Holding On Versus Letting Go: A Continuous Life-Long Battle Essays

A recurring theme in American history has been that of the American Dream, the idea that anyone, regardless of race, can achieve success through hard work. In his stirring 1990 play The Piano Lesson, August Wilson uses African-American characters to embody the American Dream. Throughout the play, set in Pittsburgh in 1936, Wilson traces the economic successes of several African-American characters, such as Boy Willie and Lymon. However, Wilson’s portrayal of this apparent progress conflicts with the true historical setting. The reality between 1877 and the 1930s was that social barriers, such as Jim Crow laws and sharecropping, precluded economic progress for most African-Americans. A few black Americans such as Madam Walker, an Indiana businesswoman, made some progress, but in general there was stagnation in terms of pecuniary growth during this time period. August Wilson’s interpretation of African-American economic progress through fictional characters in The Piano Lesson is flawed because it represents a few economically successful African-Americans of the time, but fails to capture the lack of progress made by the majority between 1877 and 1930.

Wilson highlights the fact the piano is full of stories that are directly linked to Berniece, which affect her current negative feeling towards it. Also, as a young girl, Berniece had to play the piano for her mom, so she could talk to her dead father. This demonstrates that not only is her family physically depicted on it, but also spiritually connected to it.

While Berniece has extraordinary nostalgic worth for the piano, Boy Willie saw it as a chance to expand to what's left side. Despite the fact that Boy Willie saw the piano as a chance to escape sharecropping, he kept in mind about their progenitor, and their traumatic story on the grounds that all through the play, he imparted the family history to Maretha (Berniece little girl), which Berniece doesn't need her to think about because of the way that it's excessively difficult. Kid Willie expressed that, "The main thing make that piano worth something is them carvings Papa Willie Boy put on there… That was my extraordinary granddaddy. Father Boy Charles brought that piano into the house. Presently, should expand on what they exited me. (p. 160)" Boy Willie sees the piano as want to break the family's convention of sharecropping, he needs to utilize what's left by their family to manufacture for the future, in light of the fact that on the off chance that he could offer the piano, and purchase the area, sharecropping wouldn't be a battle for them any

In the novel, Birdie, Bernice is on a journey to heal herself from her past. After, being raped by her uncle Larry, a lot of terrible events happened to her. Which lead her to live on the streets of Edmonton. While in Edmonton, she crossed paths with one of her cousin, who took her back to the rez so she could visit the rest of her family. While being at the rez she comes across uncle Larry who becomes aroused

Events in the story help establish he change helps Bernice and how it hurts her. Prior to following the advice of her cousin, Marjorie, Bernice is described as, “…no fun on a party.” And that her poor reputation of: “…not being frequently cut in on makes her position at a dance unfortunate.” This implies that Bernice is not will liked by others and that people tended to stay away from her. Once Bernice starts taking Marjorie’s advice to heart, at the next party, she is: “…cut in on several times in the past five minutes.” This means that several people were going out of their way to dance with her. Another advantage to this change was that Bernice is now described as being, “…pretty, distinctly pretty; and to-night her face seemed really vivacious.” People are starting to have a more positive outlook on her. However, changing herself to please others would unfortunately lead to Bernice’s

In an age of social registers, Lady Bracknell laments that even the Court Guides have errors. In the next breath, she discusses bribing Gwendolen's maid to find out what is happening in her daughter's life. In Act III she also reveals that her aristocratic brother's family entrusted their most precious possession — Jack — to a woman who is more interested in her handbag and manuscript than in what happens to the baby in her charge. Wilde seems to be

Throughout The Piano Lesson, Bernice is constantly getting into arguments with her brother over a piano that holds carvings of her family history. This piano is a very

August Wilson’s plays relate directly to his African heritage, and were and are a part of his success. His expression of the struggles of the blacks

Boy Willie states, “Papa Boy Charles brought that piano into the house. Now I’m supposed to build on what they left me. You can’t do nothing with that piano siting up here in the house” (Wilson 51). If he sells the piano, Boy Willie will be able to build a life for himself. Berniece says, “Money can’t buy what that piano cost. You can’t sell your soul for money” (Wilson 50). She believes if they sell the piano, she risks losing part of her identity. With tender sentiment, Berniece relishes the determination of her ancestors to appreciate life and the love they had for one another in the face of slavery. Boy Willie says, “See, you just looking at the sentimental value…You can sit up here and look at that piano for the next hundred years and it’s just gonna be a piano” (Wilson 51). Berniece’s pertinacious refusal to part with the piano emanates from her sentimental devotion to it and the memory of her ancestors. Therefore, Berniece characterizes herself through the piano as it brings the beauty of the past generations to their lives (Wilson 50, 52). Boy Willie defines himself as an African American who declares his equality as a man and seeks to enhance his self-worth by becoming a land owner (Wilson 51, 94). Therefore, he values the piano for its potential to raise his personal quality of life through a financial gain. The significance of the piano resides in the differing viewpoints of each sibling.

