The Piano Lesson Book Report 1. Significance of Title - The Piano Lesson Although the title‚ The Piano Lesson‚ may imply a story about learning to play a piano‚ it instead is a very literal explanation of the plot‚ as each character in this play learns‚ through his or her attempts to best utilize their family piano‚ to preserve the family legacy by embracing the past. In the beginning of the play‚ Boy Willie wants to sell the piano to buy a plot of land because he believed the piano was wasting away
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The Piano Lesson Production The Piano Lesson‚ written by August Wilson and directed by Lou Bellamy is placed in the 1930’s and is about an African American family haunted by American slavery. The play mainly focuses on a piano that has been in this African American family for decades. The piano represents strength and courage. During the production not every single scene and line in the playwright was included in the production. It was not actually needed because the actors were really able
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Americans from gaining more equality and they had many struggles in their lives because White Americans generally did not accept for them to be on the same level. These changes were seen through the perspectives of characters in the play‚ “The Piano Lesson”‚ written by August Wilson. Although there was social
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Loss Berniece is a strong and independent widowed woman who seeks peace and freedom throughout the play. Although it has been three years since the death of her husband Crawley‚ she chooses not to marry Avery because she is still in grief. In the Piano Lesson by August Wilson‚ the theme of loss is displayed through Berneice as the loss of her husband causes her to become distressed throughout the play. Berniece’s loss of her husband Crawley causes her to become distressed. The readers can see her
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be lost due to the mixed cultures. Unfortunately‚ African Americans have been plagued with slavery‚ which ended only to take on new forms in their minds through white expectations and the fallacious stereotypes manifested by minstrelsy. In The Piano Lesson‚ many characters‚ such as Berniece‚ are haunted by their past trauma in the form of a ghost. On the contrary‚ Boy Willie is tempted by the allures of fulfilling his dreams which have become tainted by the white culture
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The Piano Lesson Family Values The Piano Lesson is a play based on a conflict between two characters‚ Boy Willie and Berniece. Boy Willie is persistent on selling the piano to buy land‚ while Berniece wants to keep the piano because it has a lot of sentimental value to their family. The piano stayed with their family for many generations and Berniece is not willing to give it up just for some land. In The Piano Lesson‚ August Wilson emphasizes that family is more valuable than money.
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method of storytelling in The Piano Lesson. Symbolism is a technique used by writers to associate one object or idea with another. This technique is essential in The Piano Lesson due to the small-scale‚ rural environment in which the story is told. Important thoughts and ideas that Wilson is trying to portray about African-American society could never be expressed without symbolism‚ due to this small setting. There are many examples of symbolism in The Piano Lesson‚ but one can get a good idea
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Similar Families and Similar Struggles "Fences" and "The Piano Lesson" are two extraordinary works created by August Wilson. Throughout these two plays there is a constant struggle while at the same time these stories revolve around a similar theme or symbol. In "Fences"‚ the idea of building the "fence" is very similar to the "piano" in "The Piano Lesson". August Wilson did not name his play‚ Fences‚ simply because the dramatic action depends strongly on the building of a fence in the Maxson’s
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In The Piano Lesson a major issue is brought up and that is the issue of family vs. selfishness/ material items. Should we let material items and selfishness stand in the way of our family the people that we claim to love? Would your family allow a material item get in the way of a loved one‚ or would they drop it all together? What would happen if the material item had sentimental value? Well maybe the Charles family can set the example and help answer these questions. Family is a word that can
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The piano is ironically the source of possible deaths because of its violent past. Berniece believes the piano should be valued as a family artifact that is priceless. On the other hand‚ Boy Willie believes the piano is worth a significant dollar value. The conflict comes to a violent halt when Berniece walks downstairs with a shotgun which she points at Boy Willie while he and Lymon are trying to move the piano. The resolution of their enmity requires Lymon
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