The way the Charles Family and Lymon are treated in the
Piano Lesson by society is the example given by August Wilson how black people
were treated after the Civil War in America. Lymon’s predicament with Mr.
Stovall is a perfect example of how economically blacks were still owned by
whites. Although it’s unknown whether Mr. Stovall owned Lymon’s ancestors, he
used the society’s “white supremacy” mentality and his money to leverage the
court system into freeing Lymon, after being charged with a petty crime, in
exchange for his labor, for an unspecified amount of time, and giving Lymon no
legal option but to work for Mr. Stovall until he paid the $100 back. Another example that isn’t really elaborated
in the play is that of Parchman Farm. Each of the males in the play spent time
there and were all familiar with it but no one really talked about the
conditions they lived in. Parchman Farm was notorious for exploiting its black inmates
to turn massive profits. In 1905 James K. Vardaman, Mississippi’s Governor
known as White Chief, personally supervised the clearing and draining of the land and the construction
of a sawmill to cut timber to for its prison buildings. Cotton was planted on
seven thousand acres, along with cops to feed the convicts, the mules, the
hogs, and a dairy heard. In less than a year the prison had turned a profit of
$185,000 and continued even during the Great Depression. The inmates were
encouraged to socialize with each other to teach new inmates proper discipline,
strong work habits, and respect for white authority. They were watched during
work hours by a line of shooters that shot anyone who tried to escape.
For further reading check out Worse than Slavery: Parchman Farm and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justiceby
David M. Oshinsky.
I think you made a very good point. Racism is sort of an underlining theme in The Piano Lesson. Plus, we learned that August Wilson had to deal with racism himself especially while he was in school. I think it would have even made the play better if they explored the topic of slavery a bit more.
ReplyDeleteMichael Garcia
I agree, Lymon wanted that piano so bad to have land of his own, not owned by a white man, not load that he had to work for it, land he had bought with his money to make his father proud that worked on that own land.
ReplyDeleteyvette ortiz
is the movie really made abiut racism?
ReplyDeleteVery interesting analysis of Lymon's motivations throughout. While I do feel it is important, it seems the writer of the play wanted to share the fact of the positive and negative of both the past and future. Rather than just dwelling on the doomy parts of the past that it always turns into, it's how what was left of a small and talented family torn apart by horrendous acts could be crafted into something of such beauty for virtually all the senses. The past is kept alive in the fact he seems to only want the land due to the fact his family was indeed owned on that land, but he wants a bright future utilizing it as well. Just my two cents, as we as a society need to have an optimistic look to the future while remembering and recognizing the past for what it is, rather than dwelling on atrocities that drift us apart.
ReplyDeleteBrian McNulty
I agree with the above comments, racism and connections with slavery are a constant in the play. The connection that African Americans have with each other in the play through music really comes forward. It is unfortunate however that the connection was made from a dark past, that indentured servitude was used by people to practically maintain slavery.
ReplyDeleteAlex Stofferan
I don't know, I think lymon was a bit too obssesed with owning his own land, I mean the piano was stolen by their farther because It was rightfully his families and because it had all their ancestory on it.For lymon to just sell it because of his own selfish reason to own land of his own is disrespectful. I mean how many people today own their own land? truthfully honestly own it, not owned by the bank?
ReplyDeletedidnt know the movie was about racism? but i do agree with Yvette, Boy Willy wanted that piano so he could buy the land and say he owned something and he wasnt owned by anyone.
ReplyDeleteI believe the moive had a little racist hint to it in the play they used the "N" word quite often in the text. However, it was not used in the movie once.
ReplyDeleteThe movie is actually a comedy but its setting takes place in a prison like Parchmann Farm. I thought of the movie when I heard the O Lord Berta Berta song in the movie for some reason. Brian I agree that society should be optimic and like your comment. Remember August Wilson's initial question that ended with him writing The Piano Lesson was, " can you aquire a sense of self worth by denying your past, or is implicit in that denial a repudiation of the worth of the self?" I think you nailed it when saying Boy Willie does remember his past and wants the land to progress. I only wrote about the constraints he and all Blacks had to overcome while trying to do so because it wasn't elaborated in the text and not to dwell on the atrocities that drift us apart. Gilberto Flores
ReplyDeleteI don't believe racism is a theme in the piano lesson. I believe august willson said it himself that he wants to celebrate what his people have been through. The Jews celebrate their history with the Passover why can't black people celebrate that they have been through slavery and have emerged from it? By dwelling on it all the time and never feeling like they have received enough retributions they are still enslaving themselves.
ReplyDeleteCassidy S.
I do have to agree with you about racism being an underlying part of the story. Being part of a minority you learn about your history and how your family made choices in the past that put you where you are today. I think that's essentially what Boy Willie is trying to prove within this story. He wants to take the next step in his family and get what his family worked for. Unfortunately this piano seems to be his only way to that life that he yearns.
ReplyDeleteGilbert Rangel
Racism is probably an underlying topic in the play but only when they discuss the past on Sutter's land. Other than that, they're just a family living in the day while Boy Willie attempts to get the piano. Not much racism is really described.
ReplyDelete