Today's in-class essay asked you to discuss the complexities of your 20th century novel, to move beyond an obvious or superficial reading of the text and to examine it on a more subtle, a more critical, level.
Tonight I ask you to apply the same type of thinking to August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson." In your blog post, describe three different complexities that were revealed to you throughout the play. Use specific details from the play to back your assertions.
Also, use your post to respond to the comments of your classmates. If one of the Katies or Kates posted something that you agree with, respond to that (Like Katie, I thought that Doaker represented...). If one of the Dylans/Dillons posted something that you had never even considered before, comment upon that! If you find the observations of "one who shall not be named" to be tragically misguided, argue (gently and with all of the compassion you can muster, knowing that your observations are open to criticism as well...) against that perspective, offering something else instead.
Got it? Good! Now get to work...
OH, don't forget to include your name in your response. No name, no credit, no bueno.
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28 comments:
As I read the finale, bringing Grace in immediately struck me as an attempt to put every actor on the stage for the finale. But as I read on and noticed the effect it had on Lymon, I realized that she represented his struggle throughout the play. Boy Willie represented the life he wanted to leave behind: working menial tasks as a sharecropper, pulling of schemes to get money, sometimes making himself little better than a thief (as he would have been if he had sold the piano against Berniece's wishes). Grace represented the life he wanted: a life up North, working at whatever he wanted to do to make money, and living with a woman who loves him as a person. By appearing at that instant, she forced him to commit to one and leave the other, sort of like a point of no return.
Playing the piano to exorcise the ghost seemed odd also. I sort of understood why Boy Willie gave up, though; it fulfilled his earlier conditional that he would leave the piano alone if they used it. However, they were just using it as an heirloom that took up space and reminded them of the past. That's essentially why the ghost inhabited it: they didn't use it except as a reminder of the past. Berniece wouldn't play it because it reminded her of her family, her dead father, and her dead husband. By playing it, she essentially came to terms with that. She gave the piano a use for the present, as a sort of reconciliation with and acceptance of the past. Before that, it had no use in the present; it was just a reminder of the past, much like Sutter's ghost. Playing it made it metaphorically pulled it into the present.
Another thing that strikes me as odd is the ghost's reaction to Boy Willie trying to move the piano. It purposely tries to stop him. It seems odd, but I now have a feeling that it may be a sort of bequeathal from the afterlife. Essentially, the ghost still got a say in who got the piano, because (unless I'm mistaken), Doaker, Wining Boy, and Berniece's dad stole it from the Sutter family. So, in a way, Sutter (or, rather, his ghost) felt like he got a vote on who should get it, and he wanted their family to keep it. Hence, he tried to stop Boy Willie from selling it because he was out-voted-He and Berniece wanted their family to hold onto it, and Boy Willie didn't. Final vote, 2-1. It makes me wonder whether he wanted Boy Willie to have his land.
Any other thoughts on these points would be welcome.
Theo
The whole finale was a little strange to me. I thought that it was strange that Bernice and Doaker, who are so superstitious about ghosts in supernatural way, rely on Avery to use the Bible to do the exorcism. I thought it showed the relationship between their African culture and their American culture. The final scene seemed too dramatic for me. I felt that Wilson was just trying to wrap up the play without really giving it an ending. What Theo said about Grace was interesting. I never thought about her that way.
Something I noticed about the play was the repeating idea about trains. Doaker spends a significant number of lines expressing why people use the trains to travel. At the end of the novel a train’s whistle is also heard, and the ghost of the yellow dog also involves a train. I thought it could represent how all the characters are connected to each other and how their pasts are all intertwined. (I’m not sure…it could stand for something deeper.)
I felt that the final struggle between Willie Boy and Sutter represented the long racial struggle between whites and blacks in the south. I felt that the ghost still had power over much of the decisions that the family could make. Just like the time period the novel is set in, the white population had a strong influence over the blacks. Once the struggle was finished, I felt that Willie Boy was realizing that his family had come a long way since the slavery times and that the piano represents his fathers struggle with Sutter. (This could be wrong…)
Yasmine Khairandish
Period 3
One thing that struck as important in the play was the songs. The first song was about working on a prison farm. The second song is about aimless travel,the third is about traveling to specific places, the third is about thinking through and reconsidering you actions, and the final one is about thanks. What this represents to me is an overall change in the mood of the play. In the beginning, Boy Willie and Lymon come in as suspicious criminal like figures. Then Lymon is thinking about what he wants to do and where he wants to go. Then Lymon appears to be set in his decision on where he wants to be. In the final scene, he hesitates in his actions deciding whether or not he should help move the piano. Then, at the final scene Berniece gives thanks for the peace that has been brought to her house.
Something that struck me as amazing in the play was the effects of Avery's exorcism. While his actions did not seem to have effected Sutter's ghost, it did have an effect on Boy Willie. When Avery prays "A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you: and i will take out of your flesh the heart of stone, and I will give you a heart of flesh." A piano has no heart and a ghost has no flesh so the exorcism will have no effect on either of these things. Boy Willie on the otherhand, posses both. The reason behind why he suddenly drops the issue of the piano is best explained by this. The exorcism de-possed him of his greed, selfishness, and singlemindedness. It replaced his stone heart with a human one that understands the significance of the piano.
