Morally Ambiguous Characters in 'Fences' and "Master Harold . . . and the Boys' Faiza Narsinghani 12th Grade

Morally ambiguous characters are defined as characters who cannot be identified as wholly evil or good. Both Hally, from “Master Harold” …and the boys, and Troy Maxson, from Fences, exhibit qualities of morally ambiguous characters. In Fences, by August Wilson, the main character serves as a morally ambiguous character, in the form of diction, characterization, and symbols, and is similar to the main character present in “Master Harold” …and the boys, by Athol Fugard.

Diction is one of the essential ways to identify a morally ambiguous character through the analyzation of their tone and choice of words. In “Master Harold” …and the boys, Hally partakes in conversations with two African workers, Sam and Willie, in which Hally exhibits his moral ambiguity. During one of the earliest conversations, Hally yells, “How the hell am I supposed to concentrate with the two of you behaving like bloody children” (Fugard 38). In this dialogue, it is apparent that Hally views Sam and Willie as children and in a demeaning manner. Although they are the adults of the household, racism, a bad moral quality, makes a stance in Willie as he uses his superiority to overpower and disrespect those different than him. The use of the words “hell” and “...