The life of August Wilson expressed through his work
August Wilson is one of the most influential representatives of American literature during the 20th century. His realistic approach in his writing and the way he expresses himself through a number of stylistic devices make’s his speech so unique and comprehensible to the readers. August Wilson’s plays are true to life examples of literary realism. In his works the Author’s purpose is to demonstrate the struggles for blacks in America. Wilson’s life experiences as a black American and the difficulties he faced being a black American were reflected in his works.
“August Wilson is one of only seven American playwrights to win two Pulitzer Prizes, and one of only three black playwrights to receive the prize”. . Shafer, Y. (1999). Wilson has been able to explore and communicate the black experience in America in a way which is interesting to blacks and also achieves a universality which has drawn the white audiences needed for a commercial success in the American theatre. Some of Wilson’s famous works are “Fences” and “The Piano Lesson”.
August Wilson’s birth name was August Kittle; born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania in 1945. His mother was black and his father was a white German who abandoned the family when he was young. After his Parents divorced, his mother moved him and his sibling from the poor ghetto side of Pittsburgh to a white neighborhood. From an early age he started facing problems of racism. In school he wrote an essay which was so good, the school affirmed that he plagiarized the essay because it was so good. They did not want to accept that a black student could write such a good Essay. They discredited him because of the color of his skin. With constant bigotry from his class mates, Wilson dropped out of school. He spent a lot of his time in the library reading books and poetry, then earned his high school diploma as an independent study. In the play” Fences” the character Troy faced Obstacles in his life similar to August Wilson. August Wilson Was Part of the black art movement. He celebrated the history and poetic sensibilities of black people.
Growing up in Pittsburgh had a great effect in August Wilson’s life, dealing with Racism and Inequality. In August Wilsons work the contrast of his life can be seen in his work. An example, the character Troy was a very good baseball player who would have made it to the baseball league if not for the color of his skin. It was Troy’s dream to make it in the baseball leagues. The character showed a lot of resentment for the unfairness and not being able to pursue his dream. August Wilson was a very good writer, and he too faced imparity. When he was in school the teachers were amazed of Wilson’s excellent writing skills; they refused to give him credit for his work and accused him of plagiarism. Despite being faced with obstacles it did not discourage August Wilson’s passion and drive to pursue his dream. It only made him stronger and more dedicated to manifest it in a way which conveyed to me and others. August Wilson was an award winning black American playwright. As stated earlier he was one of three blacks that ever won the Pulitzer Prize. Yes he had adversities in his life but he was able to overcome them despite being black in America.
After the divorce of his parents, August Wilson along with his siblings moved to the whiter neighborhood in Pittsburgh. The absence of his biological father made it very challenging for him to accept any male figure and subsequently his stepfather as the head of the household. As a result his relationship with his stepfather as a teenager was very rocky. Identical in the play “Fences” Troy and Cory did not have a good relationship which each other. Cory was offered a scholarship to play Football. Troy was hostile toward Cory which comes from his past. Troy blames racism for not achieving his dream in life. Wilson’s upbringing had to have some Ramification on his life, from living where he did, he learned the history and geography of Pittsburgh, a predominantly white blue-collar city. Most of the jobs there were mining jobs. August Wilson’s mom worked domestic jobs. Similarly in the play “Fences” Rose was a dedicated woman to her family regardless of the circumstances. Early on Wilson decided that he wanted a better way of life for himself. Wilson too has his own identity issues; he appeared to have been a” lost soul”. It can be seen in his personal life. He was married three times. Wilson’s first marriage was to a Muslim woman. He converted to being Islam. His marriage to his first wife only lasted a few years. Wilson’s last two marriages were to white women. Due to his failed relationship, Wilson was searching for someone who could relate to him, which he was not able to find in these women.
However, there is a contradiction in his personal and social life, being raised in the Jim Crow era, where segregation was the norm in society. He married outside his race and ethnicity, it suggests Wilson’s outlook in life was that we are all one despite our ethnicity and race. We all have our struggles. Times have evolved; being black in America is still a struggle, and we are striving despite all our circumstances.
Thus, with all the obstacles and struggles August Wilson has faced during his time of growing up, he expressed his experiences and feelings through his work. Times have changed. Through dedication and persistence, Wilson succeeded despite being black in America.
References:
- August Wilson. (2004). In Encyclopedia of World Biography (2nd ed., Vol. 16, pp. 314-316). Detroit, MI: Gale. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3404706901/GVRL?u=nysl_me_asai&sid=GVRL&xid=d1a6490e
- Lyons, B. (1999). an interview with AUGUST WILSON. Contemporary Literature, 40(1), 1. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A54208479/GLS?u=nysl_me_asai&sid=GLS&xid=8c5bcdf9
- Shafer, Y. (1999). Breaking Barriers: August Wilson. In J. W. Hunter & T. J. White (Eds.), Contemporary Literary Criticism (Vol. 118). Gale. (Reprinted from Staging Difference: Cultural Pluralism in American Theatre and Drama, pp. 267-285, by M. Maufort, Ed., 1995, Peter Lang) Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1100004767/GLS?u=nysl_me_asai&sid=GLS&xid=218801
- Scott, D. M. I. (1999). The Dramatic Vision of August Wilson. MELUS, 24(3), 163. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A62350908/GLS?u=nysl_me_asai&sid=GLS&xid=35898c21
- August Wilson. (2006). In Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit, MI: Gale. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000106875/LitRC?u=nysl_me_asai&sid=LitRC&xid=b831