Good evening!
This is a two-part response -- first respond to one of the two questions following in a maximum of five sentences and then respond to someone else's response adhering to the same requirement. You should respond to the questions only after you've read the two scenes.
1. What experiences have influenced Troy's response to Cory's request to play pro football? Who is he protecting?
2. Why does Troy feel guilty about taking Gabriel's money? Is there a part of him that is angry at Gabe? Why might that be?
This is due by 10 p.m. on Wednesday evening.
Happy reading. Have a great class on Thursday and I'll see you on Monday!
Ms. Delman
Troy sees that his son Cory is aspiring to be like his father in the sports world, but Troy feels that it ended up getting him nowhere. Troy wants his kids to live practical lives rather than chase their own dreams, such as Cory's desire to play football. Troy himself claims to have been one of the best baseball players around, but just as the leagues were accepting African Americans into the majors, he was scrapped for exceeding the age limit. Despite the fact that times have changed since then, as Rose stated, Troy truly believes that the only outcome of large aspirations for one's self is having those dreams crushed. In Troy's mind, disallowing his son to do this is the only solution to prevent this outcome from occurring.
ReplyDelete(My answer to question 1)
DeleteI agree, it is stated in act 3 that Troy thinks the his son needs to attain a life entirely different from his own. This implies that he feels sports really isn't the best life choice for his son. He wants his son to become more successful than him in this regard. Due to this he entirely brushes off the differences in Cory's situation. So in the end he is protecting him in his own way.
DeleteI concur, Troy is heavily burdened by Lyons' dependence. If Cory fails in his sports career, it would make it hard for him to assimilate back into the workingman's world. To Troy, sports is a slippery slope where there is high risk, but high reward. However, his lack of trust in the newly desegregated majors prevents his from seeing the possibilities like Cory does.
DeleteI never thought of how Troy wanted his children to live "practical" lives and how he did not want them to chase their dreams. I realize now that it is not only because he does not want his children to surpass his accomplishments.
DeleteQuestion 1:
ReplyDeleteTroy's reaction to Cory's request at playing professional football evidently stems from Troy's past experience at attempting to join a professional baseball league, yet failing due to racism. Troy appears to be projecting envy at the idea that his son now has a better chance of successfully pursuing his dream of competing in a professional sport, mainly because Troy was never able to have that. Another aspect to his decision is that he simply does not want his son to have to go through the disappointment of having his dreams crushed due to the unfair practices of racism in the league. Troy felt so distraught when his dreams were crushed due to prejudice, and he most likely does not want to see his son experience the same feelings that he went through. It is this combination of subtle envy, and Troy's general desire to keep Cory from losing his dreams on the off-chance that he is rejected for prejudice reasons that truly influences his response to Cory's request at playing professional football.
I agree with the point that you brought up, but I also think that part of the reason why Troy is envious is due to the fact that baseball players like Jackie Robinson were able to find success in baseball when Troy could not and that could also impact Troy's attitude when it comes to colored people playing baseball.
DeleteI agree with the points you and Tyler made and I think it's really interesting how even though Troy is corys father and feels the general need to protect him, and he also, like you said, is envious of his sons oppertunity, something not usually seen in a common father son relationship.
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ReplyDeleteTroy is currently reluctant in accepting Cory’s opportunity. This is due to the fact that Troy, in the past, had a similar situation regarding sports. In Troy’s situation, he was unable to move on to professional sports due to racial discrimination at the time. This is why Troy is unable to accept his son's feat. Troy in a way is protective of his son and values. He believes the world hasn't advanced enough in order to treat his son fairly.
I agree a great deal with you Senpai. For I feel that part of that protection for his son is not wanting his son to receive that same racial discrimination that Troy had. Troy saw this discrimination as a barrier he could not overcome and he would never want his son to face the same and become unhappy because of it. Also, agreeing to this request would get Cody's hopes up for the big leagues which are still likely unobtainable with the racism still having a potential presence.
DeleteQuestion #1
ReplyDeleteIt is shown that at one point in troy's life he attempts to make it to the major leagues in baseball but is stopped due to rasism. Perhaps his reaction is influenced by what he experienced in his career and he just doesn't want his son to go through the same rasism that he went through. He sees his decision as the only way to stop his son from experiencing what he did. Perhaps it is irrational and incorrect reasoning be Troy had been shown to be irrational at times before. Although another factor that could have played into his reaction was that he could have been jealous of his son's success while he failed.
