am completely kidding about what I say. Being sarcastic is a part of me: I can't help it, nor can I tell when others take my sarcasm as an insult. This has caused me to be unable to connect with those who have thought I am rude or mean. However, I have destructed this fence with a few of my peers who have become my close friends. This is because I recognized this fence, and attempted to overcome it by being friendly and sincere with that specific person.
Another fence that a few people such as Abijohn and Halley have talked about is social groups or cliques. I agree with both of them, and how the forming of these groups has ruined friendships and created friction between others. Many people in our grade has thought of me and my friends belonging to a clique. Personally, I believe that we are simply a small group of good friends who happen to be together a lot. It is not anyone’s fault, but it is possible that the reason the group was formed because they were able to see past my “fence” (sarcasm) and destroy it. Others may disagree; some people have taken their disagreement to the level of insulting or talking about us behind our backs. Maybe I'm being a bit too personal, but I'm sure that others feel the same way. I've heard that before the new kids came (I wouldn't know because I wasn't there) that our grade was close knit and that nearly everyone got along. These fences: social groups that have caused the freshman class to slowly but surely drift apart, should be destroyed in order to maintain a happy, family-like community in Berwick Academy. I believe that in order to solve the clique problem, everyone must see past one another’s fences, like my friends did. Hopefully, I am taking a step to solve this by recognizing the problem. Every little thing counts.
In life fences are inevitable. However, it is what you do with the fences that make the difference. The fear of rejection is most likely the biggest fence I face. In many aspects, I have been afraid to do something because I didn't want to get hurt. I have always had trouble making friends, especially before I came to Berwick. I just never fit in the way some kids do and I didn’t have the leadership qualities like some kids do. I never wore the right clothes, and was ridiculed for being the “smart, good girl”. However, when I came to Berwick in 6th grade, I was overwhelmed with how close everybody was. The first day I actually felt comfortable talking to everyone in our all-girls class. Throughout the years at Berwick, I’ve felt that nothing really changed up until this year. Everywhere you go, there will be cliques and groups of people that are exclusive, even if they’re not trying to be. When the new kids came, I was nervous that everything was going to change and that we wouldn’t be as close as a grade as we had been before. I thought this not only because we would have more kids in our grade, but we had also lost many people that had made up such a special group. This year, many things have changed. People have drifted apart, and the gossip has been uncontrollable at times. However, I think that although we have some cliques, anybody can talk to anybody and not be ridiculed. In other schools, just talking to someone from a different group can be hard. Like Halley said, I have also found myself struggling with initiating conversations with some people. I’m afraid that I’ll say something and they’ll take it the wrong way. It is extremely difficult for me to reach out, because of a fence that has been put up around me. Throughout the year, I have been trying to see through the fence, but I realize that it will be hard to completely break through it. Some of my friendships have grown weaker and I regret not trying to make more of an effort. The change from eighth grade to ninth grade was very hard for me, but I am trying to become more outgoing and open to different friend groups and be as nice as possible to everyone.
Because we go to Berwick, I don’t think most people realize how privileged they are. For all the people who have gone to Berwick since kindergarten, Berwick is all they know. They have fences that prevent them from knowing what it’s like to not have the opportunity to talk to their teachers one-on-one, have a class of 50 kids, or an entire upper school with only roughly 250 people. By coming to Berwick, people who haven’t had those opportunities, their fences fall, and are introduced to a whole new method of schooling.
In everyday life, fences are created and destroyed. Whether it be something small, like breaking through a failing grade, or something huge, every fence breakthrough matters. Because we live in Maine and New Hampshire, most of us also don’t know much of what it’s like to not live in such tight-knit communities and towns.
York County has, what my cousin Jeff calls, “the two percent”, referring to the fact that only 2% of York County’s population is African-American.
When asked the question, “If you’re walking down the street, and you see a black man and a white man walking towards you, whom do you feel more comfortable with?” you would think that most people say the white man. In my opinion, I wouldn’t feel comfortable with any strange man walking towards me, black or white.
When I proposed the question to my mother, she said, “Well, is the black man wearing a suit, and the white man wearing ragged clothes?” I said I didn’t know, but realized that she had a point, not referring to “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”, but honestly.
If you saw a nice looking black man wearing a suit, and a scruffy looking white man with vagabond clothes on walking towards you, which would you feel more comfortable with?
