The+Piano+Lesson+Pd.+3


 * Beth Anne:

Character Analysis:** Boy Willie's purpose in the novel is to cause friction. He is the conflict in the story. Without him there would be no conflict, thus rendering the play pointless. He is the first character we are introduced to. He is rude (coming to the house at 5 in the morning and waking the house, he asks for Doakers bottle as if he is entitled to his hospitality, and often refers to the males in the play using the N word) He has an obvious past of crime which leads to the question "Did he push Sutter into his well?" He is very combative with Berneice and refuses to leave the house even after riling up everyone who lives there. Boy Willie feels that he has a right to the piano, because it has his families blood in it, and has a right to sell it with or without Berniece agreeing to it. Boy Willie is extremely immature. Talks repeatedly about selling all of his watermelons, but continuously offers them to other people. (pg 20 offers them to Maretha, pg 24 offers them to Avery, pg 33 says he didn't care if people stole the watermelons out of his truck) It seems as if he doesn't actually want to sell them. He's so wrapped up in the piano that he doesn't think about the watermelons. He doesn't actually manage to sell them all until the end. he can't understand why Berniece doesn't want to sell the family piano which is why he can't let go of the idea. If he understood why Berniece felt so strongly about it, he would be more reasonable. He wants to buy back the land his family worked as slaves so he can finally be a free man. I think the need for freedom also links to the reason why he fought with Sutter's ghost in the end. At the end of the play it seems as if a spell is lifted from Boy Willie when Berniece plays the piano. He becomes docile and accepting. Berniece letting go of the past soothed him. Possibly all he was looking for was Berniece to move on. The main purpose of Avery is to point out the concept of change; both personal change from being “plain old Avery” planting cotton to being a preacher, and also to show Berniece’s unwillingness to change and move on from her mourning. Avery one of a few characters who is trying to make something for himself, and is actively courting Berniece. He is honest and determined, embracing his new city life as a fountain of opportunity as opposed to what he left in the rural South. Avery has strong religious convictions that drive him in his pursuits to start a congregation. He is the character pushing strongly for Berniece to put the past behind her and move on, but she remains skeptical and unwilling. Perhaps one of the strongest points where we catch a glimpse into the thematic importance of Avery is in Act 1, Scene 1, where he describes the dream that inspired him to follow God. The dream shows his ambitions, and displays the context of the typical “American Dream” for someone in this community.
 * Boy Willie**
 * Avery:**

Sutters ghost- symbolizes the past being held on to. (Berniece can't let go of Crawley's death, or her family's heritage) Piano- symbolizes Berniece's burden, her family history, and the ghosts in her life. "When my mama died I shut the top on that piano and I ain't never opened it since... Late at night I could hear my mama talking to them [spirits] I don't play that piano cause I don't want to wake them spirits" (pg 70) What does "an eye for an eye" (pg 89) have to do with Berniece and Boy Willie's situation? Why does Boy Willie say Berniece is trying to get to heaven on half of the Bible?
 * Act 2: Symbols**
 * Act 2: Themes:**

This play is very symbolically cyclical in the sense that one of the main themes is learning to accept the past, merge it with the present, and move on towards the future. The main conflict is the battle of the piano, and this conflict is primarily developed and resolved in Act 2. Boy Willie fuses two of the themes of the play (Past and Future/ The American Dream) through his conflicting interests. He wants to get Sutter’s land, cultivate it, and make something for himself down South (American Dream). In order to do this, however, he needs to sell the piano. In this action, he is attempting to transform past circumstances by altering possession of the household historical staple – the piano. The conflict is resolved only when Berniece decides to return to the past and honor it by playing the piano she has avoided for so long. This avoidance is symbolic for her unwillingness to move on, to accept her husband’s death, and to realize the need to look forward to the future. Avery suggests to Berniece (pg. 70, Act 2 Scene 2) that she overcome her fear of the past by taking the piano and putting it to good use leading a church choir. He is attempting to encourage her to look forward and get excited about a new opportunity that would put the piano in the service of other and the Lord. Berniece refuses this idea and is, at this point unwilling to change. It seems that the first sign of Berniece moving on is in the scene between the her and the dejected Lymon. Perhaps the encounter is spurred from pity, or maybe commiseration, but this is the first time we see Berniece surrender to an (pseudo-romantic) opportunity. From that point on, the novel is characterized by dynamic changes in Berniece, concluding in her playing the piano and consequentially resolving the conflict of the play. Perhaps Avery states it best: Avery: What is you ready for, Berniece? You just gonna drift along from day to day. Life is more than making it from one day to another. You gonna look up one day and it’s all gonna be past you. Life’s gonna be gone out of your hands – there won’t be enough to make nothing with. I’m standing here now, Berniece - but I don’t know how much longer I’m gonna be standing here waiting on you. Essentially, the theme of this passage is if you don’t take advantages of the opportunities presented now, because you are so caught up in the past, good things may pass you by.
 * Act 2 Theme: Past and Future Coincide:**
 * Act Two, Scene Two:**