I think of Troy really know the truth, he would have want his son to play any sport because to some people accomplishing what your parent dreamed of doing will make them very proud.
DeleteQ2: Troy feels guilty for taking Gabe's money because Troy did not earn it himself and does not like to be reliant on others. He also distrusts other people's generosity after his run-in with "the Devil". Troy could be angry at Gabriel because of his war injury which leaves him with a man who is, in a manner of speaking, not his brother, yet he is still obligated to care for him as if he were. Troy also feels guilty for using Gabe's money because Gabe was not able to make any decisions for himself so Troy thought it best to use the money for his own ends, ends he thought benefited them both but he had no way of knowing.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I also like the point you made with "the-Devil"'s generosity.
DeleteI also think that the point made about the "Devil's" generosity is a great insite. I do however want to bring up the question that the "Devils" could have repressed a KKK advocate, could the KKK been the reason he was put out of the MLB?
DeleteTroy feels guilty about taking Gabe's money because it's Gabe's compensation money for his head injury which lets Troy and his family live under a roof and not because of Troy's own hard work and savings. I don't think that Troy is mad at Gabe, however, I feel that he gets upset at himself whenever he sees Gabe. Gabe's presence is a reminder to Troy about his own failures as a baseball player. Having to take Gabe's money is what Troy probably thinks of as a consequence for not listening to his father's advice in the first place. Troy may also be upset because of his obligation to take care of Gabe, but when Gabe said he wanted to leave so he wouldn't get in "Troy's way", Troy felt more upset because he wants Gabe to make him feel useful to repay his debt towards him, but he doesn't want to make his brother unhappy and not let him do what he wants.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree!!! Especially with the fact that Gabe's presence is somewhat of a burden to Troy because it reminds him of his failures as a baseball player.
DeleteResponse to question 2
ReplyDeleteTroy's guilt that he feels from having to borrow money from Gabe is due to the fact that Troy doesn't like being put in a situation where he has to rely on someone else to support him and his family. Troy is very motivated to work hard and make his own money to provide but when he needs to borrow money he feels bad. When Troy also is given this money and Gabe acts as if it was a donation, Troy gets angry because he wants to feel as if he had worked in some way to earn it and not to be gifted this money. Troy seeing this money as a donation makes him feel as if he is one of those slackers that he hates so much. A big reason behind Troy’s guilt is his ego and how he feels borrowing money damages that ego.
Absolutely, I really like that you mentioned his dislike of freeloaders while simultaneously being one of them, an act that is completely irreversible.
DeleteI also agree. I feel as though your reasoning is correlated with Troy's personality to be independent very much. However I also interpreted Troy being angry at Gabe as a belief for Gabe indirect providing for Troy and his family.
Delete*Indirect
DeleteQ1
ReplyDeleteI think that Troy is telling Cory not to play sports because he is just going to go down the same path as him. Troy claims that working at a supermarket is better than playing football. Since Cory is already working at a supermarket, Troy wants him to keep his job since he considers it good compared to working at a garbage dump. Rose tries to protect Cory because she feels like Troy needs to give him a chance. By saying that times have change meaning that blacks and whites are now given equal opportunities to play the sport.
I wouldn't say "equal" opportunity but definitely more opportunities than in Troy's days as more colored people are able to be recruited into teams such as Hank Aaron and Clemete
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ReplyDeleteGabriel received money from being injured in World War II through the government, and instead of Gabriel acquiring the money, Troy manages all of the three thousand dollars. Troy feels guilty about taking the money because his family isn't living in deep poverty on account of his younger brother receiving a metal plate in his head. He also feels ashamed of controlling the money because he didn't actually earn the money through any of his actions, and his brother was the one who provided for Troy and his family. Lastly, this all leads to Troy's slight anger with Gabriel because Troy knows that he couldn't have provided with his own family with the life they currently live in and Gabriel provided for them without even knowing it.
You addressed why Troy feels angry really well! Troy's strong personality is a sharp contrast to his need for money from his younger brother and it obviously bothers him. I don't think Troy feels like a whole person if he owes someone, so it hurts him to owe his younger brother so much.