In order to “deconstruct the fences,” in one’s life, it is essential that you identify the barrier and discover what is fueling its existence. To deconstruct a mental fence is basically to overcome a challenge, obstacle, or anything that interferes with one reaching their full potential. One cannot ever hope to solve a problem if they are unaware of either the problem itself, unwilling to admit they have a problem, or unknowing of what caused it. By figuring these three things out, you can make a mental outline and list possible solutions.
Everybody has different fences that they feel leave them at a disadvantage to others, but everyone also has their own unique way of dealing with those drawbacks. Personally, I feel my biggest fence could be part of my lack of confidence. There are many times when I am worried about not fitting in or pay to much attention to what those around me are doing and what other people think about me. Though I know many other people probably suffer from a lack of confidence as well, there I times that I feel I am the other one doing something different. The fact that I worry about other people and their thoughts about me causes me to sometimes hide my true personality and thoughts, with the fear that it differs from other peoples. This confidence issue may result in my inability to compliment myself on a good job, but be very hard on myself if I do something wrong. However, I am constantly trying to improve my confidence and I have already completed the first step to deconstructing my fence. I have realized that I have a barrier that separates me from always being myself.
Overcoming a fence is always difficult, but if one is really determined to do so, and then it is possible. For deconstructing my own fence, I would have to try being less harsh on myself for doing things wrong, but also praise myself for good things. It is ok to be hard on yourself at times, and it is ok to praise yourself, but one my struggles will to find the balance between compliments and harshness to avoided either too full of myself or too insensitive to my good abilities. One could struggle to try and be perfect in their mind until the day they die, but the truth is, they will never be perfect, nobody will. By attempting this, one just sets themselves up for frustration and anger. I have already taken action to eliminating some of my fences, but in order to deconstruct my confidence fence, I must focus more on how I feel about myself and make my own choices instead of basing my decisions on others.
The only fences we seem to be able to deconstruct are those that we cannot see. The fences that exist without acceptance are much easier for us to break down. The divisions between what people wear, how people talk, and what skin color people have are perceivable fences that are both voluntary and involuntary separations. We look at these differences and unfairly judge others by them, and because of their obviousness, they are the most difficult to overlook. The visible fences in our lives break the unity of our society and the instinct of innocent newcomers in the world. They always have, and they probably always will. We can’t help but judge people by their clothes, accent, race, admirations… not only the way they are, but how they present the features they posses. Divisions between different religious beliefs, morals, and life-long hopes and dreams are not evident at first glance, making them the easiest for us to ignore. These divisions are the ones we have a tendency to break down in order to further connect with a person or a certain group of people, whereas we will ignore the fences that we can see. We will pretend that turning away from the fences we can see will have the same outcome as deconstructing them. The choice to construct a fence is much easier than the choice to deconstruct a fence, but that doesn’t make it a better option. And ignoring a fence instead of deconstructing one is an extremely weak and shallow inexcusable decision. Deconstructing a fence is an action that requires motivation and self-awareness, but most importantly, the ability to accept the separations that aren’t clear and that are easy to disregard. This ability isn’t always acquired, and the determining factor in whether or not a person will be able to deconstruct visible fences is how they are raised in the world environment and the tendencies of the generations before them. All children learn about racism and the white-dominated planet, but how they are taught to handle this awful truth is what brings them to their decisions on whether or not they are going to deconstruct the fences in their lives. A child who is strictly raised to treat all races equally will be more inclined to reach out to the African-American sitting in the corner on the first day of school. A child who is trained to believe that whites will always dominate over every other race, like in the movie we watched in class, would much rather separate himself from the colored newcomer. Also, racism has been an issue in our world community for an extremely long time, and the naïve minds coming into the world are usually affected by this strong influence. How they are raised is important in whether or not they will make the conscious decision to break a barrier, but the pressure to believe the common world belief is sometimes stronger than the ethics taught to a child in their younger years. An influential childhood lesson is one way to acquire the ability to deconstruct a fence. If one isn’t taught that racism is unjust and unacceptable as a child, to deconstruct a fence for them means to have the power to overcome the manipulation of the world’s history.
In the world that we live in today fences are found every where. Fences between race, religion, and gender. Fences shape lives and also set boundaries to them. Our experiences shape our lives but also separate our lives from others. As white students at a New England private school we have completely different lives than that of Geoffrey Canada in the Bronx or someone living in the Harlem ghetto. There the boundaries are no longer black and white but all minorities are fighting to protect their own. That is what life is about for them.
