Cory

= All About Cory: = === Add a favorite line of dialogue or a particular description and explain why you find it striking (arranged in chronological order). Please cite act, scene, and page numbers for easy reference (ex 1.2.37). Be sure to include your name. Avoid using the phrase "this quote" or "this quotation". ===

“Mr. Stawicki say he gonna hold my job for me until after the football season. Say starting next week I can work weekends.” (1.3.35) I found what Cory said here to be important, because he is telling his father that he wants to play football at the college level, and to do that he is quitting his job. But he will still work on the weekends so he is still earning money and has a job. Although he is lying to Troy, this shows the commitment that he has to follow his dream of becoming a football player at the college level. And how much he thinks he can achieve it, as he is taking desperate measures to become the person that he imagines himself to be. But by lying to his Troy, this only makes the situation worse for him later on. -Shavonne

“Come on, Pop!” (1. 3.36) This phrase by Cory highlights the relationship between him and his father, Troy. Cory aspires to become a professional baseball player, struggles through adolescence, and seeks his father’s love and approval. Troy on the other hand, disapproves of his ambitions, gives him stern advice on life, and bashes his need for fatherly love and approval. This “tough love” method of being protected by his father, along with being taught important life lessons based on Troy’s personal experiences can be seen as quite hindering in Cory’s perspective. The boy’s relationship with his father is apathetic to say the least, at times becoming very tense. Such an uneasy relationship resulted in Cory leaving his family abruptly to start an independent life away from his father. -John Wong

Cory: "I got to go to the game! I'll clean it up when i get back." (CORY exits.) This was one of my favorite lines from Cory because it shows how dedicated Cory is in achieving his true dreams, playing football. One of the most important aspects of his life is playing football and he puts this ahead of other things such as doing household chores for his family. Cory says he "got to go to the game!", the word "got" and the exclamation mark emphasize the importance of football in his life and the stage directions also support this as he immediately leaves for his game, (CORY exits.). - OLIVER

"Cory: Can I ask you a question?... How come you ain't never liked me? (1.3.37)" ﻿I found this simple question to be a striking as it contrasts Cory and Troy to have completely different attitudes regarding the idea of 'fatherhood'. While Cory is more driven by his emotions and feels suppressed by his father's demands that he get his job back, his father in contrast prefers to act in a more orderly and stern manner and disregards Cory's ideas and dreams. This leads Cory to feel hurt and believe that he is disliked by his father, when in truth Troy is only unable to express his concern for his child in a more caring manner. In a way, by asking the question why Troy didn't like him, Cory expresses his honest but seemingly naive opinions. -Riowena Seah

Cory: “just cause you didn’t have a chance! You just scared I’m gonna be better than you, that’s all.” (1.4.58) This is a really striking comment that Cory said to Troy as it really hit Troy’s soft-spot, which is his past on sports. This quote also suggests that Cory is a really rebellious teen and has a real passion for sports but is suppressed by his own father. Him saying this directly to Troy also tells us that Cory has a lot of guts as this can be described to be a punch in the face to Troy. This quote is also one of the most significant parts where Cory separates from Troy. –Henry Fong

“I ain’t quitting the team. I don’t care what Poppa say.” (2. 1. 59) This quote is a great example that reveals Cory’s disposition as determined and his passion for following the sports. Even though Cory is scared of his father, who is his provider, his protector, as well as his boss, Cory decides to go against him for the sake of staying in the football team. Cory’s defiance of his father Troy’s iron fist shows his strong will to continue playing football as well as his determination.- Michael Ren

"Cory comes up behind TROY and grabs him. Troy, surprised, is thrown off balance just as CORY throws a glancing blow that catches him on the chest and knocks him down. TROY is stunned, as is CORY." (2.1 72) I thought that this was once of the most intense moments in the scene. Although there is no dialogue between the characters, the tension and suspense can easily be detected by the stage directions of action. Cory makes a significant transition from a small boy being scolded by his father, to a man standing up for what he believes is right. His father is surprised by his rebellious action; Cory himself was also surprised that he managed to thwart his father from hurting Rose. Cory’s significant action brought the audience’s attention foreshadowing that he has the potential courage to stand up for what he believes is right.- Chris Hwa

