The Internalized Cage: Hegemonic Masculinity and the Tragedy of Troy Maxson in Fences

Abstract

August Wilson’s Fences dramatizes the tragic struggle of Troy Maxson, an African American man who, barred from achieving manhood through societal channels, internalizes the very logic of white hegemonic masculinity and turns its oppressive forces against his own family. This paper traces the construction and eventual implosion of Troy’s patriarchal authority, arguing that his downfall stems not from a lack of masculinity, but from his tragic adoption of a destructive model of manhood. Ultimately, Wilson deconstructs this hegemonic ideal to propose an alternative, Afrocentric masculinity rooted in cultural heritage, communal responsibility, and redemption.