The piano serves as the play’s central symbol, representing the family’s history, struggles, and racial division. Wilson’s plays Two Kinds and The Piano Lesson both explore themes of class, race, and the piano. Berniece and Boy Willie’s great grandmother and grandfather, Miss Ophelia, began to miss them very much. This is not only a testament to the Charles family’s strength and resilience, but it is also a testament to the strength and resilience of the Charles family. However, the piano has more than just a symbolic meaning. What Did The Piano Symbolize In The Piano Lesson?Ĭredit: Put all of this together, and you’ll see that the piano represents slavery. Throughout the play, he obstinately refuses to sell the piano, creating all of the conflict.

This is true because he leads the play from beginning to end. It doesn’t matter, though, that he reminds his sister to keep playing piano or that he and Sutter simply return.īernie Berniece, Boy Willie, and Bernie Willie Boy Willie serves as the play’s main character for the majority of the play. Berniece’s grandmother, who was sold in a piano trade, is depicted in the artwork, along with pictures of family events.īoy Willie then returns to Mississippi to recover the piano without selling it. By the end of the play, the piano has come to represent hope, healing, and the possibility of a better future.īerniece’s grandfather carved the carvings on the piano owned by Sutter, Berniece’s grandfather’s slave owner, which tell the family’s history during slavery. The piano also represents the protagonist’s connection to her African heritage, which she has been denied for most of her life. In The Piano Lesson, the piano comes to symbolize the protagonist’s journey towards self-discovery and acceptance.

Urn:oclc:232982325 Republisher_date 20120828140130 Republisher_operator Scandate 20120822205944 Scanner scribe6.nj.archive.The piano is a versatile instrument that can be used to represent a wide range of emotions and ideas.

OL2983758W Page-progression lr Page_number_confidence 81.82 Pages 134 Ppi 500 Related-external-id urn:isbn:0525249265 Internetarchivebookdrive Edition External-identifier Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 19:56:59 Bookplateleaf 0010 Boxid IA103101 Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II City New York, N.Y., U.S.A.

The piano august wilson