Buy The Piano Analysis

At several instances throughout the play, Berniece reiterates with 100 percent certainty that nothing that Boy Willie can do will make her sell the piano. Even when the white man offers Berniece a good amount of money to buy the piano, the piano remains as something irreplaceable to Bernice. So why is the piano so important to Berniece? Looking at the history of the piano, the reader is shown the death of Boy Charles to acquire it and the three generations carved into the piano that displays their family history. But the deciding factor whether to or not to sell the piano is a result of Berniece’s relationship with her mother, and this is clearly shown on page 52. Berniece says, “‘Look at this piano. Look at it. Moma Ola polished this piano

Day after day Berniece watched her mother clean the piano, and that impacted her in a way that made the piano irreplaceable to Berniece. Berniece continues this theme on page 70. Berniece says, “When my mama died I shut the top on that piano and I ain’t never opened it since. I was only playing it for her. When my daddy died seem like all her life went into that piano” (Wilson, 70). Berniece watched her mother for the rest of her life constantly polish and clean the piano, and the piano not only becomes a symbol of Boy Charles sacrifice, but also Mama Ola’s dedication and hardship. Additionally, on page 46, one of the reasons why Berniece won’t sell the piano is mentioned to be because her father died over it, this quote goes against that idea (Wilson, 46). Her father’s reckless act just to obtain the piano left Berniece’s mother to become a widow, who was in suffering for the next 17 years. Also, as a widower herself, Berniece is able to personally relate to her mother’s feelings since Crowley died trying to steal

This forces them into two opposing spectrums and neither at the beginning of the play are willing to back down from their respective views. While Boy Willie mentions Boy Charles in his reasoning to sell the piano, Berniece remembers Mama Ola when she talks about keeping the piano. Watching and hearing about both of their parents shapes their opinion on what should be done with the piano and their point of views. However, at the end of the play Boy Willie backs down from his stance when he sees Berniece play the piano and call on her ancestors to stop Sutter’s ghost. In this moment, Boy Willie sees the importance of the piano and no longer tries to forcefully remove the piano. While they are both obligated to uphold the positions of their parents, they are able to successfully reach a