Piano Lesson: Ambivalence and Legacy Term Paper

But the piano is also inlaid with carvings made by her father's own hands. Bernice's ambivalence is also exemplified in the fact that Bernice refuses to sell the piano, yet she also refuses to play the instrument, for fear of waking the spirits within it. "I don't play that piano 'cause I don't want to wake them spirits" (70).

Bernice's brother Willie scoffs "ain't no ghost," which demonstrates his often limited understanding of the need to still retain a connection to his family's past struggles and legacy (104). However, when the ghost of Sutter comes, Bernice is able to gain the courage to play, and eventually she and her brother establish a kind of peace between themselves and their ancestors. Whether the ghost is real or not does not matter, what matters is that both sister and brother have exorcized the evil demons of the past, and resurrected the influence of the piano in a positive light. They have also forged a new, healthier relationship.

Works Cited

Wilson, August. "The Piano Lesson."…