One final thing that struck me as interesting in the play was the story about Crawley. He got shot while helping Boy Willie and Lymond load some stolen wood. According to Berniece, Crawley did not know that the wood was stolen or else he never would have helped Boy Willie and Lymon. According to Boy Willie on the other hand, Crawley knew all about the wood. It is up to the reader to decide why he died, but why did Wilson do this? I think he did this to represent either how that if you tell a lie enough, you eventually believe it (Boy Willie did help cause Crawley's death), or that grief will make you attack the easiest target (Berniece is using Boy Willie as a scapegoat to rage against the early death of her husband).
Will Woodruff
Like Yasmine, I found the whole finale a little odd. More than a little odd, actually.
Throughout the whole play I had become increasingly annoyed with Boy Willie: I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and scream, "GIVE UP THE PIANO!" Of course, August Wilson made Boy Willie relentless, greedy, and a bit shameless on purpose. These characteristics increased the effect of Boy Willie's acception of the fact that Berniece wasn't going to give up the piano. I was relieved when Boy Willie finally gave up his fight for the piano after its exorcism.
I agree with Theo's thought that the piano was the family's way of holding onto the past. Having the piano sitting there in their home was a burden. Until the exorcism, the whole play was tense and heavy. By letting go of the tensions both in the present and the past, the family finally came to be at peace with themselves and each other.
I also found it strange that Berniece playing the piano was a better exorcism than Avery's preaching. After reading that, I thought, 'So playing the piano is a better way to get rid of the ghost than religion or supersticion?!' To me, it contradicted the whole 'Sutter's ghost is here' mess that kept Boy Willie from taking the piano in the first place! But, in the end, I realized that maybe Wilson was trying to convey that a simple act (like playing a piano) can set ghosts of the past free.
Ava Pacheco
period 3
I agree with Yasmine and Ava about that whole last bit being weird. It did seem like Wilson was just trying to end the play, hurrying to wrap it up but that’s just my opinion.
Berniece is the most interesting character for me. She is so refuses to play the piano and yet she won’t sell it either. Moreover, she refuses to pass the piano's history onto Maretha and celebrate it within the family. Berniece can do nothing but carry the past and its traumas with her. Boy Willie on the other hand would sell the piano in the name of his future, a future that would avenge his ancestors and secure his success, all the while proclaiming its history with pride, and pass it onto the future generations.
The two siblings seem to represent the different ways African Americans in that day and age responded to the fact that their ancestors were slaves. I’m sure many of them would have preferred to just forget their family’s history all together while others would have gathered strength from the past generations hardships and found courage in them.
~Colleen Harrison
pd. 3
first off something that i thought was really random in the play was the very short romance if you will between berniece and lymon. to me it seemed out of place and rather irrelevant to the story except for the fact that it confirms wining boy's comment that the suit guarantees you a woman.
with that aside, one of the complexities that i picked up was the truth on how sutter really died. boy willie assures the family that it was "the ghosts of the yellow dog" that pushed sutter into the well. however it was (i think...) boy willie who pushed sutter into the well because his death would open up the land so that he could buy it. i thought it was interesting how boy willie and sutter's ghost have a little scuffle in the final scene, and how boy willie screams at sutters ghost to "come on and get some more of this water". this complexity is not needed, however it adds a twist to the play.
at the beginning of the play since it's called "the piano lesson", i thought that maretha would learn to play the piano and it would bring the family out of poverty. this was very early in the book of course, and that is not at all what the story is. i still am not sure what got wilson to pick the name "the piano LESSON". if i were him i would have named the play something probably more cliche such as "the magic piano" or "the piano of destiny" <--- that one sounds pretty legit if you ask me... but i guess this just confirms the saying that you cant judge a book by its cover
in connection to my first complexity mentioned, i enjoyed how wilson threw in a few subplots into the background of the play. These include the truth of sutter's death, the story of how crawley died along with the accusations of berniece and the justifications of boy willie, and also how avery wants to marry berniece and settle down as a preacher. some of these details could have been left out of the play, however they are what made the play as stellar as it is.
-Dylan Guthrie
Like Ava said, I think that Berneice playing the piano in the finale symbolizes how letting go of the past is freeing and beneficial to all involved. Throughout the play, Berneice is angry, bitter, and closed off to the other characters. She has a set way of thinking about each of the other people in the play and is not amenable to change. Yet as soon as she plays the piano, the tension ceases; the last words that she says are thank you.This from an angry widow? I believe that Wilson meant the finale to show that the black population should let go of the wrongs done to them in the past and focus on the future while still holding on to their culture.
I thought that the railroad was also another interesting theme throughout the play. I think it represents freedom to Doaker; during the days that the family was enslaved, their every move was governed by the Sutters. Also they were tied to the land, farming and clearing it all day long. The railroad offered a means of escape. Papa charles tried to escape on it, though his attempt proved unsuccessful. For Doaker though, the railroad provides him with a steady job, money, and independence from the land that he had to work down south.
