Quotes From The Piano Lessons

In August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson Berniece Charles has been dealing with the death of her husband, Crawley, for the past three years and the presence of an old piano in her home that ties all the way back to her great grandparents and the slavery that they were subjected to. Crawley’s death occurred due to his involvement in a firefight with police when he was assisting Berniece’s brother, Boy Willie, and Boy Willie’s friend, Lymon Jackson in the pilfering of wood. Berniece blames her brother for Crawley’s death because he was present during this action of stealing. Berniece also deals with the acceptance of an old, engraved piano in her household that has a long history of her family tied to it. In August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, Berniece

Ever since the tragic day of her husband’s death, Berniece separated herself from any affiliation with her brother. Boy Willie returns to Berniece’s home shortly after he is released from Parchman Farm, in order to reacquire the old piano in hopes that he may sell it and purchase land from the family that was in original possession of the piano. Berniece argues with Boy Willie, claiming that the piano will stay in her house because their mother grieved over it after their father’s death when he acquired the

This is supported by her final decision to play the piano, that she so very disliked, in order to save her brother’s life, “Berniece realizes what she must do… She crosses over to the piano… She begins to play.” Berniece combated these conflicts in order to reconcile, not only, the relationship she had with her brother, but the relationship with her ancestors that faltered when she gave up on the piano. Berniece finally accepted that it was not Boy Willie’s fault that her husband passed away or that it was his fault, that the Charles family has went through many troubles to acquire the object that ties all their family history together. It is shown that Berniece finally accepts Boy Willie due to her thanking of him at the end of Sutter’s attack, “...me and Sutter both liable to be back...Thank you.” Bernice comes to terms with her family’s past, through her actions and acceptance of the piano and the history behind it. She changes from having this anger towards the piano and her brother to developing an acceptance towards his actions and playing a song upon the piano once more. This acceptance leads to a harmony between her and her brother from the previous blame of her husband’s death and a higher harmony for the entire Charles family after Sutter’s spirit is