On the smallest of scales, the American Dream is portrayed in Act Two through Boy Willie and Lymon scouting out girls. Lymon gets a new, “magical” suit and is excited by the prospect of meeting a girl.
 * Act 2 Theme: The American Dream:**

Lymon: They got some nice-looking women in this city. I’m gonna like it up here real good. I like seeing them with their dresses on. Got them high heels. I like that. Make them look like they real precious. Lymon has idealized city life, as is shown through his description of the girls he meets the night he and Boy Willie go out. He is essentially star-struck, but has not quite gotten the hang of this new culture. In a sense, this is symbolic of the American Dream, a theme which drives the play through the characters of Boy Willie and Avery. Interestingly enough, the description of the women echos the sentiments of the hollowness and carelessness of the American Dream and the glitzy lifestyle expressed in Fitzgerald’s //The Great Gatsby.// On the positive end of the spectrum, the “American Dream” is very optimistic and progressive. Avery is furthered by his desires to start a church, Boy Willie wants land, Lymon wants a new start, etc. This is the driving motivation for many in the play. The important thing to remember is that the American Dream can not be fulfilled without looking forward and setting goals. This is something that is learned in Act 2 (primarily a lesson learned by Berniece). While Berniece is unwilling to move on herself, she makes her daughter play the piano and sets high goals for //her// instead. In relation to the piano, she sustains herself by living vicariously through her daughter.
 * Act Two, Scene Three:**
 * Act 2 Theme: The Title: //The Piano Lesson//**

The piano’s lesson is a lesson dealing primarily with the past. The history of the piano is important to each family member in a different way. The conflict takes place because the history if it //is// so important. The lesson? History in general differs depending on the speaker and the situation. Depending on who is asked, a different response will be elicited about the piano. Boy Willie desires to reconstruct the past, and the conflict can only be settled when Berniece decides to return to the past and embrace it. In relation to the Black Community, the piano symbolizes the need of the family to accept their ties and acknowledge their families history of slavery, so that they may realize how fortunate they are that the American Dream/ opportunities are available to them in the present. Again, take the past, learn from it, and move on.

(These can pretty much be answered based on what I posted above, so I'm not really elaborating.) 1.) Lymon and Boy Willie have very different goals and desires in life. Compare and contrast them. (Think of their character development in Act 2) What does their characterization show about the American Dream? - New Life v. Working with Old Land - Nice girls v. frivolous girls - Shallowness of glitzy lifestyle
 * Act 2 Discussion Questions:**

2.) Consider the character of Avery. What purpose does he serve in Act 2? (Think in relation to Berniece, the exorcism, American Dream, etc.)

3.) Having now completed the book, please explain the significance of the title, //The Piano Lesson.//

4.) Do you think Berniece was the only person who could have gotten rid of Sutter's ghost with the piano? If so, why? She was the person holding on hardest to the past Maretha played the piano 5.) What does music/ singing provide for the characters?


 * Final Assessment Rubric**
 * The Piano Lesson**
 * August Wilson**the script and make your own version, paraphrase, dramatic reading, etc. In addition to the theatrical portrayal, you must have a “director
 * Assignment:** In your groups, your job is to act out a part of, or your entire scene (depending on length…use your judgment.) You can pull exactly from the script, add or change /producer” debriefing session in which rationale is given for what was selected, and the most important parts of the scene are explained. You have 8 minutes total for the presentation (including explanation and acting…use your time wisely!)

