The Ways of the World

August Wilson, an American play writer, who brought to light the experiences and let downs of the African American population, is still one of the popularly known playwrights of his time period. With the success of his own program known as “Wilson’s 10 Day Play Cycle” his style of writing is still popular on stage. Some still refer to Wilson as “one of America’s most respected voices in theater” still to this day due to his “master narrative of the African American life in the United States since slavery”.

In order to become such a successful play writer, Wilson channels his own life experience of racial segregation and his African American cultural background in order to pair with his themes of opportunities and limitations in his popular piece Fences.

Pairing those with his influences of “The Four B’s” prompts Wilson to be remembered as one of the most influential play writer with the focus on the African American culture of the 20th century.

The majority of August Wilson’s works reflect the African American culture of the 20th Century. Having ancestors with strong ties to the heritage and traditions brought with them when they were forced to come to America has a big influence on his style of writing. Wilson wants to magnify the experiences of the African American culture by writing “around, though, and against recorded history in order to give voice to the nameless masses of Africans in American and to tap the never – ending supply of untold stories about the African American life and culture in the United States”.

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Wilson focuses on capturing the true essence of what is known as the Black South. Wilson includes, in his writings, the vast cultures of the African American population. Wilson includes such things as the iconic run-down houses located on the outskirts of town, with the swinging screen door, and the wooden porch with the rocking chairs that were always full on the weekends when the family friends come to enjoy a night out. Along with the dirt roads and endless workweek and the grueling comments made by the society that refuses to accept them into their lives. Wilson shows the effects of growing up a man of color through the character Bono, “I didn’t know I could do no better. I thought only white folks had inside toilets and things”. When Wilson includes the smallest things such as the realization that Bono comes to, proves to have the biggest impact.

Wilson continues to include the smallest of details that help to push his theme of limitations to an all new high. His works are also heavily influenced by the time period in which he grew up. Subject to the era of racial segregation, the events and experiences of Wilson’s life is shown prominently throughout his work. Wilson focuses in on the family life of those that come from the African American background. Wilson’s works also includes the use of death and separation to emphasis the theme of his plays. Another key contributor of Wilson’s is that of Racism. Wilson’s own personal experience of Racism is seen throughout his work. His plays embody the struggles and experiences that African-American society is put through as of the time period in which his play is set.

Wilson’s experience with the Jim Crow Laws and the civil rights movement, reflects the theme of many of Wilson’s plays. Wilson shows this through the character Troy in the play Fences. Troy, a garbage worker, who experiences first-hand the effects of segregation by the white people of his time feels as if he is wronged in many ways. One example of segregation that effects Troy the most is the separation of the baseball teams. When Troy is of age to play baseball, the white and black teams are separate from one another. As Troy gets older and moves on from playing baseball, the major league baseball team starts to integrate the African American players with the white team. Troy feels as if he has been cheated from his life goals and aspirations. Another example of segregation within the play Fences is when Troy questions why only the white men are given the position of driving the trucks. “Why you got the white mens driving and the colored lifting?”

August Wilson has further influences from what he called “The Four B’s”. The Blues, the poet Jorge Luis Borger, the playwright Amiri Baraka, and the painter Romare Bearden (Hicks). The blues, which represents a strong background of the African rhythms, African-American slave songs, spirituals, and dance tunes which were known as jump-ups. The Blues still have a strong hold in today’s society in the form of jazz, rock, country and soul music. Wilson channels The Blues into each of his characters. Wilson stems the character’s ideas and attitudes from the core values of The Blues. “The philosophies in the music teach the characters how to live their lives” (August) and represents their character as a whole.

Another key contributor to Wilson’s writings was the painter Romare Bearden. Romare Bearden who grew up in the peak of the Harlem Renaissance with an influence from family friends such as Langston Hughs, W. E. B. DuBois, and Duke Ellington plays a big part in the work of Wilson. Romare Bearden’s paintings which are known for the “vibrant collages that fuse the Harlem life with impressions and images of the South”. This display of the culture that is found in none other than the American South which tends to show the how the generation and further expresses the African-American experiences that August Wilson is known for incorporating throughout his works. The majority of Wilson’s plays include the opportunities and limitations surrounding the African-American culture and their experiences. Wilson believes “the black community is floundering because it has failed to turn to its history for strength or guidance”. Which is why Wilson found it so important to possess the true experiences of the Black community.

Wilson’s other important influence is that of the playwright Amiri Baraka. Baraka who also was born under a different name, changes his name to reflect his African heritage more. Baraka, just like Wilson, was a strong advocate for the black culture. Wilson, who is strongly drawn to the political poetry and plays of Baraka, channels in the same sense as his influencer. Wilson further shows his strong affiliation with Baraka by founding a theatre in which Wilson displays several pieces of work done by Baraka himself. The last major influence of Wilson is that of Jorge Luis Borges a notable poet of the 20th Century. Borges who originated from Buenos Aires fell in love with the idea and knowledge of the American and European literature. Borgos’ influence on Wilson is seen through the presence of ghosts, spirits, traveling into the past, and other magical moments that is seen through the works of Wilson.

Wilson’s incorporation of all these factors leads him to be remembered as “our Shakespeare” of this time period. August Wilson’s influences on the way the African American culture and experiences are told throughout his plays are still considered some of the most successful pieces of work of his time period. By incorporating his own experiences and his influences of other authors and painters helps to provide a successful foundation for his reoccurring themes throughout his plays. When Wilson channels his experiences of racial segregation and his cultural background and pairs it with his themes of opportunity and limitations, proves to be an impactful process that still remains some of the most popular plays of his time period.