Character Review: Troy from Fences Movie

photo credit:  shadowandact.com

Troy 

(Denzel Washington's character in "Fences" movie)

Perspective #1: 

Troy didn't hold down the finances.  He would not even have had a roof over his head if not for siphoning off the bulk of his brother's disability settlement.   He manipulated the younger son's situation. He changed and limited the entire course of his son's life.  He required the son to work so he didn't have to support even his own basic needs anymore. He had children by three different women that he could not afford. He tasked Rose with the bill paying because he didn't want any extra adult responsibilities. Troy didn't want his brother committed to an institution because doing so would mean the brother's disability payouts would have gone to the institution, rather than to Troy's pockets. Troy would rather let his brother starve on the street than miss out on those payments.

Protecting his girlfriend as a youngster from being raped by his father likely had as much to do with his competitive relationship with his father than it did with the girl's plight.  It is not like he turned his father in.  He completely abandoned his oldest child letting him back in his life as an adult only at Rose's insistence and only to then berate him to the point where the grown child turned to crime. Then Troy guilt-tripped his wife- the one whose only meager request in life was to not have half and step children --into raising the illegitimate child he sired while married.

It is sickening to think the "Troy's" of the world continue to exist in this carnation, routinely using and ruining the lives around them to their own convenience, because some people prefer to dismiss it all as "nobody's perfect" and "men will be men."  There is a whole spectrum between "decent" human being and "perfect" and he and his kind don't even fall anywhere along it.

Perspective #2:

Troy held down his household. He could have gambled his brother's settlement away, but he didn't.  He was appreciative and put it to good use.  He always gave Rose most of his paycheck.  He bailed his brother out over and over again knowing the system was milking him.  He fought for a better job position even if he was not qualified.  He was committed to Rose and committed to providing a home to his "love child" despite the mistress's death from childbirth. He protected his girlfriend from being raped by his own father.  Troy also visited and fed his brother while he was in the hospital.  Troy had a good heart.  When the trumpet sounded at the end of the movie, we know that Troy entered into heaven.  He was not a perfect man with his indiscretions, but there was only one perfect man that ever walked this Earth. That perfect man was Jesus, and He died for our sins so that we may have a chance at eternal life.

This article was inspired by an actual debate.  Any other perspectives?

Wrong Answer: Week Two Book Release

Wrong Answer 

(book and online series release) 

by author Michael Christopher Blocker.

Edited by Benita Blocker.

2017

Chapter two:

Payday weekend has finally arrived, and I’m meeting up with B-nasty to spend some of my hard earned money. The agenda is new clothes, new shoes, and some female companionship for the whole weekend. Now, this plan calls for an ounce of "gas" and 100 "Molly's" which I am about to cop from Nasty.  I’m making sure this weekend is brought to its full potential.  Anything else would be uncivilized.  This is almost mandatory.  I work too hard all week assembling go carts not to fully enjoy the weekend.

 

I pull up next to B-nasty’s Mitsubishi Eclipse.  He gets out and jumps into my Mercury Cougar. He places pills in my center seat cushion and puts the ounce of gas under the seat.  I can see that the ounce is wrapped thoroughly many times over, but I can still smell it loud and clear.  I smelled it from the moment he sat in my passenger seat. I want to roll me a blunt so bad I can taste it!  I pay him his money and we both get out of my ride to go inside the mall. 

Shopping for new outfits and kicks happens every 2 or 3 weeks.  I have to stay fly, and I’m sure B-nasty feels the same way.  The way we live, this comes with the territory.

 

The mall is packed as usual. There’s “beautiful” everywhere I look.  All these different flavors of females can make a brother’s head spin.  Even the “cougars” are dimepieces nowadays.  It’s hard to narrow down a selection.  But someone has to do it.  Might as well be me.  After all, ya can’t have a party without some bad bitches, right?

 

 

Chapter Three

We decide to split up and meet back in an hour.  We usually compete against each other to see who can get the most numbers.  Nasty has cheated before though.  Some of the numbers given to me were fake ones.  That’s happened once or twice.  Besides, today , I’m just not with it.  Through all the competition, it would be nice to meet just one chick who’s real and can keep up with a nigga like me.  I’m complicated, but at the same time, I’m not that hard to figure out.  Ya feel me?

