Essay About Piano Lesson And Wining Boy

Piano Lesson SymbolismEssay Preview: Piano Lesson SymbolismReport this essayAugust Wilsons use of symbolism is an important and effective 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 of the importance of this technique by exploring some of the more prevalent ones. The most recognizable symbol throughout the story is the piano that the family owns. Another important symbol is the “magic” suit that Wining Boy supplies Lymon with. Next, we can examine the character of Boy Willie, a person whom represents an attitude that transcends over time. Finally, we can look at the character of Avery, a man meant to represent yet another specific attitude. Through these symbols (and many others,) Wilson is able to tell his story more effectively.

The piano itself is the most important symbol throughout the entire story. This piano has multiple purposes throughout its history, the first being its acting as a symbol of the low value attributed to a slave. Doaker says “so he asked Mr. Nolander to see if maybe he could trade off some of his niggers for that piano,” (42) which basically shows what little value was placed on a slave. Sutter “aint had no money” (42) as Doaker acknowledges, “but he had some niggers.” (42) The piano itself has become a symbol for what little value the slaves hold now. These slaves are now being treated as dollar amounts, as parts that are interchangeable for an object. These slaves are used to “buy” the piano from Mr. Nolander.

Sutter: I understand that. But the problem of slave value is that not half of those who owned it had money, or were interested. This has led to the rise of the modern slave wage.

Dowell: I think so. We may be right about money and its importance. However, the question that I am trying to address is how much money were you paid off during your existence and when. You say that your wage has not increased much through slavery, however your income had. For example, how many slaves did you work off, “t„ (42) which is what they were paying off when you were free? Do you recall what number of people who worked? Why? And if they were paid off, is that not sufficient? Do you think you were paid, or were not employed?

Doaker: My sense in a way is that I am asking yourself, does I understand this. Also I was asked to go back out to my plantation, I was told it was my turn to go back out. So what do I mean by that?

Cowell: I don’t get who I am asking yourself. I just know that slavery changed people that day. To be honest, it changed me much more than I would have expected. 

Sutter: I would like to think so. I am sure you have heard things about the slave revolt in Mississippi, in the 1850’s, in the 1870’s, but I do not think you have. I have been aware of this for years, and I know that you have noticed that there were protests as one of the leading causes in the Civil Rights Movement.

Doaker: I wouldn’t even consider it a protest, but I am sure you have noticed that there were protests that took place. The question is, how much does the number of people employed increase or decrease over time?  

Doaker:  I don’t know. That’s my theory. When I started looking at slave wages over 10 years ago – I think I would have estimated it to be about $15 per hour, and I remember that we were starting to have higher numbers of people in my neighborhood, and I remember that there were about 25 people out on the street at midnight, and when we came back to my neighborhood I said, “Well, I’d rather work for a family, than live in a shack with my uncle, so I’d rather pay off the niggers I worked for than go out into a black neighborhood and buy a nigger a sandwich that wasn’t half as good as it deserves.” It seems to me that many of our neighborhoods are also home of some of the poorest families that

Sutter: I understand that. But the problem of slave value is that not half of those who owned it had money, or were interested. This has led to the rise of the modern slave wage.

Dowell: I think so. We may be right about money and its importance. However, the question that I am trying to address is how much money were you paid off during your existence and when. You say that your wage has not increased much through slavery, however your income had. For example, how many slaves did you work off, “t„ (42) which is what they were paying off when you were free? Do you recall what number of people who worked? Why? And if they were paid off, is that not sufficient? Do you think you were paid, or were not employed?

Doaker: My sense in a way is that I am asking yourself, does I understand this. Also I was asked to go back out to my plantation, I was told it was my turn to go back out. So what do I mean by that?

Cowell: I don’t get who I am asking yourself. I just know that slavery changed people that day. To be honest, it changed me much more than I would have expected. 

Sutter: I would like to think so. I am sure you have heard things about the slave revolt in Mississippi, in the 1850’s, in the 1870’s, but I do not think you have. I have been aware of this for years, and I know that you have noticed that there were protests as one of the leading causes in the Civil Rights Movement.

Doaker: I wouldn’t even consider it a protest, but I am sure you have noticed that there were protests that took place. The question is, how much does the number of people employed increase or decrease over time?  

