Fences * Quotes

Troy: "It's not easy for me to admit that I've been standing in the same place for eighteen years!"
Rose: "Well, I've been standing with you! I gave eighteen years of my life to stand in the same spot as you! I got a life too! Don't you think I had dreams and hopes! What about my life? What about me?"

"I don't want him to be like me. I want to him to get as far away from my life as he possibly can get."

Cory: "Hey, pop?"
Troy: "Hm."
Cory: "Can I ask you a question? How come you ain't never liked me?"
Troy: "Like you? What law is there to say I got to like you?"
Cory: "None."
Troy: "Alright then. Don't you eat everyday? ... Answer me when I talk to you. Don't you eat everyday?"
Cory: "Yeah."
Troy: "As long as you're in my house you put a 'sir' on the end of it when you talk to me."
Cory: "Yes, sir."
Troy: "You eat everyday."
Cory: "Yes, sir."
Troy: "You got a roof over your head."
Cory: "Yes, sir."
Troy: "You got clothes on your back."
Cory: "Yes, sir."
Troy: "Why do you think that is?"
Cory: "Because of you."
Troy: "Hell, I know it's because of me, but why do you think that is?"
Cory: "Because you like me?"
Troy: "Like you. I go out every morning, I bust my butt because I like you. You're about the biggest fool I ever saw. A man is supposed to take care of his family, you live in my house, fill your belly with my food, put your behind on my bed, because you're my son. It's my duty to take care of you, I owe a responsibility to you. I ain't got to like you. Now I done everything I got to give you, I gave you your life! Me and your mama worked that out between us and liking your black ass wasn't part of the bargain. Now don't you go through life worrying about whether somebody like you or not, you best be making sure that they're doing right by you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Everything that boy do he do for you."

Troy: "When I first met this woman, I saw Rose and I latched onto her. I told her, 'Baby, I don't want to marry, I just want to be your man.' Rose told me..."
Rose: "I told him, 'If he wasn't the marrying kind then move out the way so the marrying kind could find me.'"
Troy: "That's what she told me. 'You're in my way', 'You're blocking the view', 'Move out the way so I can find me a husband'."

"Everything that boy do he do for you."
[to Troy]

"Where's Cory? I want him to help me with this fence."
[to Rose]