Songs of Pride, Chords of Power “The Piano Lesson,” written by August Wilson, uses the relationship between past, present and future to convey a deeper message of empowerment through ancestry. The key symbol in this story is an old classical piano engraved with Charles family carvings. Boy Willie, a current family member, wants to sell the piano to buy Sutter's land. The slave master who owned their family and is dead. Boy Willie's relationship with the piano demonstrates the past, using the piano as a method of rebellion and strength. The present, remembering who you are, where you come from and the idea of ​​self-worth. And the future, with the hope of building starting from what his ancestors left him. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The two most important opposing characters in the play are Boy Willie and Berniece. This is because they have two very different ideas about the past and what it represents. Berneice looks back and sees the hardships her mother faced when their father did not provide for them. Contradictorily, Boy Willie sees rebellion and strength in the African recordings made on this European instrument. Music has always been used as a form of rebellion especially in the African-American community, so the idea of ​​carving a European instrument sends a strong message to them. Boy Willie definitely identifies with the dream of freedom and power, while Bernice looks more at blending with white culture as a way to gain status and power. Berneice is teaching Maretha how to play the piano in a more classical European way, while Boy Willie wants her to break away from conformity. “Boy Willie sits down and plays a simple boogie-woogie.” (p.21) Boggie-woggie is an African-American musical style that breaks from the conformity of standard European classical music. Boy Willie tries to teach Maretha to play by example and she asks for sheet music. This once again demonstrates Boy Willie's dream of freedom and rebellion, as the music he plays is without boundaries or limitations. A scene from the screen adaptation of Piano Lesson shows Boy Willie and Lymon visiting preacher Avery at his bank job. Boy Willie takes the elevator up to the second floor along with the obviously confused and uncomfortable white men. This sends a very strong message about his current position regarding his personal ideas of self-worth and pride. "They treat you like you let them treat you. They mistreat me and I mistreat them back. There's no difference between me and the white man."(38) He is not troubled by the mean looks he receives after going out on his position of “assigned” status in society. He will stand as tall and proud as any white man. This idea of ​​taking pride in the past and remembering who you are is also demonstrated through the piano. Boy Willie tries to explain the past to Maretha and once again directly opposes Bernice who does not want Maretha to know the past for fear that this will bring her, in the eyes of whites, to the level of other African Americans. Of course this is ridiculous since Maretha is black and cannot hide from the consequences that come with it during this time. This is why Boy Willie wants to instill in her a sense of self-worth without compromising who she really is and where she comes from. "You should mark on your calendar the day Daddy Boy Charles brought that piano into the house... Celebrate! If you did she wouldn't have any problems in life. She'd walk around here with her head held high... That way she knows where she is in the world (pg.91) Boy Willie wants Maretha to know the past and the struggles that i.