Depression and Healing: An Analysis of the Duality of Space in August Wilson’s Fences

Abstract

This paper employs Henri Lefebvre’s theory of spatial production to analyze the duality of space—as both a source of trauma and a site of healing—in August Wilson’s Fences. It argues that physical, ideological, and symbolic spaces within the play, particularly the workplace, the baseball field, and the fenced yard, are instrumental in shaping the intergenerational trauma experienced by the African American Maxson family in mid-20th-century America. The workplace and baseball field function as arenas of racial exclusion and structural oppression, epitomizing the systemic barriers that inflict profound psychological wounds on Troy Maxson, hindering his aspirations and perpetuating economic and social inequality. Conversely, the fenced yard evolves into a complex representational space. Initially embodying Troy’s need for control and defense against external and internal threats, the fence gradually transforms into a space of potential healing. Facilitated by Rose Maxson’s intervention, the yard becomes a locus for familial connection, reconciliation, and the challenging of transgenerational trauma. Cory’s eventual participation in Troy’s funeral, signified by the shared ritual of song, marks a crucial step towards breaking the cycle of inherited pain. The paper concludes that Wilson masterfully utilizes space, especially the fence’s shifting symbolism, to demonstrate how environments of oppression can simultaneously harbor the potential for resilience, recovery, and the reclamation of identity and belonging within the African American experience, ultimately offering a vision of healing amidst historical trauma.