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Fences' (2016) Complex, Pessimistic View of the American Dream

This thematic analysis of the 2016 film version of August Wilson's play Fences, directed by Denzel Washington, considers how the dreams of Troy and Cory Maxson are deferred by the intergenerational trauma of American racism, as represented in the microcosm of professional sports.
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This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

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This essay received a B by one of Kibin's paper graders. Click here to see what was done well and what needs improvement.

More essays like this:

Not sure what I'd do without @Kibin
- Alfredo Alvarez, student @ Miami University
Exactly what I needed.
- Jenna Kraig, student @ UCLA
Wow. Most helpful essay resource ever!
- Chris Stochs, student @ UC Berkeley

View other essays like this one:

Bridget's feedback:

"Your essay is organized well, and you've done a good job selecting relevant lines of dialogue to show how the characters express the ideas and themes you've identified. Make sure your quotations are all clearly integrated into your text -- this becomes an issue later in the paper, so it might just be a matter of a thorough proofread to catch unintegrated quotations as well as any existing errors. Some errors to watch out for include awkward diction, including some grammar issues, and occasional inappropriate word choice (rather than "colors", check MLA guidelines for how to write about race, as well as considering the film's usage).

While the overall organization of the essay is clear and logical, the thesis feels a little wobbly, impacting the essay's focus as a whole. I notice a recurring phrase: "The American Dream is reachable, but..." I challenge you to think what this "but" means for the film's final statement on the American Dream and thus for your thesis. Is the American Dream hindered by racism? Or is in and of itself racist? Help the reader understand how the American Dream is both reachable (first sentence of the conclusion) but also impossible (final sentence of the essay)."

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