"i'm trying to find a job." (2.4.81)" After going through the hardship of being banned from the football team. Cory's personality shifts from a dislike to Troy to a strong hatrid towards him, he responds with a nonchalant tone to people when talking about this matter. When talking to Lyons about the issue, his tone was also cold. He says "I'm trying to find a job," from this line, the hate towards Troy is reflected. He does not only have to abandon his lifetime dream and possibly the only chance of being successful at life, but also have to endure the pain of finding a job in town as a colored person.This is one of my favorite line by Cory because even though it does not have any stage directions describing it, I can imagine the coldness and hate Cory expresses while saying it. -robert lee

"//CORY wanders over to the tree, picks up the bat and assumes a batting stance. He studies an imaginary pitcher and swings. Dissatisfied with the result, he tries again. TROY enters. They eye each other for a beat. CORY puts the bat down and exits the yard."// (2.4.81) It is apparent from this incident that Cory is growing and trying to portray himself as a man by imitating hlis father batting imaginary pitches. However, it appears that he is still not quite up to par with his father's standards he is dissatisfied with his own batting. Next, when Troy enters, an immediate tension is created between the two characters and this uneasy mood is passed on to the audience through their actions. The two's eye contact is a powerful yet wordless battle of wills, with Cory succumbing to the tension and exiting as a result. Furthermore, this particular incident clearly foreshadows the conflict and defeat Cory is about to face while arguing with Troy and wrestling for the baseball bat, which takes place only two-three pages later. Jerry

"I ain't got to say excuse me to you. You don't count around here no more." (2.4.85) This line from Cory shows his change in attitude towards Troy throughout the play. At first, Cory was always very afraid of Troy and very obedient, listening to all his orders. After Troy has an affair with Alberta, Cory is more independent and refuses to listen to Troy's instructions anymore, since he strongly dislikes Troy and wants to stand up against him. His status in the family becomes higher, since he fights against Troy and talks back to him instead of obeying him. I think that this line by Cory shows his change throughout the story. -Wendy Yu

"You ain't never gave me nothing! You ain't never done nothing but hold me back. Afraid I was gonna be better than you. All you ever did was try and make me scared of you. I used to tremble every time you called my name. Every time I heard your footsteps in the house..." (2.4.86) I was really shocked reading this line, I could not have ever imagined this coming out from Cory's mouth. He had never spoken up for himself before, but here he is, arguing with Troy with his firm determination of what he believes in. His sudden change of attitude shows that he has somewhat changed into an independent man. Also, it seems that Cory isn't willing to step down from this heated argument, instead he continues to attack and provoke Troy relieving his true feelings he has been hiding from him back when he was still afraid of him. -Valerie Y

"What you gonna do... give me a whupping? You can't whup me no more. You're too old. You just an old man. You just a crazy old man... talking about I got the devil in me. It ain't your yard. You took Uncle Gabe's money he got from the army to buy this house and then you put him out."(2.4.87) This is the point in Cory's life where he finally stands up to what he believes and goes against his father's will. He recognizes that Troy is hypocritical of his ownership of the house and yard, and confronts Troy, declaring him to be old, crazy, and weak. Cory and Troy's relationship shift drastically from Cory being submissive and Troy dominating to Troy being demanding and Cory being rebellious. Cory becomes strong and is no longer the weak submissive self he used to be. -Michael XIe

Cory: "I can't drag Papa with me everywhere I go. I've got to say no to him. One time in my life I've got to say no. (2.5.96) ﻿﻿When Cory returns home for Troy's funeral, he refuses to go to his fathers funeral, but Rose tells him that he should be going, since the reason he is standing healthy and grown here is all because Troy has raised him. However, this is what Cory says as a response to Rose's words. His will of independece from his father, and the wish to escape from the pressure and suppresion that he endured under Troy is revealed with this dialogue line. The repetition of "no" stresses Cory strong will to eliminate the effects that Troy's presence give him.  - He Ra

Cory: “The whole time I was growing up… living in his house… Papa was like a shadow that followed you everywhere. It weighed on you and sunk into your flesh. … I’m just saying I’ve got to find a way to get rid of that shadow, Mama.” (2.5.96 – 97.)