One thing about the play that I am kind of confused about is the purpose of Maretha's character. She just kind of seems to be present. Maybe Wilson tried to use her to show what the black people would be like without a connection to their past and culture- not very vivid, kind of fading into the woodwork. As soon as Boy Willie starts telling her aobut their past, she wakes up a little, becoming more interesting and having more lines. But I am really not sure what to make of her.
Katie de Alvarez
Even though in our class discussions, we've had a tendency to cast Boy Willie in a rather negative and selfish light, I never believed that he was motivated by pure greed or selfishness. Although many of his acts were rather intolerant and frankly rude, I believed he could be redeemed. As I go over the play, I think the conflict between Berniece and Boy Willie arises due to a difference in world views. To me, it seems that Berniece adopts a rather deontological perspective. To her, an act is either right or wrong; there really isn't an "in-between" or a middle ground. However, for Boy Willie, he seems to be more utilitarian in his perspective. To him, if Berniece refuses to play the piano, and thus the piano plays little useful function, then its more suitable and advantageous for the piano to be traded for cash to purchase land. I do believe that Boy Willie respects the piano and his family's history, but I think he's also more pragmatic. As Ava mentioned, I'm rather impressed by Boy Willie's assent to keeping the piano, and I think that final act help justify his previous behavior. Even though he erred, I truly do think that he believed he was right in doing what he did.
During one of our class discussions, Yawen interestingly pointed out that there was a general lack of respect for authority, especially Boy Willie's disregard for Doaker. Initially, I completely agreed with her assessment, as Boy Willie rather arrogantly dismissed anyone else's opinion. However, upon closer examination, Doaker doesn't really assume the responsibilities typically expected of the family elder. Even though he is their uncle and he should intervene, he only does so casually, almost mechanically and routinely. For me to condemn Boy Willie's disrespect for Doaker, it requires for Doaker to actually be the adult and try to arbitrate. Instead, he usually just stands by and offers a few inputs, but he never really addresses the conflict or offer anything substantial.
Lastly, I think the role of the piano is quite fascinating. Although I tended to associate the piano with the family's past because of the history surrounding the piano, a certain aspect of the piano also represents the future. For Berneice, the piano is sacred and she herself does not feel worthy enough to play it, but she allows her daughter this special privilege. Despite their rather gloomy current situation, she has aspirations for her daughter to become a pianist. The piano functions as the vehicle to a better future, perhaps similar to the role we ascribe to education today. Similarly, for Boy Willie, the piano also represents the future--the money generated from the selling of the piano can be used to purchase land. No longer will they work other people's land; instead, he plans to hire people to work his land. Lacking other resources to generate money, Boy Willie sees the piano as the critical link to a brighter future. I don't quite know why but the more I rethink the play, the more sympathetic I become to Boy Willie...
Annie Wang
I agree with everyone, the exorcism was a little weird! However, it did go along with the continuous theme of superstition we had detected. Overall, I think August Wilson was attempting to convey the nagging desires of our own desires, up against those other's, and what better example of that than within the realm of a family. In a way, I think Berneice, Boy Willie, Winning Boy, and Doaker, were all dealing with the demise of loved ones in their own way, which seemed to render them selifish. I agree with Theo and Ava about the piano. It was an heirloom that physically united them all but also tore them apart realtion wise. It was meant to be a common ground but no one could find that common ground by staring at it. I feel August Wilson threw the whole Sutter's Ghost thing in there to enact upon all of them a sense fear. The fact that Grace and Avery were depicted as oblivious to the spirit, added another unifying factor: Only the family members heard the ghost. Berneice, reacting off adrenaline to save her brother from the wrath of Sutter, jumps to the piano and all fighting ceases. In the end, Sutter's ghost was effective in attaining peace for the time being, but there is a sense of retribution in Boy Willie's words when he says, "... me and sutter both liable to come back." The piano will always remain as the symbol of the past , but when it is played it is a symbol of mending the broken past.
Analise Riddle, Period 3
Although everyone thought that the finale seemed strange, I found it fitting. I had a feeling that the exorcism wouldn't work on getting rid of Sutter's ghost. After all, Berniece was the one carrying the burden of the piano and the death of Sutter on her shoulders, not Avery. Therefore, she should be the one ridding herself of those burdens. Only by playing the cursed piano is she finally able to rid herself of her fears and of Sutter's lingering spirit.
Another point I want to touch up on is the fact that Boy Willie would just not give up on the piano! It was infuriating to me, as a reader, and I failed to comprehend why he wanted to buy the land so much. Then, I realized that because Boy Willie had grown up in the South, he was never able to grasp any form of power in his hands. Blacks in the South were oppressed and mistreated (although racial bigotry still existed in the North). Now that he was in the North, Boy Willie was able to purchase land which in his eyes, was a sign of wealth and power. Perhaps this is why he refused to give up on his quest of selling the piano, no matter what obstacles stood in his way.
Additionally, I noticed that although Lymon had his eyes on Grace in the club, Boy Willie took her away from him. To me, this represents the competition between the two men and the fact that Boy Willie dominates Lymon. Lymon is seen as friendly and understanding while Boy Willie comes off as arrogant and disrespectful. This simple action of taking one man's desired woman away shows the vastly different personalities of Boy Willie and Lymon.