I stroll into FootLocker.  I’ve had my eyes on a pair of of AirMax, and I’m buying them.  I’ve already got two outfits to match them. As I’m standing at the checkout counter,  I feel someone touch me on my right shoulder.  Thinking it’s Nasty, I turn around with a “gas faced, cross-eyed” look.  Even though my vision is a little distorted now from that pistol whipping that I received from my past "burglary went wrong" fiasco,  I can still tell that this person behind me isn’t  Nasty and they’re female.

As soon as I uncross my eyes, I’m staring into a pair of the prettiest grey eyes I’ve ever seen in my life.  The face is a definite match, but right now, it’s showing shock and amusement.  She’s trying to suppress her laughter.  She is a very sexy ass White girl, and I’m wondering if she’s confused, so I say “What’s up? My bad about that, I thought you were someone else.”  She giggles a little bit and says “I didn’t mean to catch you off guard.  Really, but isn’t your name Chris or Christopher?”  The only time I went by my middle name was when I was in prison and that was almost three years ago.  She immediately sees that I’m a little uncomfortable.  I ask her with all seriousness how she knows that name.  She turns serious and tells me “Look, I thought you were someone I met a few years back, but I’m obviously mistaken, there’s no way in hell YOU’RE HIM!”  Just like that she turns and starts walking off.  Three thoughts run across my mind as I watch her walk away. 

1.       Did she just YELL at me?

2.       She has a very fat ass, for a snowbunny, and

3.       I think I’m in love!

I look around and note that everyone in FootLocker is staring at me.  I forgot all about my AirMax’s and I take off after her.  I cannot let her get away!

Please tune in NEXT Magnificent Monday for Chapter 4 of the book Wrong Answer.  Thanks for following us!

#exonerateMichael A mind is a terrible thing to waste!

Wrong Answer: Week One Book Release

Prologue by Michael Christopher Blocker

 

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE; PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!"

 

These are the words I yell as I stare up into one of the largest holes in a gun barrel I've ever seen.  I think to myself that this is a black hole, and I'm about to be thrown into it. I have been caught by a guy that wasn't suppose to be home. According to my contact, everyone was suppose to be out of town. This house was ripe for the picking or at least, that's what I've been told.  Now, it seems as though I've been set up or all the details were wrong.  All I know is that I don't want to die.  I want to see tomorrow and the next day for that matter.  I have to think of something or someway to get out of this.  Looking into that black hole is the worst feeling in the world or that's what I thought until

I heard the hammer being pulled back . . . .

 

 

BOOK:  Wrong Answer

Written by Michael Christopher Blocker. 

 

Edited by Benita Carol Blocker.

Chapter one:

Damn! My head is killing me. It’s 4 am. It's Friday. I could use a little more rest, but no, I still have to get up. I can't afford to be late again. It’s a 5am to 2pm mediocre job with little benefits, but great pay.  My workplace, Club Car is a big factory that makes go carts for country clubs all over the world.  If you watch the Masters Golf tournament every year, then you've seen a go-cart that I've had a hand in making. I'm assigned to work on the assembly line for right now, but I'm trying to move up to welding the frames and other metal work.  It's more pay, and I can use more money. I have my own apartment and car, even though neither is anything to brag about. Still it’s better than prison. Hell, anything is better than that six and half years in that cesspool called Georgia Department of Corrections that I had to serve for breaking into houses. It was the hardest time ever. It forced me to make some much needed changes in my life.

 

Most of my days are routine.   Get up, go to work, get off and get some sleep.  I’m always eager for the weekends.  They are my reward for a week of intense manual labor in a hot ass warehouse. Now, some of my weekends, I chill solo, but not this one, I have to get me some "feel good medicine." So I called up B-nasty.  B-nasty is my “dopeman” and my friend. I’ve known him all my life. We kinda came up together.  Even though our friendship is sometimes one-sided, I taught him everything he knows about drugs, and he taught me everything he knows about females.  That’s why he’s called B-nasty.  He’s a real freaky dude with the ladies.  

 

I'm always reflecting on my life's journey. Before I served time, I used to be a hustler.  I had my hands into just about everything.  If it was quick money, then I was with it.  I enjoyed my playtime too. Nasty and I have had some great times with chicks in suites and jacuzzi’s.  Enough daydreaming, I've got to hit the shower, drink some coffee, and  hit the road. But first, let me turn the coffee machine on.

Please tune in NEXT Magnificent Monday for Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 of the book Wrong Answer.  Thanks for following us!

#exonerateMichael A mind is a terrible thing to waste!