Aneesah Hatchett

Professor A. Brim

Composition II MWF 9:00

18 November 2007

Things that are left behind!

In life there are things that have to be left for the family to deal with. Sometimes

it can cause conflict between family members, if the family can not come to an agreement

about that item. There can be different opinions about what a person feels should be done

with the item or items. That is why there should always be that responsible person in the

family that has the level head. Someone may want the item for the money, then their may

be that one that knows that it has real value to it that is why it takes that one person to

decide what is best for the whole family. As I read this drama the piano lesson written by

August Wilson there was conflict over a piano that was left behind. The conflict was

between the two siblings. One of the siblings wanted the piano for the memories, and

then there was the other sibling that wanted it for the value of it. Sometimes things are

not as what they seem; it takes some people more time than other to mature in situations

like this one. It is very understandable how one of the siblings saw that there was more

value in the piano, than just selling it. The other sibling sees a way for him to make a

better life for himself, but has no one else in mind.

In all cases you have to do what is the absolute best for every family member that

is involved. We all feel like we know exactly what we need when there is something that

seems to be very important to us at that time, but after we make that ultimate decision it

comes to mind that we could have decided something much better than what we did. In
life there are times when we must step back and make a conscious and unselfish decision

that includes more than just that person. In the drama the piano lesson by August Wilson,

shows how an object can affect the family, its values, and the family legacy. Value is

stated to be: worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor according to (Webster’s

II New College Dictionary pg. 1228). Inheritance defined as something that is or may be

inherited, property passing at the owner’s death to the heir or those entitled to succeed

legacy (dictionary.com). There is also family defined as all those persons considered as

descendants of a common progenitor. Those are some things that had and needed to be

considered before a person makes that self decision. There are times like this when a will

needs to be made when there are people that want the merchandise for their gain to make

their self well off especially in the drama the piano lesson. Bernice was the character that

seems like she carried the entire burden for the piano, and then there was boy Willie that

just wanted the money not thinking about all the hard work that was put into the piano.

He had nothing in mind, but to gain wealth from the selling of the piano. In the drama

the piano lesson by August Wilson shows how inheritance can bring many problems

especially when there is a sibling that does not understand the value of a piano that their

ancestor carved.

Value can mean different things depending on what a person is thinking about.

The value in the drama “The piano lesson” by August Wilson is between Bernice and

Boy Willie. He wants to sell the piano because of the value it has. Bernice refuses to

allow him to remove the piano from the home. Boy Willie on the other hand feels as if

she does not have that authority to refuse him of selling the piano. He made the

comment that “if Bernice doesn’t want to sell that piano…I’m gonna cut it in half and go
and sell my half” (1.1.273). Boy Willie on the other hand is trying to purchase land from

Sutter so that he can make a better life for himself down south. “He has saved part of the

money will sell watermelons to get the other part, and sell the piano for the other half”

(1.1.271). Only to know that Bernice will not sell the piano no matter what he says or

does. In life these are some of the situations that people go through in order to resolve

problems like this particular one. Bernice believes the value of women’s suffering and

sacrifice has been devalued in the traditions and rituals of the patriarchy according to

Valerie Smith (African American Writers pg 850). She feels as if she needs to hold on to

the piano for her mother and her ancestors. She feels as if the piano is priceless.

Priceless meaning of inestimable worth according to (Webster’s II New College

Dictionary pg.897). “Bernice stated: Money can’t buy what that piano cost. You can’t

sell your soul for money it won’t go with the buyer” (1.2.155). That is just how Bernice

felt about the piano. Boy Willie did not have nearly as much heart as she did when it

came to the piano, Boy Willie describe the piano as just some wood of course, because he

was after something more, like the money to purchase some land. In life there is always

a family member that has more on their mind than what is really important, maybe he did

not have to work to get the piano. Boy Willie in this case made a flash back come to

mind from the play a “Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. When Walter wants the

insurance money from his mother to help purchase a liquor store. Mama states “I’m sorry

‘bout your liquor store, son. It just wasn’t the thing for us to do” (Hansberry 2.1.211).

Sometimes in life a person needs to look past their own personal feelings and think about

the responsible thing to do. Their would be some peace in the family if boy Willie will

not be so selfish in his wants and look at the important value in the piano.
 Many people receive inheritance when there is something that is of value to a

person that once owned it. In the case of the piano in the piano lesson by August Wilson

the piano was the most valuable thing to be passed on in the family. The piano had the

carvings of all their ancestors. Ancestors are defined as: law the person whom an estate

has been inherited (dictionary.com). The person that carved the piece was the great-

grandfather to Bernice and Boy Willie. He was one of the slaves of the Sutter family. It

was actually a gift to the slave owner’s wife before it was brought into the family. After

the salve owners wife died the piano was passed down to the young family. The piano

was originally passed down like this.

