Dreams and aspirations are a natural yet risky part of life. When goals are met, positive emotions are experienced. There is a sense of relief, fulfillment, and achievement. Yet, even best-laid plans can go awry. In the darkness of such life events, when one hoped for fruits to bear based upon passion and labor, there is pain and sadness felt by not obtaining what is believed to have been earned. Despite persistently sowing, no harvest is reaped, which leaves past dreams lost. Disappointment is a natural human emotion when one finds oneself holding dreams that have not been actualized.

For some, past disappointments are challenging to overcome, impacting one’s life in a profound way, shaping behavior, and restricting positive emotions from being felt and displayed. Within the film Fences—directed by Denzel Washington—the Maxson family, comprised of husband, wife, and son, experience momentous disappointments that influence the trajectory of their independent and interconnected lives. Specifically, Denzel Washington’s portrayal of a middle-aged man’s struggle within the character Troy Maxson illustrates the impact disappointment can have and how these emotions can shape one’s global perspective.

Troy Maxson found that his life included past disappointments that permeated through his clear and drunken thoughts. He expressed, during many tirades, feeling that he had opportunities taken from him due to racism based upon being an African American man in the 1950s. Troy held fond memories of playing baseball, an activity that brought him pride. He additionally attributed this sport to rescuing him from a life of crime, and providing him hope for a different type of future. Troy’s accomplishments were substantial, possessing batting averages more impressive........

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