Lymon Character Analysis

In most literary works, minor characters influence the major character. The minor character does this either indirectly or directly. In this instance, Lymon, a minor character in “The Piano Lesson”, indirectly influences Boy Willie Charles and directly influences Berniece Charles . The Charles siblings are longtime friends with Lymon and have a made a connection with the two. Whether it be a demanding or intimate relationship connection. These relationships add purpose to the play by highlighting their pasts. Lymon's relationships brings light to the Charles families past .

Boy Willie and Lymon are longtime friends who have travelled down to Pittsburgh to sell the piano for land. The two seem to have different goals and motives for this …show more content…
But that changed. They shared an intimate conservation and a kiss. Throughout the play, Berniece mourns for her husband, Crawley. It has been three years since his death and everyone says she should get married again. Avery, the man who loves Berniece, says she should move on from his death and marry him. (67). This isn’t the issue for Berniece She doesn’t want to get married yet or to Avery. Lymon understands what she thinks. He has his own experience of love and loneliness. Lymon started to talk about how he wants a woman to remember him. Not some random woman in his bed. Berneice has a typical response which is “She out there somewhere.” (78). Berniece believes that there is someone out there for everyone. She probably wants to find her someone too. With Avery’s persistence allows her forget these thoughts and reject love. But lymon pulls her out of this refusal. He does this by first putting perfume on her. Then he says you smell good and kisses her . Berniece ran upstairs after that. Now Berniece looks as if she is more open to love. She's still not going to give Avery a chance because she isn't interested but she has made some progress. Berniece has held onto her deceased husband for years and now she able to look past that. She's also able to look past her brothers part with Crawley’s death. She constantly says things like “If it wasn’t for you Crawley would be alive.” (15). But she …show more content…
Boy Willie has a past that he isn't happy with. In the 1930’s, African Americans didn’t have much say in what they wanted. They had to follow the rules the white americans made. Boy Willie doesn’t like that. He likes to have control. The audience can see that with how he acts around everyone especially Lymon. His overbearing nature comes into play when embracing his family’s history. He would like to honor his family by selling piano even if it goes against Berniece’s will. While berniece on the other hand doesn't embrace her family’s history. She sees as stain on their history. A stain that everyone should forget. But by the end of the play, Berniece seems to be open to not seeing their history as something troubling, but as a good thing. Something that would make them proud of their history. With the help of Lymon Berniece has realized that her family isn't shameful. The Charles family has learned a valuable lesson of embracing their past to make a better future for themselves. In conclusion Lymon, a friend of both Charles siblings, Berniece and Boy Willie, have made them realize and and embrace their past. For Boy Willie, Lymon has showed that Boy Willie has an aggressive nature and is someone who will do whatever to get what he wants. Benrience’s past has made her realize that husband is gone and she should move on. By the end of the play, their pasts are in the past. They don’t dwell on them.