- Theme - Symbols - Characterization/ Character Development //*Also consider such areas as the scene’s relevance to the author/author’s life, writing technique, etc//.
 * The following areas must be touched upon:**

Script Selection/Reenactment: 20% Debriefing Analysis: 50% Knowledge of Content: 20% Displayed Effort/Overall Fluency: 10%
 * You will be graded based on the following:**


 * All members of the group must be involved. If you aren’t an actor, you must be part of the post analysis.[[image:file:moz-screenshot.jpg]]

Author Information =August Wilson= (April 27, 1945—October 2, 2005) The Piano Lesson
 * Brittany :**

On October 16, 2005, only 14 days after Wilson's death, the Virginia Theatre in New York's Broadway theatre district was renamed the August Wilson Theatre. This is the first Broadway theatre to bear the name of an African-American.
 * Born Frederick August Kittel in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wilson was the fourth of six children
 * His father was a German immigrant baker, also named Frederick August Kittel, who seldom spent time with his family, and his mother was an African American cleaning woman, Daisy Wilson, from North Carolina.
 * Wilson's parents stayed together until he was five.
 * He was the only black student at his high school
 * He grew up in a predoninatly while neighborhood where he and hid fanily faced racial abuse
 * Wilson made such extensive use of the Carnegie Library to educate himself that they later awarded him a degree
 * He changed his name to August in order to honor hids father after his death
 * Flunked out of the 9th grade and at worked menial jobs beginning at age 16. He received his education in libraries and in town hubs.
 * As a teen he was inspired by writers such as Ralph Ellison, Richard Wright, Langston Hughes, and Arna Bontemps.
 * He was inlisted in the army for about 1 year in the early 60’s
 * Became involved in the civil rights movement and began to describe himself as black nationalist
 * In 1968, Wilson co-founded the Black Horizon Theater in the Hill District of Pittsburgh along with his friend Rob Penny
 * He was married three times
 * On August 26, 2005, he told his hometown newspaper, //The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette//, that he had been diagnosed with liver cancer in June 2005 and been given three to five months to live. He died on October 2, 2005 at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.

**Character Analysis: Doacker** Doaker: Doaker’s main purpose in the play is the neutral character because he never really picks a side in the conflict over the piano. He is the owner of the home in which the story unfolds, and he provides stories of the piano’s history. His past as a hard working railroad worker also gives the story a sense of historical depth and a window into the black experience.

Plot Overview** Boy Willie and Lymon come to Doakers house in Pittsburgh because they are trying to make money by selling a truckload of watermelons. Boy Willie wants to buy the land that has family worked on as slaves. In order to do this, he would have to sell the antique piano that resides in Doaker’s house. Berniece, Boy Willie’s sister, does not want to sell the piano because their father, Boy Charles, died bringing the piano up north. Boy Charles stole the piano from the Sutter family, which is also the family that owned Boy Willie’s family as slaves. The piano is ornately carved with all the faces of Boy Willie’s family and this is why Boy Charles stole the piano. Boy Charles believed that their family could never be free as long as the Sutters still possessed the piano. Boy Willie is still determined to sell the piano but decides to wait until he and Lymon have sold all the watermelons. Berniece sees the ghost of James Sutter, who recently died. Boy Willie says it was the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog who pushed him down the well but Berniece thinks it was Boy Willie. Wining Boy, Doaker’s brother, comes by and they talk about the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog. The ghosts are three hobos and Boy Charles who died in a box car fire that was started because Sutter was angry that his piano was stolen. In the second act, Willie Boy and Lymon go out to “find some women”. Avery, a preacher, comes by the house and once again asks Berniece to marry him. Berniece is still morning her dead husband Crawley, even though he has been dead for three years, and says that she is not ready. Avery is starting a church but does not have enough money, so he is trying to raise some funds. Avery also wants Berniece to move on from the past and play the piano. Berniece refuses to play the piano due to the sacrifices her family made for it. Boy Willie brings home a girl named Grace but Berniece kicks them out. Lymon comes home and talks to Berniece about how he wants to find the right girl and settle down. Lymon seems to be attracted to Berniece as he kisses her and gives her a bottle of perfume. Boy Willie has decided to sell the piano but he and Lymon are unable to lift it out of the house. Berniece is very upset when she comes home especially because her daughter, Maretha, saw the ghost of James Sutter the night before. She believes that they should not sell the piano because their father died for it. Willie Boy believes that Boy Charles would want them to sell the piano in order to purchase the land. He claims that the piano is being wasted since Berniece refuses to play it and Maretha only plays it occasionally. They continue going back and forth with this argument until Sutter’s ghost appears. Avery convinces Berniece to play the piano and when she does Sutter’s ghost disappears. Boy Willie also decided not to sell the piano and leaves.
 * Emily

