MICHAEL CRAWFORD

Oral Tradition
August Wilson adds to the story significantly through stories of the past. Troys stories pass down family history. Similar to cultures history. See the progress of the family through time. Troy is illiterate Parallels historical use of oral tradition.

Troys Story of His Father (page 1359+)

Serves partly to preserve the culture of his family. Troy wants Cory to be like him in his strong aspects, but to be different from him in his weak aspects.
1381: Rose says, Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasnt...and at the same time he tried to make you into everything he was. You just like him. You got him in you good.

--Shows past events and parallels.--

Story of Troys Father (1359+)

Generation 1 Characters Troys Father Events Kicks Troy out, Troy never goes back. Baseball Strike 1

Troy

Kicks Corey out after 3 Strike 2 strikes. Goes off to the military, but returns home after Troys death and unites with him by attending his funeral. Hits the ball, does not strike out. The family is restored in a sense.

Cory

The Recurring Number Three

Cory succeeds in filling the crevice between father and son in the family in the third generation. Baseball:
Three strikes, youre out. Three bases before you return home. Failing at third base puts you back at the beginning.

The Recurring Number Three

1340: Troy wrestles with death for three days and three nights and succeeds. (a story, like a myth) 1342: Troy gets three rooms. 1342: After living there for three days, devil knocks on his door, wards him off. 1380: Lyons is imprisoned for 3 years. Gabriel gets $3000 after injury. 1372: Scene III is three days after Alberta has the baby, Rose accepts the baby. Troy gives Cory three strikes, kicks him out on the third.

--Either success or failure on the third try.--

Troys Song (1383)

The African griot was a historian, storyteller, and musician.
Troy was a griot in a way.

Blue (dog) is a symbol truth and fidelity.

Represents Troy.

Blue treed a possum out on a limb. Troy puts pressure on Cory. Blue stayed there till I came back. Troy never left Rose. Cory comes back. Blue treed a possum in Noahs Ark.
Signifies future generations after a cleansing.