I found Theo’s point on Grace very interesting. I had at first considered that Lymon was struggling with choosing between two lifestyles but I did not realize that Grace was representative of this. She was brought into the scene for a reason, to show that Lymon had to choose the life that he wanted. Whether he wanted to be satisfied with living the life of criminal and taking menial jobs here and there to make due or to actually settle down like Berniece, Doaker, and Avery had done.
I believe Sutter’s ghost did not want the piano to be sold because of two reasons. One of them being that he wanted the Charles family to keep it and the other being that his history was also in the piano. In selling the piano, Sutter would also lose part of his history, which was intertwined with the Charles’ history. Sutter had many memories in that piano too. That piano represented the life he had on his farm and his beloved wife who loved that piano and her slaves. Sutter’s wife, Miss Ophelia “got excited” when she saw the newly carved piano because she could have “her piano and her niggers too” (Wilson 44). In letting the Charles family sell it, the connection between his wife and the slaves would be severed, and Sutter felt that his beloved memories could not be divided like this. This is why he wrestled with Boy Willie and kept the Charles family from selling the piano. In keeping the piano, not only was the Charles’ history preserved but so was Sutter’s.
Berniece’s playing the piano was representative of her overcoming and coming to grips with her family’s past. For the longest time she could not and would not even dare to speak about their past. She kept it from Maretha to keep the burden and pain from her. In doing so, Berniece just placed the burden upon herself, the pain of keeping all that anger and despair inside. Overtime, this embittered her, she became so consumed by their history and the past sufferings that she could not move on to get married or do anything it seems. All she did was just live, and nothing more than that. At one point, Lymon even suggests to Berniece that she “ought to go ahead and get married” to Avery (Wilson 79). The thing that keeps her from marrying him is not only Crawley’s death but her past history before that. If she can not come to grips with her family’s history, how can she then accept Crawley’s death? Berniece’s refusal to play the piano represented her denial and inability to accept her family’s difficult past, but when she finally played it, she showed that she had overcome her past fears and bitterness. Instead of ignoring her past, she embraced it fully and even found strength in it.
Another thing I noticed was that when Avery attempted to bless the house he was faced with great opposition. In the end, he is forced to tell Berniece, “I can’t do it” (Wilson106). In all the commotion that was occurring in the final scene, the Avery and the Lord’s power was unable to prevail in this situation. This exemplifies the African American culture in the 1930s. Although many believed in God and went to church, they still believed in the power of myths and superstition over religion. I found it quite interesting how the characters claimed to believe in both, which caused a kind of tension between the two opposite ideas. Although each was present throughout the whole story, it became evident in the end that superstition was the more prominent of the two. To them, the superstitious powers were even above the control of God.
Chris Gaw
I agree with other people that the conflict between the past and present is a major part of this book. However, people often seem to focus on Berniece's burden of the past while forgetting Boy Willie's.
Boy Willie is unable to move the past his father's legacy of being a nobody. Boy Willie doesn't even want to have children for fear of bringing them into a world where they cannot be proud of their father. He seems deeply affected by his father being forced to work on the Sutter's land. I think that this is what drives him to so relentlessly pursue his own land. He feels a need to impress on others how far he has come and that he is at the top of life.
Also, what struck me as odd was Berniece's reason for not playing the piano. She didn't really seem to care that much that her father had died for that piano, but rather the effect it had on her mother. Her mother was constantly reminded of the sorrow and loss of her husband, and the only thing Berniece could do to soothe the pain was play the piano. I think this is to show that our actions don't just have consequences for ourselves; we often leave others behind, hurt, and sometimes alone.
I, like many other people, thought Grace's sudden appearance a bit strange. The more I thought about it, the more appropriate it seemed. Grace is grace. She is completely undeserved and comes to pull Lymon out of a bad situation. She takes him from his old life of Parchman's farm and running from the sheriff to a new life of opportunity in the north. Her influence helps Lymon to make that final jump from Boy Willie's tagalong to being independent.
Tommy
p.s. I don't think it's entirely necessary to put "period 3," since we are Mrs. Kohlmaier's only junior class.
Like Annie said, I think Boy Willie is simply doing what he thinks is best. He wants to sell the piano so he can avenge his ancestors and secure his success. Bernice clings to the heirloom in memory of the past. At the same time, she leaves the piano untouched, keeping its history from her daughter. However, her brother would rather proclaim its history with pride and pass it onto the future generations. And selling the piano, to him, is the only way it can be possible.
I think Bernice and Boy Willie's attitude towards the piano are gendered. Boy Willie imagines himself as acting as his father might have and winning the property he once worked. Bernice, on the other hand, represents Mama Ola, who tended the piano until the day she died. Like her mother, Bernice is like a guardian of the family's past sufferings.
