Analysis Of The Piano Lesson By August Wilson

The play The Piano Lesson by August Wilson tells the story of two siblings and the piano that comes between them. The play explores the lives of an African American family years after slavery is outlawed. Its plot is driven by the two main characters arguing over how important it is to keep a piano that contains the legacy of a family. The play begins with Boy Willie visiting his sister, in the North, with the intention of selling the piano their father inherited them. His plan is to sell the piano and use the money to buy the land his family once worked in as slaves. In his point of view, it’s the right thing to do since no one uses the piano and it’s just a reminder of the life their family once lived. On the other hand, his sister, Berniece, …show more content…
Especially since Boy Willie had been scheming to get the family piano and sell it to a man without Berniece’s permission. Boy Willie does not plan on backing down from his plan and neither does Berniece which causes a lot of tension in the family. As the play goes on, the tension between the siblings increases to the point where Berniece decides to pull out a gun and confront Boy Willie. Boy Willie does not back down, but does cause the ghost of Sutter, the recently deceased owner of the land that Willie wants to buy, to haunt the house. The ghost finally leaves when Berniece starts playing the piano causing Boy Willie to finally give up on his idea to sell the …show more content…
He comes from Mississippi to sell watermelons to raise money to buy Sutter’s land. He is very direct and talks a lot. He is also very stubborn and nothing seems to be able to stop him from selling the piano. Even when Berniece brings her gun out he doesn’t hesitate and continues as if she wasn’t there. Berniece, Boy Willie’s sister, is the protagonist she protects the piano and doesn’t want anyone to touch it. She and Boy Willie do not have a very good relationship; shown by how she acts when Boy Willie first shows up compared to how she acts when Whining Boy first shows up. Her attitude towards Boy Willie, her anger, can be explained by how she believes its Boy Willie who caused her husband, Crawley, death. Her character grows throughout the play the most. In the beginning she is very reserved, won’t play the piano or consider a second marriage. However, halfway through the play she kisses Lymon which suggests that she might one day consider a relationship with another man. The play ends with her playing the piano and letting it all out. The play also includes Doaker, Boy Willie and Berniece’s uncle. He is a railroad worker who owns the house the piano resides in. Throughout the play he tries not to get involved in the argument. Whining boy is an old recording artist who wants the piano to stay. The play is set in Doaker’s house in Pittsburgh in 1936. The whole play takes place in the kitchen and