Fences Men and Masculinity Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Act.Scene.Line)

Quote #1

Rose: "What you all out here getting into?"
Troy: "What you worried about what we getting into for? This is men talk, woman." (1.1.41-1.1.42)

Troy seems to have some pretty traditional ideas of the roles of men and women. He tells Rose to go inside so that he and Bono can finish their manly conversation. Rose, of course, doesn't pay him any mind and never takes crap from him. We wonder if Troy really means it when he says things like this. Sometimes it seems like he's just teasing his wife. He knows sexist statements like the one above are going to rile her up.

Quote #2

Troy: "This is men talk. I got some talk for you later. You know what kind of talk I mean. You go on and powder it up." (1.1.42)

Here's another choice sexist comment from Troy. He basically implies that men are the only people worth talking to and that women are just good for sex. We get the impression later on in the play that Troy actually respects his wife much more than comments like this might imply.

Quote #3

Troy: "If my brother didn't have that metal plate in is head...I wouldn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of." (1.2.18)

Troy paid for his family's house with the money from Gabriel's disability checks. It seems like this is a real sore point for Troy. We wonder if he feels like less of a man because he wasn't able to provide a home for his family on his own.