Towards the end of the play, Cory returns from the Marines. This quote depicts the damage Troy has done to Cory during his teenage years. He debates whether or not to attend his father’s funeral, when he remembers the memories of his father. Cory has been living in the past of his father for almost his entire teenage years. His father’s failed baseball career stopped Cory from playing professional football and Troy expressed much of his anger onto Cory. As Cory talks to Rose about the frustration and pain of his teenage years, Cory realizes that in order to move on with his life, he must walk out of the shadow of his father and create something for himself. (Jocelyn Ng)

“I don’t want to be Troy Maxson. I want to be me.” (2.5. 97) Throughout the play, Cory struggles to overcome the “shadow” of his father. Like an angel, Troy watches over Cory, however Troy seems to do more than just watching over, he obstructs Cory’s decisions, and decides Cory’s future for him. Instead of allowing Cory to pursue his interest in football, Troy thinks of a logical future and forces him to work at the A & P to earn hard cash. Cory yearns to come out of his father’s shadow and form his own figure, but when he returns home, Cory refuses to attend his father’s funeral. Although he has been away from his father for a while, this fear of his father’s shadow casting over him is constant. When Rose accuses him of being like Troy, he restates the struggle he has been trying to overcome from the start, “I don’t want to be Troy Maxson. I want to be me.” With confidence and sadness, Cory’s refusal to attend his father’s funeral is a clear sign that he has not yet conquered his struggles. ~Maryanne Cheah

More about Cory:
Attach a visual aid (photograph, painting, shape, color, etc) that represents a character trait of Cory. Be sure to label your contribution and explain the connection. Also include your name.

The symbol I chose for Cory is water. Like water, when Cory is left to his own devices such as playing football, all is peaceful and still, however, when certain events occur, such as the time when Troy was hurting Rose and Cory intervened on his mother's behalf, it becomes disturbed and requires time to become calm again. Water is versatile, and Cory usually "goes with the flow", obeying his elders, but in some occasions, Cory attempts to break through his boundaries and go along his own path. In the last scene where Troy chases Cory from his house, Cory has finally broken free from the fixed path he follows to carve out his own future and make his own decisions. -Riowena Seah



I chose this picture of a jail cage to represent Cory as a kid who is stuck in his adolescent. Because Cory is trying to set free, as he is dreaming to become a football player and doing what he can to become one, since he has a chance that his father didn’t have. But Troy is holding him back, as he doesn’t want to see Cory pursue his dreams, because his own dream of becoming a baseball player did not happen due to the racism when he was young. Which establishes the conflict between father and son, as they have contrasting thoughts. -Shavonne

== ====I find that this image suits Cory best, because it shows Cory as a person who has gradually become stronger. He begins very weak, thinking about how his father would respond to every one of his actions, but then becomes strong (like a grown man) and holds true to what he believes. His strength is gradually established through different incidents, similar to a gymnast becoming more well-built after many sessions. Cory eventually becomes strong enough to counter Troy and threaten him. His actions are what leads him to a more satisfactory life, as seen in the last scene.==== -Michael Xie



I thought that an image of a dog chained up suits Cory because the chained up dog symbolizes someone being encaged or prevented from reaching a level of freedom which is what Cory is experiencing as he is not completely free due to the restrictions from his father, Troy, who tries to prevent him in playing football. Cory also is becoming stronger and later on begins to stand up for himself and tries to talk against a higher authority, the chained up dog also shows this as it 'tries' to break free from its chains, but us ually fails like Cory. - OLIVER



The picture I chose to represent Troy is one with the word “independence” printed out in bold words. Throughout the play, Cory seeks to make his own decisions, going for football rather than doing hard work like his father Troy. Although many times Cory gets shot down by his father and has no power to fight back, he still finds the strength to stand back up, and this strength stems from his strong desire to become an independent man. In the end he wasn’t able to become the professional football player like he had originally dreamed of becoming but was still able to escape his father by joining the army and running away from the strict, limiting ways of Troy Maxson. - Michael Ren

I picked an image of a stressed teen - which actually is what Cory is actually like in the most part of the play - to represent Cory. When I was reading the play, I felt that Cory is not really any different from other normal teenagers. Cory is just like other teenagers who have their own dreams, and who strive to achive them. Cory experiences frequent external conflicts with his father, but this is not uncommon in all the other teenagers' lives. As teenagers are going through puberty, growing up and learning the reality and life in the society, they go through a lot of changes and challenges, and having conflicts with parents regarding dream is one of those challenges that Cory would have to go through as a growing teenager. Thus this image of stressed teen represents Cory who is stressed about his father's opposition to his own decision about his future, and thus struggling to persuade his father to allow him pursue his dream. - He Ra