In the middle of Bernice Charles's parlor it sits, unmoved and wooden. How it came to be there is a story which her uncle Doaker tells well. Her father Willie Boy used to work as a slave under the ownership of Mr. Sutter. He was an amazing wood crafter and continued to bring cash in for his "superior". But Willie Boy didn't always belong to Sutter, instead he used to belong to a certain Nolander, whose wife owned the very piano that he was traded to Mr. Sutter for. When Mrs. Nolander wanted to buy him back as her slave, the new owner refused. Instead he allowed Willie Boy to take his talents into their house and carve a picture into the wood of their piano. He was only supposed to carve himself and Mama Bernice, but instead continued to carve pictures of his whole family that he stored in his memory. After the piano was finished Boy Charles, Willie Boy's father, felt that he should take the piano because he would "say it was the story of [their] whole family and as long as Sutter had it…he had [them]"(Wilson 45). On the fourth of July in 1911, it was done. But sadly, Boy Charles was killed, hiding in a box car afterwards. After his death, Bernice's mother broke down and brought in a woman to teach Bernice how to play. She said that when Bernice played she could hear her father talk to her, and so Bernice continued to play, until her mother's death. Now she won't touch the piano, yet refuses to

. Bernice’s cousin, Marjorie, is the socialite of her town. The Queen Bee. All the girls want to be her; all the guys want to be with her. She has Warren, her unofficial boyfriend, wrapped around her finger. But everyone cannot see the real Marjorie, Her true insecure side. They don’t understand that she puts them down to make her feel better about herself, trying to make herself feel superior. Marjorie is putting on a front to give the idea that she is happy and perfect. Underneath, she is a cold and jealous person. She is the one pressuring Bernice, not knowing that it is the way she copes with her own insecurities. Marjorie, although more confident than Bernice, also shows

The play starts off with Boy Willie and his friend Lymon heading towards north to Pittsburgh. Their intentions are to sell a truck load of watermelons, and most of all to convince Berniece into selling the piano. Boy Willie knows very well that Berniece will not give up the piano, but resumes with his journey to sell the piano. The piano in this play is the heart of the play. It is the main cause for the tension between Boy Willie and Berniece. The piano has brought upon many grieves to the Charles family, and has caused many lives. The piano is a symbol for every life that it has taken. And for those lives, Berniece resists in letting go of the piano. Even though, it is the most important matter in the family. To Berniece, the piano is also a prize possession because of their ancestors, but most of all she refuses to sell it because their mother polished it everyday after their father died. Berniece accuses Boy Willie of not considering what their mother has done. But even after all that their family has gone through to finally claim the piano, Boy Willie wants to sell it anyway. The piano is the only family value that both siblings can hold on to and pass on to next generations. Boy Willie feels

Boy Willie, however, wants to release the past and sell the family piano so he can have a new start in life and forget the painful past. "The Piano Lesson" is both unique to the plight of African-Americans and universal in its depiction of the human condition (Gale, 2000, p249). The sibling rivalry, past history versus present time and future, storytelling and gender relationships all cross both unique and universal boundaries. To illustrate, even in today's society there are sibling rivalry that pit brother against sister, brother against brother or sister against sister together to the point of bitter battle. In addition, there are still people in today's society that have difficulties in resolving painful past experiences with the present and future. In regards to gender relationships, there are still a lot of mysteries in the realm of love between two people. Bernice is the African-American way, staying true to her roots and not parting with the heritage. Although she finds this painful, she will not part with her heritage. Her heritage is “tangible in the presence of the piano itself” (Sparknotes, 2014). Therefore, even though the theme of this play surrounds itself around African-Americans, the situation can easily be applied to all races and time periods.

As Avery says, she is carrying stones with her, letting the piano weight her down, keeping it as a grave reminder of her family?s history. If Berniece were able to touch the piano, she would be able to accept and overcome her fear and disgrace of the violent past, but she is not ready to do that.

The piano is symbolic of the family’s African American culture. The main character Berniece wants to keep the piano but not ever play it (Wilson 1210). In the ending of the novel when Berniece plays and sings the ghosts leaves (Wilson 1261). This is symbolic because by interacting with her culture. The family’s ancestors were slaves that took pride in their culture