Why did Sutter’s ghost disappear when Berniece started playing the piano?
 * Act 2 Discussion Questions**
 * He disappeared because Berniece finally moved on from the past and began to face the future.
 * Her inability to part with the piano showed how Berniece was still holding on to the past. She assumed that their father would not want the piano to be sold because he died trying to bring the piano up North. She does not want to move on from the past, as Boy Willie does. Boy Willie wants to take control of his future by selling the piano in order to buy land.
 * Berniece believed that she would wake the spirits if she played the piano (p. 70) and because of this belief, she has not played it since her mother died. Her fear is what prevented her from the playing the piano and when she finally overcame this fear, Sutter’s ghost left.
 * By playing the piano, Berniece accepted that she must forget all the other ghosts that have been haunting her, including her husband Crawley. Berniece was still mourning Crawley, even after three years. She continuously refuses Avery’s marriage proposal because she claims to not be ready (p. 66-68)
 * The piano symbolized the past and by playing the piano, it shows how Berniece was able to leave the past behind and move into the future. Sutter showed how the past was “haunting” Berniece.

Why does Willie Boy get so angry when Berniece says she wishes Maretha was a boy (p. 91)? How does this reaction relate to his world view? He is a retired musician who only visits Doaker’s house when he is in need of money. He is Doaker’s older brother and his appearance and manner looks old. He is described as a man “who looking back over his life continues to live it with an odd mixture of zest and sorrow” (p. 28). He is another connection to the past. Wining Boy acts as a story-teller as he provides stories about his life on the road as a musician. He was involved in bringing the piano North but never really voices any opinion when it comes to the fate of the piano. He claims to have spoken to the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog as well as his dead wife Cleotha. He does not have a very serious role in the play and is primarily the comic relief, especially in the scene in which he sells Lymon his suit and shoes.
 * He wants Maretha to be proud of who she is and the not feel bad about herself.
 * Willie Boy is an optimist because he believes that he can change his station in life and is proud of who he is. This is why he wants to sell the piano and buy a plot of land. He thinks that if he has land, then he will have power over his circumstances (p. 92).
 * Willie Boy also believes that he can make a change in the world. On page 94, he states that “the world a better place cause of me”.
 * This is very different from Berniece’s pessimistic world view. Berniece believes that they are at the Bottom of life and there is nothing anyone can do to change that (p. 93). Willie Boy gets angry that Berniece is projecting this kind of thinking on to Maretha.
 * Wining Boy Description**


 * Act 2: Language**
 * Uses vernacular of African Americans during the 19th century Ex: Wining Boy p. 61 "I give you a break cause you a homeboy"
 * Not very descriptive wording since it is written as a play and is meant to be watched
 * Incomplete and grammatically incorrect sentences add to the voice of the play and make it seem plausible that the characters are actually having a conversation. Ex: Avery p. 65 "Where Boy Willie? I see that truck out there almost empty. They done sold almost all them watermelons."
 * The commas and other breaks in the sentences also add to the voice of the play. Ex: Wining Boy's use of ellipses on p. 63
 * The stage directions are very descriptive and because of this, they add to the understanding of the play. Ex: The stage directions at the begining of Act 2 Scene 1 give information about Doakers character

Megan Stupak Act 1 Language: The writing style Wilson uses is very consistent throughout the entire play. He uses a combination of the vernacular and natural phrasing to create authenticity to the story and to create a conversational tone. His tone and phrasing give a small peek into the lives of African-Americans during the 19th-century. The incorrect grammar shows the lack of formal education available and accurately portrays the characters station in life. Many details are left out of the dialogue but are filled in by the stage directions and are portrayed through the body language and physical movement of the actors. The juxtapostion of the music lyrics next to the dialogue is also an adeptly utilized tool by Wilson. It creates a continuing bond to the importance of the family history of the piano etc. Act 1 Discussion Questions: 1. This play relies more heavily on storytelling than on action. Why is storytelling important in Act 1? In act 1, the story of the piano is first revealed (p. 42). This story lays the groundwork for the entire play. It is brought up as a means to explain precisely why Berniece would not give up the piano. Throughout the rest of the play, stories are used to explain characters' motivations for doing certain things and acting the way they do. Character Description- Lymon Lymon is one of the few characters in the story who is not part of "the family". He is an outsider, which creates an important role for him. He helps to draw the stories out of thee other characters, out of Doaker and out of Wining Boy, for the most part. He is the medium through which the story of the piano is revealed to the audience. Lymon is very clearly Boy Willie's sidekick, however, he has a very straightforward way of speaking and often tries to assert himself, most noteably at the end when he leaves the piano where it is. Lymon is known for being obsessed with women, and ends up seducing Berniece, if only for a a small while. He is instrumental in bringing her out of her mourning for Crawley.


