The Piano

The play The Piano Lesson by August Willson had an important piece of instrument that was passed down from generation to generation from the Sutter’s to the Charles’s family. The musical instrument was a piano that is cherished by a few individuals in the Charles family. Boy Willie a character in the play is an example of someone who takes the piano for granted and would rather sell the piano to buy land. In my opinion the piano should be cherished by everyone because of how it first began in the family and what Berniece's father went through in order to get it back in their hands. Throughout the play my attitude does not change simply because I understand why Berniece does not want to sell the piano and doesn't let anyone change her mind to do so as well.

As a member in the audience I consider the piano a character in the play because it took a major role in the story even though it was not a living creature. The definition of a character is a role in a play, film, or any type of story. In this case the piano had a major role in the play as a object of their family's history. Since the piano was a character in the play it contributed with the Charles family dilemma, the dilemma dealt with family members who wanted to sell the piano and others who wanted to keep the piano in the family.

The conflict was compelling because it had to deal with members of a family who were fighting over different views to sell or not to sell the piano. The piano was not just a object it was a symbol of their history that had to deal with past ancestors. Personally I would not want to sell the piano because of all the hard work that was put into it and the meaning it possess.