When Bernice first sees Sutter’s ghost, Boy Willie refuses to believe her. Not too long before the incident, he mentions the Ghost of the Yellow Dog. This seems ironic because Boy Willie and Bernice believe in superstition that conforms to their beliefs. Bernice implies Boy Willie to be a murderer and somewhat lacks respect for her brother. Similarly, Boy Willie says Bernice is lying about seeing Sutter’s ghost. To me, this reflects that they are skeptical of each other and do not have a close relationship that should exist between two siblings. So disagreeing about the piano seems almost inevitable because they don’t respect each other or their beliefs.
Joyce Lee
Like Ava stated, Boy Willie's character continued to become more drastically annoying throughout the play. Each time he attempted to take the piano out of Berniece's home without her permission caused me to become even more frustrated with him. I also agree with Ava in the feeling of relief at the end of the play. Once Berniece started to play the piano again, Boy Willie finally gave up the fight to sell it as he told her "if you and Maretha don't keep playing on that piano...ain't no telling...me and Sutter both liable to be back". This made me assume that his intentions were not merely to sell the piano, but were in fact to get Berniece to start using it again. Dylan pointed out the fact that Boy Willie and Sutter's ghost had a slight fight at the end of the last scene. I agree with him that this is pretty odd that Sutter's ghost chose to only fight Boy Willie. I think that puts the blame of Sutter's death on Boy Willie more than anyone else. Throughout the play, it seemed to me that August Wilson wanted to convey a sense of hostility between all of the family members. The play begins with confusion on how each person ties in to the piano's past; but as the play continues, all of this confusion disappears as Wilson slowly reveals each character and their relations.
Nicole Jacobs, Period 3
Well, after reading everyone's comments I would have to say that i agree with Jena on every point she made. I too thought that the ending was very fitting towards the story in that the only way to get rid of Sutter's gohst was to play the piano which was cursed. Kind of a way to attack it head on where the source of the curse actually came from.
Also with her point on Boy Willie I think that the reason he was so persistant in gaining the land was because of the fact that he probably has never felt that power before and finally has a chance to own something of his own. Although many people found this constant nagging annoying I, in some wierd way, actually found it humurous, but i don't really know why it just made me chuckle a little everytime it came up in the book.
Also with her point on Lymon I too felt as though he had no authority at all in the story. This is proven with the event involving Grace and Boy Willie. Wilson used this to show how the characters in the novel are very different from one another.
That last comment was Dillon Shindler By the Way Oops sorry
Something that I noticed was the effect Wining Boy's suit had on Lymon. While it was absurdly proclaimed to be "magical," I felt like in a way it actually was. In the suit Lymon is able to muster up enough courage to kiss Berniece all the while maintaining a suave composure so unlike himself. Through the suit, or perhaps the confidence the suit gives him, he is able to rise to his full potential. I think the suit also stands to prove how different Lymon and Boy Willie really are; as Lymon lovingly seduces Berniece, Boy Willie fumbles through a one-night stand.
Something that still confuses me is the ghost's personal reason for inhabiting the piano. Sutter didn't truly have anything to do with the piano besides being a part of the family that at one point owned the piano (a very, very long time ago). Why then did he choose to haunt the piano, which merely served as a remembrance of tragedy and past in Berniece's family? I feel as though Sutter forced Berniece and Boy Willie to come to terms with their father's death and Crawley's death, yet I still wonder why he would wish to do that. Or, alternately, perhaps he wished to seek revenge upon Boy Willie--who we assume wronged Sutter--through the piano; I still feel as though this is a stretch.
Adding to what Yasmine said about how the play exemplified the competition between blacks and whites, Boy Willie presumably killing Sutter and Sutter attempting to kill Boy Willie only nibble at the immensity of their competition. Boy Willie refuses to accept the fact that at this point he remains in the lower portion of the social circle and becomes angry with Berniece for teaching Maretha otherwise. Additionally, Boy Willie is adamant that he purchase Sutter's land, to make up for the hardships his family endured and to prove that he is just as good as any white man. I do feel though that although Boy Willie is haunted by Sutter's ghost, the true victor of this competition is unknown...
I have to disagree with Yasmine’s view. After I finished the play, I felt it ended quite well. The ending didn’t feel abrupt; rather, it released all the tensions built up to this point. Berneice playing the piano and Boy Willie deciding to respect Berniece’s wishes seemed like an acceptance of all the blood and history of the past. The family came into acceptance of the death of Boy Willie’s and Berniece’s father. It was the past that tied them down but, in Berniece’s last song, they finally started to draw strength from the past instead of looking at their history as a burden. Sutter’s ghost represented the old pains and sufferings. It was a constant reminder of their past condition and enslavement. Berniece’s initial avoidance of discussing the history of the piano was a rejection of the past pains which only built up more tension. I believe that Berniece was the one that had been pulled down by the past the most. Although Boy Willie’s actions were also dictated by past events, he strived to overcome the previous poorer state. Berniece, as Boy Willie pointed out, felt that she was living at the bottom of life. Therefore, her song of plea for strength allowed the family and herself to acknowledge the past blood and appreciate their history and culture.