Fences between people and cultures are not built in one generation. The opinions and standpoints are passed down and with each generation the wall becomes more complete. Growing up in an environment where you hear racist comments and are taught a racist standpoint you will become racist. In order for these the fences to be broken down this cycle needs to end. There needs to be someone who can take that and not agree with it.
Cory in Fences by August Wilson is in that type of situation where being able to break away from his father would be hard. Troy won’t sign the papers for Cory to play football but instead makes him help build the fence despite the fact that he wants his son to have a better life. This entrapment by Troy is just an example of what really happens, kids get stuck in the same place their parents are because of habit.
For the fences to be broken down in our world they need to be realized and people need to change the cycle that we are in that continues them. Until we realize the cycle there is no way we can discontinue it.
This is kinda about fences but not from the prompt.
There are many fences that are built around us in our own lives both intentionally and unintentionally. I think that some fences help keep us safe while others just keep us from expressing ourselves. Many of these fences our built when we are young by our parents while others are formed later in life by society. I believe that we also build our own fences in our mind to keep us safe.
Our parents build many fences around us in order to keep us safe and protect us from things that we shouldn’t see. I disagree with this decision in some ways because the things that we experience in our youth shape who we are as adults. If a child is extensively sheltered than they might be shy and not be aware of the events in the world around them. I believe that our parents also build a fence around us by influencing our decisions. Many children like one particular candidate over another because their parents like that candidate. This influence builds a fence around a child because the child is only thinking what their parents think, and not what they think. Society also builds fences around people by believing stereotypes. I believe that this fence created by stereotypes can greatly hold people back because according to the stereotype they may be different.
I believe that people also built their own fences to protect themselves. After a traumatic event many people go into a state of denial. Denial is merely a fence to protect people from the truth. The only way to truly move on and recover is by accepting the truth and finding a way to accept that reality. People also build fences around themselves by saying that they can’t do something. If they believe that they can’t do something then they are keeping themselves from accomplishing that task. If they believe that they can do something they will more likely succeed.
Throughout our lives, we will all encounter fences. These fences may be racial fences, financial fences, idealistic fences, or many others. Although these are unavoidable, we can still find ways to “hop” these fences. Most of Berwick Academy’s students deal with fences that restrict them from a large part of the world. Because the school is located in New England, and is itself a rather expensive private school, many of the students do not witness the poverty or suffering that takes place in the world. Not that students are not aware of this, and many do feel deeply about these problems. Many students learn of the problems in the world mainly from their computer or television. Not many face the problems, and as they continue to grow up the fences they have created will grow with them. As students that were “sheltered” their entire life finally have the chance to experience more of the world than just South Berwick, they will be reluctant to leave the safe enclosure of their fenced in area. This reluctance will create a barrier between those that require aid in their situation, and those that can provide it. I’m not saying that students from Berwick Academy or other private schools are selfish and unwilling to help, but they have to overcome a larger obstacle in order to extend a hand. Those who did grow up, and witnessed the problems that this world has first hand will be more likely to extend that hand, for they want as many people as possible to be able to escape from the hell they were forced to live in. We can see that even though a large part of the wealthier bit of our country is informed, there are still food shortages, and there is still racism throughout the world. If people were able to overcome the differences, and fences that have been created generation after generation, we may be able to change our world.
I don’t believe all fences need to be broken down. Some fences people build to keep bad influences out. I think fences should stay when they keep out the negative words of others, so the person surrounded by the fence is not affected. While these negative things are being ignored, I think that people should also take different opinions into consideration. Always doing what they believe is right, but also looking at other people’s views. The fences that I do think should be broken down are the fences leaving people unable to accept others views. While I disagree with other’s opinions a lot of the time, and I question them, I still accept they are an opinion and I do not try and force mine on them, I just argue my point. Fences that keep people inside so they never voice their opinions also should be broken down. I think to break these fences down one must fully become confident in what they believe. Learn to never back down. People must also become comfortable within their surroundings. I think to build fences for the better, we need to slowly, step by step become stronger as people. We all are broken down too often by others and there is a fence that I think many people should have blocking them from this destruction. I think this is a fence that can only be built as the situations come. One at a time. There are two parts two this fence though, being able to not be affected by this negativity we are so often associated with, and being able to not retaliate. To just say one word answers, and not make the situation more negative. That as a defensive fence, and I think we all need an offensive fence. Letting us out of a gate so we can fight our own battles. Much like being able to debate your opinion, fighting your own battles. I think fences are okay, if they are the right ones to make a person’s life better.
