How does Wilson create the time period of the play with his language? Could the play take place in a different decade? Why or why not?

Wilson creates a sense of time in his play by referring indirectly to the civil rights movement of the 1950s. It is a time when African Americans are fighting for rights. Though they have not yet gained some of those rights, they are still actively asking for them.For example, Troy asks his boss, "Why you got the white mens driving and the colored lifting?" "Colored" was a term for African Americans at that time, and Troy's pursuit of a job that is traditionally held by whites is a sign of the changing nature of the times during the civil rights movement. Though no African Americans are yet able to drive a truck, the fact that Troy feels as though he can ask without a fear of savage retaliation is a sign of the times.However, the times are still transitional. Rose tells Troy, "Times have changed since you was playing baseball, Troy. That was before the war." Rose is referring to the time before World War II, when African Americans were barred from playing in white leagues. Though the baseball league was integrated shortly after the war, Troy still feels that whites won't allow his son to play football in their leagues. The play could also take place in the early 1960s, but not before—when there was rigid segregation—or afterward, when the society became less segregated.