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The Piano Lesson: Characters - Online Term Paper

The Piano Lesson: Characters


“But then I ask the question: How many men must die before we can really have a free and true and peaceful society?How long will it take?If we can catch the spirit, and the true meaning of this experience, I believe that this nation can be transformed into a society of love, of justice, peace, and brotherhood where all men can really be brothers.”
-Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Since the beginning of early civilization, differences in races and cultures have been a part of society. Along with these differences, there evolved a hatred against what was not considered “ the norm” . For many years, prejudice, especially in the form of racism, has sparked many hate crimes and wars. ...

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associated with living in a racist culture.
Slavery is still fresh in the minds of many blacks and whites during the ‘30s and so are many harsh feelings. Berniece and Boy Willie tackle the racism of their time in the same way their parents did. Bernice’s personality is very similar to her mother’s, Mama Ola. She chooses to avoid conflicts over racism whenever possible, even if it means keeping quiet about subjects that should be addressed. She finds it easier to “ lay low” than to create a situation. Berniece views the history of the piano with the same disdain and sorrow that her mother held for so many years. In one of many heated arguments with Boy Willie, Berniece says, “ Mama Ola polished over this piano with her tears for seventeen years...seventeen years worth of cold nights and an empty bed. For what a piano?...To get even with somebody....and what did it ever lead to? more killing and more thieving.”
When Boy Willie speaks, one can almost hear the vigor and ...

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lifestyle from a realist’s point of view with little optimism. She sees no chance of growth for blacks and expresses this when she says, “ I’m going to tell her [Maretha] the truth...you at the bottom with the rest of us...that’s just where she living.” Berneice believes that blacks are at the bottom of life and they may never overcome their situation. Although she believes that blacks can find success; she feels that successs is limited to the boundaries in which blacks are born. She follows the idea that some blacks refer to as “ the house negro mentality”. This nickname was coined for those slaves who were comfortable with their lifestyles because they saw nothing good that could ...

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The Piano Lesson: Characters. (2006, January 4). Retrieved March 28, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Piano-Lesson-Characters/39096
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"The Piano Lesson: Characters." Essayworld.com. January 4, 2006. Accessed March 28, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Piano-Lesson-Characters/39096.
"The Piano Lesson: Characters." Essayworld.com. January 4, 2006. Accessed March 28, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Piano-Lesson-Characters/39096.
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PAPER DETAILS
Added: 1/4/2006 07:53:42 PM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Free Paper
Words: 1504
Pages: 6

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