The Piano Lesson -- by August Wilson (1990)

Description
August Wilson is the first African-American playwright to win the Pulitzer for Drama twice. Fences, of course, landed his first victory. Now, the only other African-American playwright to have won multiple Pulitzer Prizes for Drama is Lynn Nottage.

The Piano Lesson takes the slot of the '30s in Wilson's famed Pittsburgh cycle, a series of ten plays he wrote to capture each decade of the African-American experience in 20th century America. The plot is quite simple: two siblings fight over what to do with their family. The piano is carved with the faces of their ancestors and its presence in Berniece's house calls for remembrance of old wounds, bravery, and the (re)establishment of identity. When her brother, Boy Willie, returns to announce his intentions to sell the piano in order to gain enough money to pay for a large span of land, family tensions rise . . . and the ghost of the previous white owner of the family and piano adds to the conflict.

The play does engage the reader thoroughly in examining the African-American experience in the 30s. By the end of the play, however, I just wanted to scream: SO WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE PIANO? Maybe that was Wilson's intent-- to get the audience to invest in the importance of the status of African-American ancestry.

So what does happen to the piano? Well, I guess you have to read it for yourself.   

Candid Reactions

• Wilson evokes an uneasy atmosphere quickly. 
• That certain characters are sleeping at the start of the play is more symbolic than it may initially appear. I'm thinking conscious-ness. 
• Wilson develops character succinctly in his parenthetical stage descriptions and directions. 
• It is a little confusing to keep track of how everyone is related to each other. 
• The premise of the play is blatant. 
• Boy Willie's proclamation, "She ain't got to sell it. I'm gonna sell it. I own just as much as she does" (12) drives to the heart of the conflict. Ownership is a main motif/theme of the play. Both Berniece and Boy Willie yearn for a sense of pride. Berniece finds intrinsic value in the piano whereas Boy Willie envisions finding an increased individual intrinsic value by exploiting the extrinsic worth of the piano.  Now that is a wordy thesis!
• Ownership does not only appear via piano ownership and the talks of slavery: the theme is also developed in the arguments regarding who can author stories. 
• Berniece's accusation that Boy Willie killed Sutter is chilling. 
• Ah, the proposed resolution: get rid of the piano, get rid of the ghost. Should Berniece have to abandon her heirlooms in order to gain an un-haunted life? 
• The railroad metaphor is on the verge of being condescending. 
• Berniece's argument is troublesome: "If everybody stay in one place I believe this would be a better world" (19).
• Wilson raises the stakes at the end of Act 1 Scene 1 with BW's threat. 
• The fact that Lymon and BW have a truck that keeps breaking down is such an appropriate metaphor. 
• Is that a pun in the lyric about "drop on down well"? (40)
• Willy Boy develops theme on identity by asking, "Now, who am I? Am I me? Or am I the piano player" (41)? 
• The desire to "build on" things is a source of tension. 
• Berniece argues that people who perpetuate bad things are to blame for bad things that occur. A rather unoriginal thought, but a moving sentiment in the play. 
• The end of Act 1 was quite climactic. 
• The superstition keeps amping up!
• There is always a lamp to be broken for plot and symbolic purposes. 
• WHOA. What was with that, Lymon?
• Why is Doaker so defensive all of a sudden?
• Boy Willie makes an intriguing counter-offer: If you celebrate the piano, then I won't bother you. 
• How incredible is the line: "This might be your bottom, but it ain't mine" (92)?
• Wilson is orchestrating a strong crescendo, just like in Fences. 
• Ah, the piano playing! This is too much!
• Boy Willie's fight with Sutter reminds me of Troy's fight with the supernatural presence in Fences. 
• Really? That abrupt of an ending after such a major event? Not cool, Wilson. 

Top Two Aspects/Reasons for Winning
1. African-American Heritage and Advancement
The plot captures a major conflict within the African-American community: how does a group maintain tradition and heritage while trying to move forward in modern society? The play somewhat reminds me of A Soldier's Play with the echoes of inner-racial debates.

2. African-American Supernatural Beliefs 
I was exposed to several cultural themes and archetypes in the American Cross-Cultural Authors course I took at Anderson University. When we studied African-American literature in that semester, we learned about common themes and topics included specifically in works by and about African-Americans. The fact that supernatural elements, characters, or events commonly appeared in African-American literature surprised me. I first thought the inclusion supernatural elements would be infrequent. The inclusion has proven to be way more frequent than I had presupposed. Wilson's ability to infuse his play with ghosts and curses both make the play reminiscent of classic works such as Hamlet and a peer into part of the African-American experience as viewed from a literary perspective.

Classroom Implications
I could definitely see this text being included in high school curricula. I could see it being a companion piece to Their Eyes Were Watching God or Beloved. The historical implications of the play could be discussed. The symbolism included in the play could be evaluated successfully.

Personal Takeaway
Each writer has his or her own strengths.

Ranking

	Dialogue	Characters	Plot/Conflict	Symbol/Literary Devices	Overall Enjoyment	TOTAL SCORE 7.75
0	Unfollowable; unrealistic; diction does not match character	Undeveloped; does not reflect humanity	Not engaging; predictable; reader can step away from text because it isn’t gripping	Devices are apparent for cleverness and do not enhance the story	Reader has no interest in re-reading play
1	Not consistently realistic	Well-developed; most depictions reflect humanity (1.5)	Semi-engaging; some unnecessary plot-points (1.5)	Devices somewhat enhance story	Reader would re-read with pleasure and reminded of work (1.25)
2	Realistic; connotative; diction matches characters (1.75)	Fully-developed; depictions reflect humanity	Engaging; unique; reader finds it impossible to put down text because the conflict is so gripping!	Devices seamlessly enhance the story and provide rich interpretation (1.75)	Reader would re-read the play on own volition, enthusiastically