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Summary Of The Piano Lesson By August Wilson

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In the Piano Lesson by August Wilson, Berniece and Boy Willie both have extremely different views on what should be done with the piano. Boy Willie throughout the play seems to be emotionally detached from the piano, while in contrast, Berniece seems resistant to ever let the piano go. For Berniece, the piano embodies their family legacy because of the three generations carved into the sides of the piano. However, for Boy Willie, the piano represents a new start by using the piano to purchase Sutter’s land. Both Boy Willie and Berniece feel entitled to the piano, and in the final scenes of the play, Berniece is almost forced to kill Boy Willie in order to keep possession of the piano. However, with the materialization of Sutter’s ghost, Bernice …show more content…
Boy Willie says,“See, that’s what I was talking about. See how it’s carved up really nice and polished and everything? You never find you another piano like that.” After Lymon’s reply, Boy Willie says, “My mama used to polish it every day. See all them pictures carved on it? That was I was talking about. You can get a nice price for that piano” (Wilson, 9). This is where the reader is first aware of Boy Willie’s intention to sell the piano. From this quote, Boy Willie comes off as detached from the piano and seems only to finally visit his family after 3 years in order to profit off of a family heirloom. This idea continues in the second quote where Boy Willie mentions his mother’s devotion to polishing the piano every day. This shows the significance and importance of the piano to their family, specifically Boy Willie’s mother, but that doesn’t mean anything to Boy Willie. His primary goal remains to sell the piano so he’s able to buy Sutter’s land, and he’s willing to do whatever he can in order to obtain it. Not only does Boy Willie seem detached from the piano, his behavior comes off as arrogant and entitled. Boy Willie says, “She ain’t got to sell it. I’m gonna sell it. I own just as much of it as she [Berniece] does” (Wilson, 12). After 3 years, Boy Willie waltzes in demanding the possession of …show more content…
Look at it. Moma Ola polished this piano with her tears for seventeen years. For seventeen years she rubbed on it till her hands bled. Then she rubbed the blood in… mixed it up with the rest of the blood on it. Every day that God breathed life into her body she rubbed and cleaned and polished and prayed over it. ‘Play something nice for me Berniece.’ Everyday. ‘I cleaned you, play something for me, Berniece.’ You always talking about you daddy but you ain’t never stopped to look at what his foolishness cost your mama. Seventeen year’s worth of cold nights and an empty bed. For what? For a piano? For a piece of wood? To get even with somebody?”’ (Wilson,

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