Consequences of Feuds

Consequences of Feuds

Arguments and fights are the common feuds among people. People become filled with anger, they lose sight of what is important and they allow the feuds to consume them, which in turn leads them to dying alone. By examining Fences by August Wilson, “Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver, and “The Interlopers” by Saki the reader can see the consequences and sequences of feuds and rivalries.

In the early stages of a growing rivalry people become angry and resentful. When Troy holds a grudge against baseball because he wasn’t able to go pro, he is only able to think of how angry he is; “Troy: What is ever get me? Ain’t got a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of” (Wilson 9). Troy says this along with other lines expressing how he never had a real chance, because the game was rigged. After he gets denied his chance at the pro league, his only option is to hate the cause of his frustration, which directs all the anger back at the league. Similarly, in “Popular Mechanics” the protagonists allow themselves to become angry and resentful; “Then she noticed the baby’s picture on the bed and picked it up. He looked at her and she wiped her eyes and stared at him before turning and going back to the living room. Bring that back he said. Just get your things and get out, she said” (Carver 1). This happens after what the reader assumes is a break up and someone is getting kicked out. The author shows how the two are angry at each other through their impatience for one another. The end of feud is another place that is filled with anger and can escalate very quickly. In a grudge you only think about why you are angry and it can lead to getting out of hand.

As the anger inside people continues to grow they begin to lose sight of what is important. Troy becomes so caught up in his past experiences that when his son begins to succeed at sports, Troy refuses to be reasonable; “You a bigger fool than I thought… To let somebody take away your job so you can play some football” (Wilson 36). This is an example of how Troy shuts Cory down every time he brings up his football career. Troy believes that Cory will never have any chance, solely based on his grudge against the league. He loses the sight of how good cory is and how much cory