I consider myself very fortunate not to have many “fences.” Luckier is the fact that most can be torn down with a little work, like my natural hesitation to speaking up. Others, such as gender cannot be helped, rather lived with. I think not only is the recognition of the fences’ presence essential, but it’s the only way to get past them. If you don’t realize that things are holding you back- and the reasons for this- trying to get past them will be impossible.
In Friday’s class we discussed how gender is one of the biggest fences people must overcome. I don’t believe it should dictate what someone can do; occupation and role in society especially, shouldn’t be affected by gender. Unfortunately, this isn’t an ideal world. I’m sure I’m not the only girl who has experienced the intense fury of being told “you can’t do this because you’re a girl.” In my elementary school, often girls “weren’t allowed” to play certain games at recess because we “couldn’t run fast enough.” This infuriated me on multiple levels, but I found as I got older and especially when I came to Berwick, this problem lessened. However issue remains the same and it’s one that everybody must face eventually. I believe students at Berwick are incredibly open and supporting, regardless of gender, but unfortunately this isn’t the case in all communities. When we go to other places where people may not be as open, everyone must eventually make a decision to model the image constructed by society or create their own. Society’s images are simply the norm- the ones that are expected: the man is the breadwinner, the woman, the stay-at-home mom. While these are by no means “bad,” they do limit immensely. The images themselves don’t upset me, rather the pressure they put on people to conform. I don’t think it’s fair at all to pressure men and women into roles that they may not want. I don’t find gender a big fence for me because I refuse to let it be one. Gender isn’t keeping me from accomplishing anything as of now; it may become one as I get older and begin a career but I wouldn’t let it stand in the way of any goal.
Most people don’t know that I’m extraordinarily opinionated. However I usually need a debate setting that forces me to air my views. I usually hesitate to speak up for fear of creating conflict or argument. I’ll share opinions on small matters, but for me to speak up and risk getting in real arguments or offending someone, I have to be very passionate about the topic. Debates in class have helped me realize that arguing doesn’t have to be bad, and that it can resolve things, not complicate them. This realization has helped me stop hesitation in other aspects: giving an answer in classes is easier when I remind myself that the wrong answer isn’t going to ignite a heated dispute.
Everyone will encounter obstacles that prevent them from achieving goals. Troy tells how his race prevented him from playing baseball, but now he’s forcing his son to abandon his dream because of his experiences. Some fences, such as race and gender, cannot be helped. Others fences, including Troy’s stubborn refusal to let Cory follow his dream, can be torn down.
Poverty is in the eye of the beholder. It can not be determined by a number. There are so many things that come into play. Poverty is the inability to reach the place you wish to be. Some people believe people in poverty cannot reach the top because they do not try hard enough. Need to get a good job? Get a good education. Need a good education? Pay for college. Now how do you do that if you are in poverty? However, this is only one part of poverty. Poverty is how you compare to the people around you. At Berwick Academy, the standard of living is much higher than average. A poor four person family could live off a year’s tuition. I am not afraid of what everyone reading this may think to know I am on a scholarship here.
Coming from a public school, and a family, which by all means makes an average income seems ok. However, we said before, poverty is how you compare to the others around you, and the ability to do as you please. Living in a world of high money, sometimes poverty seems completely relatable. Not always being able to do what some of your friends do can make you feel as if poverty is living with you. In a public school, this way of living is perfectly acceptable. Poverty is directly proportional to where you live, and who you react with. Someone making the same amount of money, which is surrounded by people of equal wealth, will feel content with their lifestyle, and not in poverty. Another person with an equal amount of money, who is constantly surrounded by people of much higher wealth, may feel option less, because they cannot afford what their peers can, and because they do not compare to the ones around them.
This is how I relate to Cory. Although the feelings of being inferior may sometimes haunt him, taking the football scholarship may be his only possible escape out of the poverty pattern. Troy has been poverty stricken. He watches the whites live these high class life styles, and comparing himself to them, he is completely stripped by poverty. Moreover, being black has screwed him because being black and poor is like a double negative in society. When you are living in poverty, you have to stand out, to be talented at something; you have to have something to offer. For Troy, being black in his time made being talented at baseball not enough. They couldn’t accept that. Seeing Cory get what he has wanted for so long has made him bitter. He needs to not be greedy, and let him take this scholarship. Times are changing, and his talents could help him get over his lack of money. As much as Troy hates poverty, he is impoverishing his own son, by stealing all of his chances to escape this life of poverty he lives and make something of his life.
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