Some previous comments said that although the piano is a physical heirloom, it separated the family. At first I agreed with this view and still do, but the piano is at the center of the story. The setting put the piano right in the middle of a sparsely furnished room. Although the piano separates the family members mentally, it physically drew them together. It is the link that ties the family together. All of the members of the family have some sort of connection to the piano. Boy Willie’s and Berniece’s father died for it. Wining Boy played on it. Maretha’s learning to play on it. The piano drew them together.
Like Tommy said, in the last part of the play, Grace’s entrance felt awkward. In addition, I felt that Lymon doesn’t really have much ties to the story. I don’t see the purpose of his character. The play has a central plot line that revolves around the piano. Lymon doesn’t really have strong ties or a past with it. He serves as a partner for Boy Willie, but lacks a voice of his own. The story would go on just as well if his character had not been there.
Yawen Ren
I disagree with all of the people who say Boy Willie annoyed them as the play progressed because while he is fighting Berniece throughout the play, he is doing what he believes in and what he thinks would make his father proud. I agree with Colleen in the aspect that Boy Willie is trying to gain pride and success by buying his family's former master's land and thus symbolically ending the last remnants of his family's slavery.
I found Tommy's comments about Boy Willie's burden's and troubles with their father's death refreshing after so many people keep tearing him down. We have to realize Boy Willie's point of view and like Tommy said, he will not bring children into life in fear they will not be proud of their father. Boy Willie's need to get Sutter's land is not as purely selfish as it initially seemed, but rather he wants to prove himself and be respected by other people.
Finally, in the ending scene provided some closure on the story by dealing with Sutter's ghost, helping Berniece get over her issues, and ending the dispute between the siblings. I especially liked Will's comment on how Avery's exorcism seemed to be more directed at Boy Willie rather than Sutter. Boy Willie changed into a different person, letting Berniece keep the piano after no discussion and walking out of the house without any more conflict.
Bradley C.
The ending of "The Piano Lesson" was strangely odd to me and somewhat bizarre. The events that happened during the bulk of the ending were unexpected and I did not think the story would end that way. The ending started with the appearance of Grace which seemed quite random. I tried to figure out what her appearance signified in the novel, but from what Theo said, it is understandable that August Wilson gave Lymon the quality of commitment in a relationship. I also agree with the rest of the class that Berniece playing the piano to exorcise Sutter's ghost was freaky. Beginning with Grace's comment about something not feeling right in the house to Boy Willie taunting Sutter's ghost, Wilson lets out his imagination of a supernatural force dwelling from the piano. The mystery of the Ghost of the Yellow Dog pushing Sutter down the well still remains to be unsolved; however, when Boy Willie taunts Sutter's ghost he says, "Come one and get some of this water! You done drowned in the well, come on and get some more of this water!" (Wilson 105). This quote from Boy Willie foreshadows that he could have been the one that pushed Sutter into the well. After Boy Willie and Sutter's ghost introduced themselves to each other, my thought was that the ghost would kill Boy Willie eventually. My thought was turned down and the situation seemed ironic. After Boy Willie's dedication to sell the melons and receive the land of Sutter's property, I thought that he would never leave the house without the piano. After his near death experience with the supernatural, Boy Willie's immaturity and stubborn-like attitude alleviates and ends up leaving the piano with Berniece. With the prolonged conflict between Berniece and Boy Willie throughout the whole story, it can be said that Berniece's "Thank you" at the end of the play gave it an ironic twist and also the transformation of Boy Willie at the end of the book.
Jason H 3
Throughout the course of the play I was struck not only by Boy Willie's selfishness, but by his determination. He strongly believed that if the piano wasn't being put to use, then it should be sold and used to buy something useful (preferably Sutter's land). The more I contemplated Boy Willie's motives, the more I realized that both choices were a triumph. By playing the piano Berniece's family would be able to keep the history of their family and their triumph over the Sutter family alive. If the piano was sold, their family would have succeeded in starting a new life that their ancestors never could have dreamed possible. I think Boy Willie knew that if the piano was used by Berniece, it still represented a triumph over the Sutter family. At the end of the play, while Boy Willie walks out the door, he says, "if you and Maretha don't keep playing on that piano... ain't no telling... me and Sutter both liable to be back" (Wilson 108). Here Boy Willie acknowledges that playing the piano is just as powerful as selling it to buy Sutter's land; however, he also knows that the second that piano is left in the corner to rot, Berniece and her family will have admitted defeat. They will have surrendered to the dreadful circumstances that have plagued their family's life. If they stop playing the piano, all the trouble that their ancestors went through to set it free will have gone to waste.