“It was originally Joel Nolander. Robert Sutter, who owned Bernice and

Boy Willie’s Great Grandparents as slaves, Sutter brought his wife an

anniversary present. Since he had no money he traded Bernice and Boy

Willie Great-Grandmother and Great- Grandfather for the piano. At

Sutters request, Bernice and Boy Willie Great-Grandfather first rate

woodworker, went to Sutters house and carved pictures of his wife and son

on the piano. However he did not stop there he carved until the piano

was covered with the pictures of family”(Wang, Qun literary reference

center).

That was part of the history of the piano. There were so many memories from the piano

that you would want to inherit this piano. That would be an absolute blessing to receive

something that is so important to have in a family. This would not be any way that a

person could allow themselves to be robbed of something that is so great. That piano

brings nothing, but memories more than that great memories of the things that a person
can only hear about. When a person actually has a chance to own a piece of equipment

that is so important.

Family can be something so wonderful. A person has to learn how to take the bad

with the good. Like the young family there are several people that hold this family

together. Like Chares Doaker the uncle of Bernice and Boy Willie he is an forty seven

year old man tall, and thin he is the peace maker between Bernice and Boy

Willie(Cyclopedia of literary Center). He understands both of their points about the

piano, but he does not want to side with neither party. He tries his best to stay neutral

until he has to put his opinion into the conversation. Then there is Winning Boy Charles

Doakers brother he is an fifty six year old man he tries to represent the image of a

musician and gambler, but every thing about him is old(Cyclopedia of Literary

Characters). Winning Boy Charles is more of the laid back person he never stays in one

place. He is the one that is never stable he comes and goes. He also has his feed back

about the way that the family handles some of the issues with the piano. Then of course

there is Boy Willie Charles who is thirty years old with an infectious grin and a boyish

charm. He is impulsive, and talkative. He is proud, and he believes that he and whites

occupy the world(Cyclopedia of literary Center). He wants things to go his way when it

comes to the piano, he wants to sell the piano so that he can buy land from Sutter in the

South. Bernice is Boy Willie sister she is thirty five and a widow and she still blames her

brother for her husbands death. She now lives with her Uncle Doaker in

Pittsburgh(Cyclopedia of Literary Center). She is the one that is determined to keep the

piano in the family with no exceptions. She does not care about how her brother feels

about the situation. She has said her part about the piano and she is not going back on
her word. The family is always there for each other and there is no one that can tear them

apart. The whole entire family already understands that Bernice will not let the family air

loom go because Boy Willis wants to sell the piano because he has other plans for it. The

family will stand by Bernice at all cost about the family air loom go because Boy Willie

wants to sell the piano. He wants to sell the piano despite the sentimental value that it

has.

So as you can see “the piano lesson” by August Wilson was much more than just a

piano lesson. It was life decisions that had to be made. There was much more about the

piano that boy Willie did not want to know, all he saw was money. He never thought

about the blood, sweat and tears that were in the piano. On the other hand Bernice did

know and cared what was put into the piano. It was more to her than money, her mother

and her ancestor’s hard work was put into the piano. It was so much more than just wood

to her. So in life there are many things that are more important like family a person needs

family to lean on when times get hard. There is values some people see value as different

things. Some people value the small things in life like money, and then there are those

who value things that is worth more than money. Then there is inheritance what people

have passed down to them. For example like a ring or a dress, but in this case it was a

lovely piano that meant so much more than money. So there will be a time in someone’s

life and that person will have to decide what is best for them.
 Work Cited

Hansberry, Lorraine “A raisin in the Sun” Literature and Introduction to reading and

writing. Ed Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs 8th Ed. Upper Saddle River

N.J. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. 1880

“Inheritance” Dicionary.com Unabridged (v1.1). Random House Inc. 29 Nov. 2007

<Dictionary.com http://dictionary reference.com/browse/ancestors, family

“Priceless” Webster’s II New College Dictionary 3rd ed. 2005

Wilson, August the Piano Lesson. Cyclopedia of Literary Characters, Revised

Third Edition. 1998. Literary Reference Center. EBSCOhost. Pulaski Technical

College Ottenheimer library, North Little Rock, AR 29 Nov. 2007

<http://search.epnet.com>

Wilson, August The Piano Lesson Masterplots II: Drama Revisied Edition. 2004.

Literary Reference Center. EBSCOhost. Pulaski Technical College Ottenheimer

Library, North Little Rock, AR. 29 Nov. 2007< http://search.epnet.com>

Smith, Valarie. African American Writer. “The Piano Lesson” Vol. 2. Ed. New York

Charles Scriber’s son, 2001. pg. 850

Wilson, August “The Piano Lesson” Penguin Group New York, New York. 1990