The Piano's Character

In all great works of writing there is a great deal of symbolism. There are also characters which are combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another. In The Piano Lesson by August Wilson, an important symbol and character would be the piano. It symbolizes the past and the hardships the Charles family encountered. Berniece herself does not like the piano because of all the bad memories it brings, yet she does not let anyone get rid of it. On the other hand, Boy Willie embraces the past of the piano yet wants to sell it to buy land off of Sutter. The piano is a character as well because it has qualities of it own. It has carving engraved and a past. People have cried, died and bled over it.
The fight for the piano is very interesting because there is a great deal of thought that has to go into the decision being made. Should Boy Willie sell his family legacy for a piece of land or should Berniece keep the piano without really embracing the meaning and value of it? I like the piano because toward the end it brings Boy Willie and Berniece closer together. They are no longer at war and I’m glad that Boy Willie tells his niece about the family history. This is when I start to see that the piano is a character. It resolved the conflicts between a brother and sister.