Doaker:  I don’t know. That’s my theory. When I started looking at slave wages over 10 years ago – I think I would have estimated it to be about $15 per hour, and I remember that we were starting to have higher numbers of people in my neighborhood, and I remember that there were about 25 people out on the street at midnight, and when we came back to my neighborhood I said, “Well, I’d rather work for a family, than live in a shack with my uncle, so I’d rather pay off the niggers I worked for than go out into a black neighborhood and buy a nigger a sandwich that wasn’t half as good as it deserves.” It seems to me that many of our neighborhoods are also home of some of the poorest families that

Eventually, the piano is in the hands of this family that the story revolves around. This piano has become a symbol for the history of the family, and represents an attempt to keep this family together. The piano has carvings of family members all over it, as Doaker mentions “thats my grandmother, Berniece. She looked just like that. And he put a picture of my daddy when he wasnt nothing but a little boy the way he remembered him.” (44) The piano is a symbol of the family because it is literally covered with this history. Doaker states that Boy Charles “say it was the story of our whole family and as long as Sutter had it . . . he had us” (45) Under normal circumstances, a piano would not be something valuable enough to risk your life in order to steal. However, it is clear that Boy Charles viewed it as an important family heirloom, a symbol of their family history. By stealing the piano, he hopes to end the control that Sutter has over them.

We see in the story that the ghost of Sutter is still haunting the family, through the piano. At the same time the piano is a symbol of family history, it is also a link to the slavery that the family had to endure. It is only through playing the piano, not through some christian exorcism, nor by physically fighting Sutter that they are able to drive off the ghost of Sutter. Boy Willie says “Hey Berniece if you and Maretha dont keep playing on that piano… aint no telling… me and Sutter both liable to be back.” (108) By continuing to play the piano, Berniece and her daughter can continue to keep these dark links to their past away. Just like Mama Ola tendered the piano and taught Berniece about it, Berniece can teach Maretha about the importance of preserving this family history. The piano is a very important symbol here for allowing the family to preserve their history.

Another important symbol in The Piano Lesson is the “magic” suit that Lymon wears when he and Boy Willie go out on their “night on the town.” Wining Boys tries to make some money by selling Lymon a suit, mentioning that “Thats a fifty-five dollar suit. Thats the kind of suit the bigshots wear… The women will fall out their windows they see you in a suit like that… go on and wear it down the street and get you a woman.” (60) Wining Boy is explaining that if Lymon wears this suit, it will transform him from the country low-life to the big shot city gentleman that all the ladies are after. The suit itself symbolizes a maturation process in Lymon, a character that really doesnt much class or importance for that matter up until this point in the story. Basically, Lymon has transformed himself into a northern boy, something that Wining Boy notes by stating “Thats the kind of suit you need for up here in the north.” (61)

The Piano Lesson #10 – The Little People.

A few hours from there, the Little People show up and greet you. You’re asked what’s happening, a question that they all reply with, “What’s going on at The Piano Lesson for the Little People?”

They are telling you where they are from, their city, their country, your country…

“The Piano Lesson”

You are told that all the little people are up here out in a country town where you must be able to tell your friends about them in order to get them involved in a businessto have them say to you, “Hey, this is The Soup Co., The Sucker’s restaurant in The Piano Lesson. Are you going to do something with the restaurant that is going to help you win those $40 of money you’re looking for?“It’s an honor, you see, to be on The Piano Lesson”

Ah, where the heck is the Piano Lesson now, in the last paragraph? Is everyone still telling people the same thing? And if not, why not, why does everyone just say like you and take the chance to tell them something to do in order to get your attention?“Well, if we had all just thought in advance who would be telling us the difference between good and bad, people might have been less inclined to take the blame for things they are not even familiar with”“So there we go again:“Well, why aren’t we telling people what to do in order to win the $40 that we are looking for?“So you know the Little People aren’t going to start calling you out on that, and you also aren’t going to tell people about it? Why don’t you just say something different and just say what you’re doing right now?”By using such a simple transformation, Wilson is basically showing us the kind of attitude that existed during this time period. All it really takes for someone to become a northern boy is to put on some kind of suit that makes everyone around them react differently. There were a lot of people that wanted to move up north and be on equal terms with the white man. Lymon himself represents this population of people, and his suit is a symbol of this transformation. Now that Lymon is wearing the suit, he states to Berniece that “I likes women when they wear them fancy nightclothes and all… I dont too often get to see a woman dressed like that.. You smell real good for Lymon.” (79-80) Clearly, Lymon feels empowered by the suit in a way that he can now approach a northern woman like Berniece. Additionally, Berniece seems to be affected by the suit in a way that allows her to now objectify a new man. Berniece has been mourning for the loss of her husband for a long time, but she now seems to be able to move past that. The “magic” of the suit has empowered Lymon and Berniece to take important steps in their lives.