The Piano Lesson Flashcards
Of what larger work is “The Piano Lesson” a part?
Wilson’s “The Pittsburgh Cycle,” a series of ten plays that all (with one exception) take place in Pittsburgh and chronicle black life from the 1900s - 2000s. There is one play per decade.
“The Piano Lesson” is the 1930s play.
To what Quals author is Wilson frequently compared?
Tennessee Williams
Where is Wilson originally from?
Pittsburgh
What is the central ideological conflict of “The Piano Lesson”?
How to think about the past - whether it should be remembered, preserved, and honored, or used to make a better present.
The focus on an object, an heirloom, is also significant because during slavery black people were treated as heirlooms/objects themselves. So the heirloom is doubly significant, important not just because Bernice and Boy Willie’s father died getting it or its connection to their family, but because it represents seizing a kind of freedom that was previously denied to them. Giving it up, even to reclaim some of the land on which their ancestors worked, is relinquishing that hard-won privilege. Connections can be made to “Incidents” and the silver pitcher bought with Aunt Martha’s money.
Who are the primary siblings in this play?
Bernice Charles and Boy Willie Charles
What is the name of the family that older Bernice and Boy Willie’s ancestors as slaves?
Sutter
What prestigious honor did “The Piano Lesson” receive?
The Pulitzer Prize
During what larger American cultural backdrop does this play take place?
The Great Depression
Where were Bernice and Boy Willie’s family originally enslaved?
Mississippi
What is the name of Bernice’s daughter?
Maretha; Bernice gives her lessons on the piano and hopes that she will be able to play it without carrying the same baggage of history as Bernice herself.
What is the story of the piano?
Sutter’s ancestor split up a family of slaves to buy a piano for his wife’s anniversary present, selling a wife and child away from their father. Soon after, the Master’s wife started missing the slaves, who had been some of her favorites, so the father carved his family’s faces and whole life story into the piano itself.
Who were the two slaves traded for the piano?
Doaker’s father, a small boy at the time, and his grandmother, also named Bernice.
What is the significance of the play’s repeated names?
Both Boy Willie and Bernice have family names that were passed down to them from slave ancestors. The continuation of these names signals the ongoing trauma/burden of slavery as well as a reverence for those who have gone before.
What is the name of Bernice and Boy Willie’s uncle?
Doaker Charles
What is the name of Bernice’s husband? What happened to him?
Crawley. He was killed when he got caught helping Lymon and Boy Willie move some stolen wood. They went to prison for three years; he died.