I agree with both Annie’s and Yawen’s views about the piano. I too believe that the play is centered on the role of the piano. While reading through the end of the play, I began to realize that the piano was usually described in a negative light (even by those who defended it). Everyone always emphasized the bad and evil connotations of the piano and all the trouble that it caused. Even Wining Boy, who is so fondly attached to the piano says that giving the piano up was “the best thing that ever happened to” him (Wilson 41). Several times Boy Willie suggests that they sell the piano. It seems that the only people defending the piano are Doaker, Wining Boy, and Berniece. Doaker points out that Berniece will never “sell that piano. Cause her daddy died over it” (Wilson 46). Berniece further explains why she won’t sell the piano when she says that “Mama Ola polished this piano with her tears for seventeen years… rubbed on it till her hands bled… mixed it up with the rest of the blood” (Wilson 52). Berniece was able to fully appreciate the sentimental value of the piano. To them the piano represented the little bit of hope that their ancestors rescued for them to hold on to forever. As the story progresses towards the ending Doaker begins to think that the piano is what causes all of the trouble. He tells Avery that he “needs to bless that piano. That’s what he needs to bless. It ain’t done nothing but cause trouble” (Wilson 104). Quickly, everyone begins to blame the piano for the appearance of Sutter’s ghost. But each of them knows that they cannot give the piano up, they cannot sell their “soul” as Berniece phrased it in the beginning of the play. Berniece finally has an epiphany and understands that the piano is not the problem. It is not this object associated with the death of her father and the tears of her mother; instead, the piano begins to take the form of a solution. When Berniece pleads and begs while she plays the piano she unlocks the full potential of the heirloom and Sutter’s ghost vanishes. Berniece always knew that the piano was special; however, only at the end of the play did she discover that it was not a cause of trouble and turmoil. The piano was a solution. It was a representation of the future and of their triumph over the troubles their family has faced. The end of the piano revealed that it was capable of teaching each character a different lesson; it provided a solution and an outlet for their troubles. Berniece's triumph over Sutter's ghost and the song that Wining Boy wrote for Cleotha are both excellent examples of the piano's powers.
Kathleen W.
First, I agree with what Ava said about Boy Willie being an annoying character. Boy Willie fighting over the piano with Berniece creates two conflicting sides; it made people to choose a side to argue about whether it was a good idea or not to keep the piano. Personally, I think it was better for Boy Willie to give up his greed because the land could have been bought as gaining pride and success by selling the piano, as Bradley mentioned, but I think the piano itself symbolizes the family's pride and its history, which cannot be sold.
Secondly, I agree with what Katie said about Maretha as a character who does not do anything. Maretha is a static character who really does not make any difference in the story nor is she affected, although Yawen mentions that Maretha begins to play on the piano (family bonding), but I think it is still not sure enough for Maretha to be an influential character in this story.
Finally, I agree with what Chris mentioned about the superstition overpowering people's religion. People's lack of strong belief in religion causes them to believe in superstitious things such as the yellow dog and Sutter's ghost. After exorcism, they believe the ghost is now gone, but they cannot be so sure that the ghost really existed at all.
Danny C.
Like Theo said, I believe the presence of a woman in the finale brought out a side of Lymon that made him choose a side, a part of life that he wanted to live. Instead of Grace though, I thought it was Berniece. Berniece and Boy Willie are complete opposites as siblings, representing two completely different lifestyles. Berniece embodied the steady, responsible woman who could live on her own and take care of a family, life being generally peaceful up in the North. Boy Willie represented a truly wild man from the South that made decisions for his happiness and benefit, relying more on his emotions at the moment rather than completely thinking ahead. Lymon made a concrete choice, to either side with a road he knows would lead him back South where he was wanted, with death following him or the life he had discovered in the North where he could get a steady job and live fairly comfortably.
Berniece's exorcism of the ghost herself by playing the piano and singing confused me at first. But then I realized that by letting go of the past and her own trepidation of the piano's blood-soaked wood, she was able to use the piano in the way it was intended, causing Sutter's ghost to leave. The family history carved on that piano wasn't just carved as a reminder but as a way to tell future generations 'This is your history, now live on for them'. As Berniece played she was continuing her family's history onto the next generation while acknowledging those who had gone before her so she could do just that.
Through this unspoken compromise between the siblings the piano is left in Berniece's care to be used so it can be played to remember the past of their family properly. And if she doesn't use it, Boy Willie and Sutter will come back for it, no questions asked.
I'm still not completely sure how to see it all in one, complete, pretty ribbon perspective. The ending is slightly ambiguous, but it gives off a sense comfort and peace with Boy Willie and Berniece's family ghosts.
Blake Keeling, 3rd Prd.
The Romance between Lymon and Berniece seemed a litlle random to me. They both have someone in a way, Berniece has Avery and Lymon has Grace, but yet there is still this random conection between them that night. To me, it seemed to distract from the over all play.
As Theo and others pointed out, playing the piano as an exercism seemed a little odd. Avery's preaching seemed to have little affect on sutter's ghost, if only making it worse, however the affect it had on boy willie was asounding. Boy Willie got very caught up in Avery's preaching, throwing the water and searching out sutter's ghost. It seemed as though sutter's ghost didn't want Boy Willie to take the piano. The ghost really only showed up when the piano was in question or trying to be moved, as if he was pretecting it from being sold.
Honestly, I'm amazed Boy Willie kept his word about the piano. Once Berniece started to play it, he left it alone, just like he said he would. With all his scheming and trying to sell it to benefit himself it seemed odd he actually kept his word.
I like will's point about Avery's exorcism but i do not totally agree with him. Avery's exorcism did not work the way he intended to but as for Boy Willie in the previous sections he said he would not sell the piano if Biernice is using it and he kept to his words after Biernice starts playing it which indeed is the ultimate exorcism for the ghost of whatever they believe in.
