Compare Troy from Fences with two other characters (regardless of gender or age) whose lives have been filled with turmoil from two different plays or short stories assigned in the course. Describe the obstacles that cause each character's strife and the ability of the three to confront their challenges. Finally, determine which character is the most flawed. Be sure to apply the rules of academic writing from college writing courses with an introductory paragraph that ends with a thesis statement (main point that you will prove); topic sentences for each body paragraph that evolve from and support the thesis, and limit one key supporting idea in each body paragraph; textual evidence from the literary works to prove the argument; a brief final paragraph that draws conclusions that reaffirm the main point.

A great way approach this assignment would be to find two other characters who share not necessarily Troy's traits, but his circumstances. One of the most obvious themes of Fences is the duty to one's family. Two characters that immediately come to mind from other works are Tom from Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie and Eveline from James Joyce's "Eveline." All characters struggle between duty to family and personal desire, and they each make vastly different choices. When writing this essay, it will be important to compare and contrast the characters to determine who is most flawed and, in fact, determine the most objective possible definition for "flawed" itself. For example, while Troy may seem like the most flawed based on his anger and resentment for his family, Tom leaves without saying goodbye, and Eveline has no ability to be true to herself. Your essay should determine whether fulfilling one's duty, no matter how begrudgingly, is enough on its own, or if one's heart should be in it.