Comparing two literary characters can reveal more about the individual "person" than what the reader may perceive simply from reading about them. Take Troy Maxson and his son Corey for an example. Troy was brought up during the time when the blacks got no respect from the whites, when Corey on the other hand was born during the time when such things were changing. "Times have changed from when you was young, Troy. People change. The world's changing around you and you can't even see it" (PG. 1303). Corey is a good student and a hard working young man. A recruiter was looking at Corey in thoughts of recruiting him to play football in college, but with his father's doubts and uncertainty, Corey's dreams came crashing down just as fast as his father's once did. Troy's life revolved around his family, friends, and his job. Once having his dreams crushed by the fact that he was black, Troy became a garbage collector. To make change in the way race worked, he decided to fight for being the first colored garbage truck driver in the city and won. However, from then on Troy had issues trusting whites and he believed that there was no hope being black. He continuously gave his son Corey a hard time about believing the recruiter and believing that he would play for a college football team. "Man on the team and what it get him? They got colored on the team and don't use them. Same as not having them. All them teams the same" (PG. 1300) Corey being a believer brings out the frustration of the past for Troy. It shows that no matter how much he says he hates whites, in reality he is mad at himself.
Corey and Troy both have the same motives of being hard workers and making something of their lives. They are just on different pages, both stubborn in their own way. They both try and guide each other in the opposite direction. Corey believes his father should look past what happened in the past where Troy likes to sit on it and believe that nothing i...