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Rose's name, like August Wilson's mother's name, Daisy, is the name of a flower. Flowers, seeds and planting comprise a motif that Wilson uses in Fences to represent nurturing, loving, kindness, and care because of the parallel qualities these attributes share with all living things that need nurturing to grow or change, like love and patience and forgiveness. Rose Maxson exemplifies these traits of compassion in all her relationships, especially as a parent. Unlike Troy, Rose is a fair judge of character, and has a more realistic perception of her life, as can be seen in her consistent corrections of Troy’s exaggerated or misleading memories. She puts her faith in her husband and son and hopes for a better future while not begrudging the stagnant present situation. Troy, meanwhile, counteracts her with his bitterness about the past and how it has negatively affected his current circumstances. This juxtaposition is best seen in their reactions to Cory’s high school football career and college prospects. While Troy is skeptical to the point that he actively sabotages Cory’s opportunities, Rose is optimistic, hoping that Cory’s talent might lead him to a better future. Rose is a truly good and grounding influence in Troy’s life, and his betrayal of her trust marks the beginning of his total downfall and alienation from his community. Bono and Cory lose their respect for Troy, as Rose is no longer there to shield Troy from the consequences of his selfish and bitter behavior.
Although Troy’s faults are obvious, it’s also clear why Rose married him—he’s a responsible provider and a dependable spouse and father. Rose seeks to keep Troy and her family unit safe from pernicious and racist outside influences, symbolized by her insistence that Troy build a fence around the family home. However, she doesn’t realize that Troy is building an entirely different fence, which will isolate him from his family rather than keep them all together. Rose’s patience and forgiveness eventually meet their limit when she learns that Troy had an affair with Alberta and fathered a child outside their marriage. Troy attempts to justify his infidelity by explaining that the affair helped him escape the burdens of family responsibility, but this excuse falls flat to Rose, who is just as exhausted by life and its hardships as her husband. While Rose might have liked to relax and forget about her troubles in the company of another man, she refrained from doing so out of loyalty and love. That Troy cannot give her the same respect and devotion that she gives him is the breaking point of their relationship, and their marriage is never the same. Rose’s plight reflects that of many women, particularly Black American women, who often were forced into financially dependent marriages with men who did not appreciate their sacrifices or their domestic and emotional labor.