Cory is like a glow in the dark object, on the outside he looks like everyone else, but during the night, when he dreams, he stands out. In the dark, glow in the dark objects find a way to overcome darkness, similar to Cory trying to overcome Troy’s control over his son. However, things that glow in the dark need light to fuel them. During the day, they absorb enough light to become visible in the dark, like Cory, whose yearning accumulates over the years, being oppressed and obstructed by his own father, he slowly begins to shine as he stands up to Troy, nonetheless, he hasn’t mustered the confidence to completely “shine through the darkness”. ~Maryanne Cheah

I found Cory to be similar to Troy since they have parallel lives and both have a passion for sports. Because of Troy’s persistence he can usually be described to be an iron fist. Cory on the other hand, can be seen as a younger but weaker version of him. Thus, I found it fitting for Cory to be a set of brass knuckles. Cory has the same persistence like his father, and he will not budge for anything but to follow his passion and love for football. –Henry Fong

== I Initially Cory possessed the characteristics of being a puppet as he is controlled by his father’s rules. In the beginning scenes, he shows that he is weak and ultimately afraid of his father. His fear makes it difficult for him to stand up to Troy and fight for what he wants to do with his life. Troy easily controls and manipulates Cory into the man that he wants Cory to be. Troy mad it clear to Cory that he wants him to give up football and work at the A&P. However, as the play progresses, Cory demonstrates initiative and sort of begins to break free of the “strings” that Troy has control over him; taking a stand. - Chris Hwa



I chose this image of a bored businessman, because it reminded me of how trapped Cory is. Cory wishes to be free and independent, to do whatever he likes and wants. Cory wants to play baseball but is not allowed to because Troy doesn't want Cory to walk down the same road he did, which he thinks will not give Cory a good future. This relates to a businessman's life, because at least from this picture, this businessman looks very bored with his current work, just like how Cory is dissatisfied with being a worker at a supermarket, and wants to break free and do something he enjoys. -Wendy Yu

The image of a younger lion fighting for power with an older, more mature lion clearly represents Cory. This representation clearly illustrates Cory's growth and development and how he is no longer scared to challenge the authority of his father. As Cory becomes more and more independent, he is ready to risk his own position in the house to usurp Troy's dominance over himself. Although unsuccessful and kicked out of the house, Cory's newly found confidence and independence serve him well in achieving the position of US Marine Corporal. Jerry



This is an image of a steaming kettle. The procedure to the stage of steaming is illustrated by: 1) filling the kettle with water, 2) boiling the water in the kettle and 3) the kettle reaches 100ºC and steams. Similar to this procedure, Cory's life is followed first by literally a dumping of hate and rudeness by Troy. As he grows up, Troy offends him and confronts him in all ways, even destroying his lifetime dream. Finally, he gets to 'stage three' where he becomes mad and starts getting strikes from Troy. This procedure is repeated from stages to stages throughout the book where the strikes build up. Thus, I believe that the kettle is a symbol of Cory.



The rope pulled taught is symbolic of the strained relationship between Cory and his father. Cory always struggles to get what he wants, and yet is constantly held back by his father. Although his father's intentions may be good, Cory disagrees with his beliefs and possesses a completely different outlook on life. Unable to follow his dreams or ambitions and never receiving his father's approval, the ice is finally broken when Cory moves away from Troy and the family after a heated dispute. Ironically, his decision to no longer rely on his father as his "responsibility" is what enabled him to become the independent individual in life that he is now. -John Wong

Personally, I see Cory as Bullseye (yes, the Target dog). The collar around the dog represents the restrictions Cory used to have, living with his father. This is primarily shown through his father’s decision of not letting Cory play football. The collar also represents Cory’s newfound freedom after he left home, since the collar is not tied to a leash. This includes Cory joining the Marines and his decision to no attend his father’s funeral. The target painted on the dog’s eye represents the one thing that Cory see’s as an important goal in life: to play professional football. Unfortunately, this goal was not reached due to his father’s interventions. This can be represented through the painted bull’s-eye as well; since the bull’s-eye is painting around the dog’s eye, the dog cannot actually see it, just like how Cory never got to see his goal happen. (Jocelyn Ng)