The Piano Lesson, By August Wilson
Within The Piano Lesson, August Wilson effectively presented the scene of the play by implementing symbolism and characterization, displaying one single point: the past is meaningful, but only up to a point. It should not hinder a person from advancing into the future. Taking place in 1936 in Pittsburgh, Wilson accurately portrays a migration in which thousands of African-Americans ventured north in search for jobs and opportunities, however, he also revealed the struggles that these people were destined to overcome. He ensured that their stories lived on. The use of symbolism is immediate, and like a hammer on an anvil, Wilson struck them onto pages with such concise precision that it brought characters to life. This is clearly evident on page 41 of the play, when he wrote, “I give that piano up. That was the best thing that ever happened to me,
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getting rid of that piano. That piano got so big and I’m carrying it around on my back. I don’t wish that on nobody,” from Wining Boy’s perspective. The piano itself was the symbol of the deprivation of African-American’s lives based on their pasts and race, and how their skin color oppressed their futures. However, the piano also represented the lives of African Americans. In addition, it portrayed their hopelessness. At first, Wining Boy was prosperous- he satisfied with women and whisky, yet day after day, he played for hours without rest. In conclusion, he lost his identity the second he became ‘the piano player.’ Afflicted by the burden, he no longer played for his own pleasure. He was only freed when he lost his opportunities, sinking back into the uncertain comfort of his past. By exposing how the piano becomes the symbol of oppression, Wilson allowed his audience to connect to the play, since he allowed the play to be relatable and realistic, proving that people are plagued by stress and oppression. Like a knife, it deliberately inflicts agony on anyone it can find. Though people can suffer from the fate of the knife’s slice, Wining Boy, one of the significant remembered characters from The Piano Lesson, acted not only as a comic figure, but also as the play’s prominent story teller. A former pianist, Wining Boy wandered between Doaker’s home and the bar, drinking till his heart’s content. By writing:
You can’t get enough whisky and you can’t get enough women and you don’t never get tired of playing that piano. But that only lasts so long. You look up one day and you hate the whisky, and you hate the women, and you hate the piano. But that’s all you got. You can’t do nothing else. All you know how to do is play that piano. Now, who am I? Am I me? Or am I the piano player?
on page 41, Wilson indirectly characterizes him by his diction, making him out to be a broken, insightful human being.
Because of this, Wining Boy became the person he is through the rough experiences he had lived through. Nevertheless, he would not have become the insightful man that he was, and he would not have been able to clarify the stories within the play. By creating relatable characters, Wilson allowed his audience to become flies on a wall: they were there and they lived through the experiences of the characters. He portrayed life as it was. Within The Piano Lesson, Wining Boy was driven to deal with the fate of his ancestors, since it became his own. Falling back into the past, he became lost in himself, resorting to drinking in order to cope with the fact that he could not move forward with his life. Becoming prey to the predatory nature of the world, he told the world the story of the struggling people who tried to mold their own destinies in the mid 1930’s. Yes, the past is a crucial detail of people’s lives, but it should not confine individuals to live lives of struggle. The future holds
possibilities.
getting rid of that piano. That piano got so big and I’m carrying it around on my back. I don’t wish that on nobody,” from Wining Boy’s perspective. The piano itself was the symbol of the deprivation of African-American’s lives based on their pasts and race, and how their skin color oppressed their futures. However, the piano also represented the lives of African Americans. In addition, it portrayed their hopelessness. At first, Wining Boy was prosperous- he satisfied with women and whisky, yet day after day, he played for hours without rest. In conclusion, he lost his identity the second he became ‘the piano player.’ Afflicted by the burden, he no longer played for his own pleasure. He was only freed when he lost his opportunities, sinking back into the uncertain comfort of his past. By exposing how the piano becomes the symbol of oppression, Wilson allowed his audience to connect to the play, since he allowed the play to be relatable and realistic, proving that people are plagued by stress and oppression. Like a knife, it deliberately inflicts agony on anyone it can find. Though people can suffer from the fate of the knife’s slice, Wining Boy, one of the significant remembered characters from The Piano Lesson, acted not only as a comic figure, but also as the play’s prominent story teller. A former pianist, Wining Boy wandered between Doaker’s home and the bar, drinking till his heart’s content. By writing:
You can’t get enough whisky and you can’t get enough women and you don’t never get tired of playing that piano. But that only lasts so long. You look up one day and you hate the whisky, and you hate the women, and you hate the piano. But that’s all you got. You can’t do nothing else. All you know how to do is play that piano. Now, who am I? Am I me? Or am I the piano player?
on page 41, Wilson indirectly characterizes him by his diction, making him out to be a broken, insightful human being.
Because of this, Wining Boy became the person he is through the rough experiences he had lived through. Nevertheless, he would not have become the insightful man that he was, and he would not have been able to clarify the stories within the play. By creating relatable characters, Wilson allowed his audience to become flies on a wall: they were there and they lived through the experiences of the characters. He portrayed life as it was. Within The Piano Lesson, Wining Boy was driven to deal with the fate of his ancestors, since it became his own. Falling back into the past, he became lost in himself, resorting to drinking in order to cope with the fact that he could not move forward with his life. Becoming prey to the predatory nature of the world, he told the world the story of the struggling people who tried to mold their own destinies in the mid 1930’s. Yes, the past is a crucial detail of people’s lives, but it should not confine individuals to live lives of struggle. The future holds
possibilities.