DeleteResponse to Question 1.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Troy was a super great baseball player makes an even greater impact on his life because he was denied the chance to play professionally by his race, and not because he lacked skill. Troy knows he is good at baseball, and this leads him to believe that since HE couldn't go pro, then Cory doesn't stand a chance. Although Troy claims he is not allowing him to play because he doesn't want Cory to experience what he felt, I think Troy really doesn't allow him to play because he is afraid that Cory will be able to experience the life of being a pro athlete despite his skin color, which is what Troy always wanted. Troy keeps denying the fact that the sports system has changed, allowing black people to now join major league baseball.
I definitely agree with you! Troy being denied the privilege to play baseball because of his skin color (or maybe because of his age?) despite his skill influenced his response to Cory's possible chance at success. I also believe Troy is slightly envious of not having that sort of opportunity because he is quite the prideful character. However, do you think those are the only reasons why? Maybe, although he is harsh on the outside, he is concerned for the racism Cory will encounter? Why can't he accept the fact that the sports system has changed, and what does his reveal about his character?
DeleteIn response to question one, the main past event that comes to mind that could have affected Troy's decision would be his baseball career, but even then he suffered as a result of racist ideas and thus tries to protect Cory by preventing him from experiencing the same inequality that he went through. However, Troy's judgement is biased as "times have changed" which proves that Cory has the opportunity to achieve what Troy could not, but because Cory has this chance, Troy could also be protecting his own ideals which is, in part, due to his stubborn nature. In addition to protecting his own ideals, Troy may also be protecting his pride since if Cory is able to achieve a feat that Troy could not, then that would imply that the son outdid the father which creates the idea that Cory is a bigger man than Troy, at least when it comes to baseball, and I'm pretty sure Troy's pride will not allow him to be surpassed by his son.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement. Something I failed to mention in my answer was Troy's stubborn nature. It would definitely be hard for him to set his pride aside. I think he's actually protecting himself more than his son to be honest. Like many others, Troy wants to see his son succeed, but never better than him. Cory has so much potential and Troy won't let him reach it, it's just a shame.
DeleteI agree with your statement Tyler
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ReplyDeleteResponse to Question #2
ReplyDeleteAlthough Troy is a robust, hardworking man who claims that he is not a freeloader and depends on no one, he has a roof over his head because of Gabriel’s injury and money; he did not earn the roof on his own. Based on his pride and the way the play is written, it seems he is guilty not for his brother, but for himself: he does not welcome the assistance of other people. He strives to do everything and earn everything independently, but having his brother’s money violated this important idea, so this is a devastating blow to his ego and the person he claims to be. Any possible anger – maybe embarrassment or sheepishness is another appropriate term! – directed towards Gabriel might be because of this. Without Gabriel, the lame, more fragile YOUNGER BROTHER, Troy would not have been able to properly support his family or have his home.
Question 1
ReplyDeleteTroy tries his best to keep Cory from playing professional sports because he believes the shortcomings in he experienced in his baseball career will befall his own son. Although the times have changed since his heyday in sports, Troy's opinion is set in stone. Troy is a man who reminisces over the glory days and living life through his stories. So it is no surprise that he believes that the league Cory goes into will be the same as the one he was exposed to. Troy denies Cory the right to go pro to give his son a great chance of being self-sufficient, unlike the unambitious Lyons.
Question 2:
ReplyDeleteTroy prides himself on his ability to provide, and taking Gabriel's money undermines that part of his identity. Because he sees himself as such a strong, capable man, it hurts him to have needed money from his younger, disabled brother. Troy also feels guilty because, even though he has a logical explanation for taking the money, Gabriel is less able to earn money and take care of himself. Troy works incredibly hard, but would not have been able to afford the house on his own, which lowers his sense of self-worth and skill.
I agree with how Troy feels guilty about taking his disabled brother's money. I also agree with how Troy feels hurt about actually taking the money because he wants to be able to be independent and earn the money by himself, but he dislikes how he has to rely on his younger brother's government earned money.
DeleteI completely agree with your point of how Troy is more angered with the thought of his self-pride being destroyed. I responded in the same direction and feel you put it in much better words than I did :P. I really liked how you connected Troy's hard work to the status in which he worked to be in. Troy is self-reliant but not in the way where he can provide with money, but with the mentality that he can work his way to success. In all, your response was very well written and I could definitely relate to everything you said :) !
