Parents have the most dificult job in the world, they are required to bring children into the world and then instill upon them the values that will help guide their success or failure in life. Every parent has a different ideas on how to best accomplish this, sometimes they work, but more than often they fail in an even more constructive way than was intended. As it turns out in fences, Troy failed more than he succeeded, but as a result his children were better off for it.
Lyons was his first born son, and probably his biggest mistake. Troy would push Lyons to find work that wasn't satisfying to him, to through away his dreams and squander his hopes and desires. As a result of this, Lyons was able to see the kind of man he should never be, instead he was always encouraging the dreams of others and pushing them to strive for their goals. This was very evident with his interactions with Cory, who had the dream of going to college and playing football and earning a higher education. Every time Lyons saw Cory he would give that extra support and encouragement for him to go after his dreams. When he showed up in the last scene before Troy's funeral, he was still asking others about what they wanted in life, and reassuring them that they would surely be able to get what they wanted.
Cory was his second son, and his first and final child with Rose. The relationship between Cory and Troy was more prominent during the play than that of Lyons or Raynell, which allowed for a better look on the influence that Troy had on his son. The first thing that Troy failed at was establishing a work first play later attitude in Cory. Cory wanted to live more like Lyons, chasing his dream of becoming more successful than his father ever was. Troy forced Cory out of sports, out of his favor, and out of his house, but in the process Cory learned what hard work and dedication and duty could do to create a successful future. After he was kicked out of the house, he left to become a marine, and to do so he used the mentality his father helped grow inside of him. Although the mere idea of being like his father haunted him, he actually became everything that made his father good. He was hard working, determined, deontological, and demanding man that would not let another soul control his destiny. This brought him to a higher level, a place where he could now go anywhere with endless possibilities.
Troy's last child was Raynell, but not a whole lot of description or character was developed in the play. But the greatest thing that Troy did for Raynell was not even directly to her, but rather an action that had occured about 15 years before she was even born, and he would later look back and find that it was a mistake, he married Rose. The greatest blessing that he was able to give to his daughter was by giving her a mother who knew what to to for the child, someone who saw what his sons went through to get to the point where they are now, and she would be able to raise Raynell to have the values of hard work that would help her to find success.
Troy was by no means a perfect father, quite the opposite as a matter of fact, but what he did do was help bring to life three amazing children. Despite his many faults and screw-ups, Troy did what he thought was right, he taught the lessons that he had to learn for himself. Not always in the best way, but every one of his kids learned the same lessons one way or the other.
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