Fences
by August Wilson
Fences by August Wilson is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where Fences is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
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About this book
Set in 1950s Pittsburgh, August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play centers on Troy Maxson, a former Negro Leagues ballplayer turned sanitation worker whose disappointments shape every relationship in his household. As Troy clashes with his son Cory over opportunity and obligation, the play examines race, broken dreams, and the weight one generation passes to the next. Part of Wilson's ten-play Century Cycle, it is widely assigned in grades 9-12 for its language and its portrait of mid-century Black family life.
Why widely assigned
This Drama title, typically at grades 9–12. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on father-son relationships and race; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Themes
father-son relationships · race · family · fatherhood · ambition
Content notes
infidelity · strong language
Where this book is assigned
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Common questions
- What grade level is Fences?
- Fences is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- How long does it take to read Fences?
- It takes about 2h 5m to read Fences (112 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 125 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign Fences?
- Fences appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Fences banned in schools?
- Fences has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (KS) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
- What themes does Fences explore?
- Central themes in Fences include father-son relationships, race, family, fatherhood, ambition. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
- Grade band
- Grades 9–12 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- Documented as challenged or removed in 1 state per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.