That action Boy Willie took gives him an incredible amount of credit because selling the piano is the bridge to his dream it is the last piece of the puzzle, he already paid Sutter's bro 1/3 of the cost, and he is selling the watermelons and the busniess is going really well and there the last piece as he was so eager to take it away and sell it he did not because of Biernice that proves the man has some senses and he is not a complete "ahole"
with his credits it leads me thinking about the beginning of the play and the ghost of the yellow dog and how they were dicussing how killed Sutter and how Crawley died, now that Boy Willie doesn't seem to be a bad guy he might be innocent and Biernice is just trying to useh im as a scapegoat for her husband's early death which is also part of Will's idea.
Tim X.
When i read the end of the play, I was a little suprised at the sudden willingness of Boy Willie to leave the piano after seein Sutter's ghost. This was surprising to me because throughouth the piece Boy Willie continually denounced the existance of Sutter's ghost. Perhaps he was in a state of denial and he knew that Sutter was there to interupt his plans. Maybe Boy Willie was trying to convice himself, not the others, that Sutter's ghost was not haunting them.
I am going to go against what Theo said a little bit, which might be a bad idea. Anyway, I believe that Sutter's ghost was not interested in Berniece keeping the piano as he was in keeping Boy Willie from getting it. I believe that Boy Willie pushed Sutter down the well. Saying this Sutter must have been quite upset with Boy Willie. I believe that Sutter was still upset with all of Boy Willie's family for stealing it, but he was particularly upset with Boy Willie because he pushed him down the well.
I am going to go with an idea that Colleen commented on. I also belive that it seems like Wilson wrapped up the play quite quickly. I was not expecting the quick appearance of Sutter's ghost and Boy Willie's willingness to leave. Now maybe this was Wilson's plan the whole time, to catch the audience off guard, but I think it may have another meaning. Maybe Wilson is making a case against stubborness and arguing. Throughout the play, there is much arguing about the piano and what should be done with it. The characters argue and are stubborn with each other the whole time and it gets them nowhere. Then in the conclusion a swift bit of action occurs and the problems are solved. Maybe Wilson is trying to tell us that arguing all the time will get us nowhere, but actions make a difference.
-Kevin Becher
Boy Willie at first glance is disrespectful and selfish. What we further understand as the novel goes on is that he is in fact just trying to make a life for himself, and he feels that his life depends on selling the piano and getting the land his family used to work on. He says he "got these big old hands" that he doesn't know what to do with, symbolizing the African American state of being during the twenties, yet Boy Willie has dreams for himself, hoping that one day "everything will fall into place." Although Boy Willie is hopeful, he embodies impertinence to his family and especially to his sister; he seemingly only thinks about himself and his future. Like Colleen says, Boy Willie wants to forget about the past instead of "gather strength from their hardships" like Berniece. He is empowering self-interest as a motive and not thinking of others.
Another interesting point about Boy Willie-- he fired himself up when Berniece talked about her taking care of her own child and Boy Willie, his. He says he would never want a child because he would never want someone to experience what he had experienced as a African American during the twenties. He says he "ain't got no advantages to offer" which I think is seemingly true, yet he has such a close-knit family to rely on, one of the greatest things one could want. He constantly looks ahead, but doesn't realize how much trouble he is causing to his sweet sister and how much havoc he is wreaking on his family. He talks about he future yet he cannot live in the present, in the calm, and enjoy his family: Doaker, Berniece, Maretha.
By not thinking of others and not being able to live in the future, it seems right that he is scared off by Sutter's Ghost in the finale scene. He just leaves. His self-interest was cast away and the piano was kept in the family. I was surprised in the end; like Dylan, I was misled by the title but in a different way... I was SURE that they would keep the piano and teach "piano lessons" to others for money, and that money would go to Boy Willie! So that way they both win! But I guess that is Wilson's way to show that there is not always a happy ending for all.
-Kate
Berniece develops herself throughout the play as a sensible, defensive and ethical character. Her thoughts might be considered more ethical due to her belief that a family's history can never replace a piece of land. "Money can't buy what that piano costs. You can't sell your soul for money." Berniece is constantly trying to open up Boy Willie's mind to their family's legacy. The piano was a special part of thier family because their mama spent 17 years polishing that piano and because Boy Willie was not there to witness its significance to the family, maybe that is why he cannot take its importance seriously. Berniece was not there either but she, on the other hand, feels very strongly about the pianos importnace. Fortunately, Boy Willie sees everything that Berniece has been tryign to tell him after Berniece performs the "exorcism". Berniece was the one character who truly believed in the unthinkable. Not only was Berniece being ethical, she was being very defensive of her familys heirloom. Their father died to save that piano and their mother polished it everyday with her sweat, tears, and blood. Bernieces decision to keep the piano, even though she never used it was so that the pain it took to get that piano where it was would never be forgotten. Boy Willie, on the other hand, was only thinking of himself, It is quite reasonable for Boy Willie to be afraid of always having ot live off other people, not being capable of growing his own food, never owning his own house, and so on.
Jacy Luedde
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