Book/Movie Review: "Fences"' Gabriel's Representation of the Archangel Gabriel
TRIGGER WARNING: If you or someone you know are affected by war trauma and/or Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), the following blog post may be triggering. If you need support right now, please seek help from a therapist, other mental health professional, or call the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 1-800-273-8255 and pressing 1 or by texting 838255. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, text "HOME" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 if you live in the USA or text "CONNECT" to the Crisis Text Line at 686868 if you live in Canada.
Many parts of stories often symbolize something that the main characters are going through in some way. The symbolizations usually reflect and affect the development of the characters. While relatives of Uncle Gabriel think he has religious hallucinations due to his brain damage in Fences written by August Wilson, he actually represents the archangel, Gabriel. There are several signs that support his representation of angel Gabriel. Readers can find out how parts of a story connotate with the characters through analysis.
Related Links:
Fences takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1957. Gabriel is the brother of Troy, the lead male character, and lives in the same neighborhood as him. He has brain damage from a metal plate getting stuck in his head as an injury from fighting in World War II. As part of his disability, supposedly, he has "hallucinations of hellhounds" that he constantly chases away and talks to St. Peter. He "believes" that he already has died and gone to Heaven and "is the archangel Gabriel" (Wilson 1983, pg. 889). He mentions having many encounters with Saint Peter mostly about them discussing Judgement Day. This day is when Saint Peter is at the Gates of Heaven and determines whether the dead get into Heaven or not. He also carries around a trumpet or not. In the play's final scene, before Troy's funeral, Gabriel blows three times into his trumpet; the sound fails the first two times, but a perfect tone is made on the third try and then, the sun shines through the clouds onto him while the family looks on. Troy finally enters Heaven and the family is at peace too. While Gabriel's family thinks he is hallucinating when he mentions his experiences with Heaven and being angel Gabriel, he actually is not hallucinating because he represents angel Gabriel.
There are many symbolizations in Fences that prove that Gabriel represents angel Gabriel if analyzed. Gabriel has religious hallucinations, and his name is the same as the angel named Gabriel from the Christian religion. This is because he represents that angel. He carries around a trumpet which also supports his symbolization of the angel Gabriel since angels play trumpets. In the last scene of the play, the family gathers together outside of the house before Troy's funeral. Gabriel appears and excitedly says, "Hey, Rose. It's time. It's time to tell Saint Peter to open the Gates. Troy, you ready? You ready, Troy. I'm gonna tell Saint Peter to open the Gates. You get ready now" (Wilson 1983, pg. 933). Gabriel's blow is successful on the third try because three is a symbolic number in the bible because of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit also known as The Holy Trinity. The sunshine symbolizes Troy as a sign that he has made it into Heaven. When sunlight appears any time after someone's death, it has a religious symbolization that they are watching over their loved ones. In addition, when the sunlight appears through the clouds in the last scene, the clouds form an angel. This example of imagery represents the evidence that Troy has made it into Heaven because the deceased transform into angels when they enter Heaven and since Troy is now in Heaven, he is now an angel. When this imagery appears in the sky after Gabriel's blow into the trumpet succeeds on the third try is also the most important part of the evidence that proves he is not hallucinating about being Saint Peter after all. He used the trumpet to open the Gates of Heaven for Troy and since the sunshine which symbolizes Troy making it into Heaven appeared after the third blow, which is a biblical number, that proves that Gabriel's actions worked and only a person from Heaven can make the final action that lets one into Heaven. So, therefore, while it is absolutely true that he does have brain damage, this proves that he was still correct that he definitely is the archangel Gabriel after all.
Related Links:
Many parts of stories often have some type of connotation with situations that the main characters are experiencing. Although Uncle Gabriel has brain damage in Fences, he does represent the archangel, Gabriel. He opens the Gates to Heaven for Troy when his blow into his trumpet is successful on the third try; the proof of this is when the sunshine that symbolizes Troy making it into Heaven appears after Gabriel's third blow into his trumpet is successfully made. This is especially proved when not only the clouds form an angel, but when the sun shining through them is shining on Gabriel as he makes this action. Throughout the story, Gabriel's family thinks he is hallucinating his encounters with Heaven and being angel Gabriel as part of his disability, but the result of his actions at the end of the story prove that he knew what he was talking about all along. Gabriel is the allegory to salvation meaning that he represents the more abstract idea of the family being basically rescued or set free from their pain and struggles.
If you or someone you know are affected by war trauma and/or TBIs, remember that you are not alone and there is hope. If you need support right now, please seek help from a therapist, other mental health professional, or call the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 1-800-273-8255 and pressing 1 or by texting 838255. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text "HOME" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 if you live in the USA or text "CONNECT" to the Crisis Text Line at 686868 if you live in Canada.
You can also visit The Mighty's hotline resources page by clicking on this link: https://themighty.com/suicide-prevention-resources/
Citations
1. Wilson, August. Fences. The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Kelly J. Mays, Ed. Sarah Touborg. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2016. 874-933. Print.
Comments
Post a Comment