Bernie In The Piano Lesson

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Berniece

At the heart of The Piano Lesson is a brother and sister couple at war over the question of using the family legacy. Berniece, the sister, fiercely protects the piano from being sold. She figures as the guardian of the family's past. Unlike other characters, the stage notes for Berniece are somewhat sparse, describing her as a thirty-five-year-old mother still mourning for her husband, Crawley. She blames her brother, Boy Willie, for her husband's death, remaining ever skeptical of his bravado and chiding him for his rebellious ways.

Berniece still constantly thinks about Crawley and has refused to re-marry. Though the play ultimately stages her seduction by Lymon—in some sense to recuperate her femininity—it is crucial that she