DeleteI agree with this entirely. Troy subconsciously feels justified in taking the money (and Rose reassures him of this), but he can't help but feel immensely guilty by taking the money from someone who has suffered the results of war and more.
DeleteQuestion 2 response:
ReplyDeleteTroy feels a long-lasting sense of guilt due to using the money Gabriel earned after serving in WWll in order to provide himself with a place to live. Essentially, Troy does not like to admit that he didn't work for the money and feels he cheated his way by using his brother's brain damage as an explanation. Not only this but in several parts of the story Troy displays himself to be an independent person, or not depending on others to help him. This idea makes Troy feel regretful and angry(at himself) because his injured younger brother was able to do more for him than he could. Simply, Troy is mad at himself rather than at Gabriel by reason that his self-pride was diminished and that he was not able to achieve like Gabriel.
The idea that you brought up about Troy not wishing to admit that he did not earn the money himself is not something I considered, and I believe it can be applied to how he treats Cory when Cory does not follow through with his job. I agree when you say that Troy is an independent person, but I think he also relies on Rose (as much as he might not like to admit it). Your concept of self-pride is very similar to the idea that many others had about self-worth and that ability to do things by oneself. Does Gabriel's brain damage explain anything else about it - aside from the money - such as his inability to take care of his own finances?
DeleteQuestion #2: Troy credits everything he owns to the three thousand dollars awarded by the United States Military to Gabriel for compensation of his injuries. He believes that had Gabriel survived the war without traumatic injury, he would not have his home, belongings and ability to support his family. Despite how he cared for his brother after his brain damage, Troy believes he owes his brother the money from Gabriel’s injury, and as he mentioned to his son Cory, he dislikes owing anyone a debt, let alone his injured brother. He is not disappointed in his brother or his disability, but rather his own use of Gabriel’s money as he thinks that his brother’s inability to manage his finance allowed him to use Gabriel’s money. Although he does not resent his brother’s disability, he is bitter about the disability itself – separate from his brother – because he thinks he made him a thief.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand your response. I like how you mentioned the fact that he dislikes owing anyone a debt and connected it to this prompt and made sense out of it. I am kind of leaning towards Troy being somewhat affected by Gabriel and the use of his money. Seeing how Gabriel was able to find a new settlement by himself, do you think that affects how Troy feels about having to use Gabriel's money to obtain his own? But overall nice response!
DeleteI completely understand your response. I like how you mentioned the fact that he dislikes owing anyone a debt and connected it to this prompt and made sense out of it. I am kind of leaning towards Troy being somewhat affected by Gabriel and the use of his money. Seeing how Gabriel was able to find a new settlement by himself, do you think that affects how Troy feels about having to use Gabriel's money to obtain his own? But overall nice response!
DeleteI agree with your point completely. I think you made a very great connection with the $3000 to the conversation he had with his son.
DeleteQuestion 1:
ReplyDeleteAlthough Troy was a star athlete himself, his past experiences and overcompensating ego hinder his ability to see eye to eye with his son Cory. Troy was once an aspiring baseball player; however, his success was ill-timed as he had to face the prejudices of his era. This in turn drives him bitter. Over the years, Troy has clearly shown that old feelings remain the same, whether it be Cory and his football career or an MLB team who has coloreds ride the bench. The fact that he missed his opportunity to play pro baseball by but a few years couldn't have done well for his ego too. He sees himself in his son and claims to be protecting him from the prejudices he faced; however, he's also protecting himself from the pain of his failure which still haunts him.
Question 1:
ReplyDeleteTroy is trying to prevent Cory from becoming a professional football player to protect him from inequality because of his skin color. He does not want Cory to experience what he has been through when he attempted to play professional baseball. Although he claims that he is only protecting Cory, I believe he is also protecting his pride therefore preventing his son from accomplishing something he was not able to himself.