 * Rosalie Hooper**


 * Character Analysis: Berniece**
 * When Berniece is introduced on stage, she is described as “Thirty-five years old, with an eleven year old daughter, she is still in mourning after three years” (3). She is not described as thoroughly as the other characters. Wilson expects readers of the player to interpret her character and values from her dialogue and interaction with the other characters.
 * The only thing which can be interpreted from this description is Berniece’s devotion to her own beliefs and her stubbornness.
 * Although society may deem three years too long a time to mourn, she follows her heart and continues mourning her husband anyway.
 * The most obvious example of her stubbornness is her refusal to both remove and play the piano.
 * The biggest change in Berniece occurs at the end of the novel. She realizes that she cannot completely repress her past, and that it is a thing to be celebrated rather than overlooked. This realization is shown through her choice to play the piano and call upon her dead family members to help exorcize Sutter’s ghost. Boy Willie recognizes her change and accepts and almost respects to keep the piano at the end of the novel.
 * In relation to other characters:
 * Berniece acts as a foil for Boy Willie throughout the play. She disagrees with almost all of his actions, and she remains protective and steadfast. The only time when she is portrayed acting impulsively is when she retrieves her husband’s gun on pg. 98 and threatens to shoot Boy Willie if he moves the piano. She was pushed to this behavior by her brother.
 * She and Doaker have an interesting understanding and relationship of respect between them. Doaker chooses to stay out of Berniece’s affairs, especially concerning the piano and her fights with Boy Willie. His attitude is uncommon of the African American men of the time period, and many of the other men in the play do not understand their relationship.
 * Berniece rejects the advances of Avery repeatedly, showing her reluctance to leave her past behind her.
 * Her romantic interactions with Lymon show a growing change in her character that is finally manifested by her choice to play the piano in an effort to help finally exorcize Sutter’s ghost at the end of the play.
 * She acts as Maretha’s protector in the play. She wants to make sure that Maretha does not feel the same attachment to and burden of the piano throughout her life. Berniece chooses to regiment her upbringing very strictly, as she feels it will benefit her growth in the long run.

Literary Analysis: Themes · Main Theme of Act 1- What is the best way to deal with one’s past, and how is it best to use it? o The play is a conflict between Berniece and Boy Willie. Boy Willie is intent on selling the piano so that he may buy Sutter’s land. He views this as shedding the last part of their enslavement. He wants to bring their families time in America full circle by buying the land they were slaves on. He also feels that his father would support him in this decision, as it was he who originally stole the piano from Sutter. o Berniece grew up in a house where her mother polished the piano and had Berniece play the piano every day. This was her mother’s way of reconnecting with her lost family, and especially her lost husband. However, this weighed heavily on Berniece and altered her view of the world even as an adult. She is unwilling to part with what she feel her father died for and what was such a strong influence in her childhood and still weighs so heavily on her today. She hopes that by teaching Maretha how to play, but not the family history, Maretha can escape the burden that was placed on her. o The conflict is exemplified by these two differing viewpoints. Boy Willie would get rid of their past in order to gain more financial and spiritual independence. Berniece refuses to gain such independence at the cost of losing the family history. These extreme opinions remain very much unresolved at the end of Act One.
 * Act 1 Questions:**
 * By the end of Act 1, all of the characters and their family histories are revealed. None of the characters are revealed as having a functioning marriage. Why do you think this is so?
 * It is a function of their histories, as slavery destroyed many families, which is shown through the family tree, and this was passed down to the next generation of children of slaves
 * It is representative of the time period, which had many single-parent households.
 * Many have chosen to abandon relationships for freedom, like Doaker and Wining Boy
 * · How is music used by the characters in Act 1?
 * Music is used to as a way to pass on history from one generation to another
 * The piano itself is a history lesson for the family
 * Boy Willie uses the “boogie-woogie” to show Maretha the importance of playing African American traditional songs as well as the more classical songs “on paper” she is learning from her lessons
 * It is a way of bringing the family together
 * All the men singing the song on pgs. 39-40