Question#2: Troy is possibly feeling guilty about taking Gabe's money due to the fact that he did not indeed put a roof over his family's head through his own sheer sweat and blood but instead by his brother's injury and the money he received for compensation. There may be a part of Troy that feels angry yet sympathetic at Gabe because of his time spent in the military, losing half his head, and in return, only receiving three thousand dollars and a metallic disk. Troy overall may not be angry at Gabe but rather sympathetic as Troy had to do the right thing to his brother by using the compensated money since Gabe wouldn't be able to finance himself in his condition.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1)
ReplyDeleteTroy's hostile attitude towards Cory's aspirations of pursuing college football stems from his past. While young, Troy was segregated because of the color of his skin and was unable to play in the Major Leagues because of it. Due to his past recollections, he could not let go of this resentment and denied Cory the opportunity of achieving what he could not. Troy was unable to accept the fact that times had changed and that racism and segregation in sports had lessened. Although Troy was trying to protect his son from reliving the same harsh treatment he once did, he also restricted him from pursuing his dream.
I agree with your response. Troy suffers a very deep-rooted case of hamartia from when he was younger, that reflects on the stubborn, racist mindset of the 1940s. He puts a fatherly fence around his son, which although on the surface has good intentions, Troy is ultimately both jealous and protective of Cory. He's afraid Cory will achieve what was denied to him, but he also wants to spare his son from the racism that he faced. It's both selfish but caring.
DeleteQuestion 2:
ReplyDeleteTroy feels guilty about taking money from Gabe, because Troy feels as though he must fulfill the obligation of providing for his family. In addition to guilt, Troy is in a sense angry at Gabe, because of the roof Gabe has indirectly provided for Troy and his family. Moreover this roof deflects Troy's main commitment with himself, which is the obligation to provide and care for his family. However, because of Troy's broken commitment it may cause Troy to feel as though Gabe is now providing for Troy and his family.
Question 1.
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that his son is a playing professional sport, and he hasn't, is his influence. Even though he says that he want s to protect him form the racism, he still hates the fact that he accomplished something that great. I also think that he's just protecting himself from the resentment of his son. I think thats the most influence.
I agree with your point because having Troy's son achieve something that Troy couldn't do would make him bitter because it makes Cory look more accomplished than Troy, hurting Troy's pride as a hard worker.
DeleteQ2: Troy feels guilty about taking Gabe's money because it wasn't his money in the first place. If Gabe didn't have metal in his head, Gabe would have a Troy's lifestyle and Troy would be living in a basement. But that's not the case, it's vise versa, which is why Troy feels guilty of taking Gabe's money, because Troy didn't mean to put Gabe in this situation. At the same time, Troy would be angry at Gabe because Troy doesn't want to feel guilty, and according to the american dream, working hard will get you money. However, in this case, it's not true because Troy got his money from Gabe, which hurts Troy's pride of being hardworking.
ReplyDeleteQ1: I feel as if Troy was heavily impacted by the discrimination he felt while pursuing his dreams. He feels as if he needs to be strict to Cory's own aspirations because he does not want Cory to experience hurt and disappointment if his sports team ends up not using him, like the baseball teams did to most people of color at that time. Although the baseball teams are not segregated (which is why Troy could not play), there are other forms of subtle discrimination that remains and Troy wants to protect Cory from that. In scene 3, Cory and Troy have a conversation about forms of love, and I believe this is one of them.
ReplyDeleteQ2:
ReplyDeleteTroy's shame in taking advantage of his brother's disability checks is not only because it is morally wrong, but because it ruins his ego. He is upset at himself that he has to resort to this, just to live in poverty. Troy sees himself very capable and as the provider, and believes that it is his sole responsibility to make sure his family is well, noted in his conversation with Cory. But when his mentally-ill brother is in actuality, the reason why his family has a roof over their heads, he is mad that his "incapable" brother is able to do much more for his own family than he can, in regards to money. He could also be lying when he says that he is mad at Gabriel for leaving, because he still wants the government checks he gets.
The opportunity of obtaining a dream was taken away from Troy as a result of discrimination. It could be said that because of this Troy is bitter and jealous that his son has the same opportunity which in this case is actually achieve able because the team is not segregated. Troys attempts in persuading his son out of a career is most likely a direct reaction of troys inability to become a professional baseball player and the fact he doesn't want his son to experience the same discrimination. Troy most likely doesn't want his son to get hurt in the same way he did or experience any disappointment if something goes wrong. In other words, Troy is only trying to protect his son Cory of the ugly truths and realities of the world during this time.
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