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Act 2, Scene 2
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Piano Lesson, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Racism and Self-determination
Spirituality and the Supernatural
Grief, Hope, and History
Love, Relationships, and Independence
Summary
Analysis
Hours later, after Berniece has gone to bed, Boy Willie sneaks into the darkened house with a woman named Grace. He tries to coax her to sleep on the couch with him, though she resists this and rebuffs his kisses at first. Pretty soon, though, they’re entangled on the couch and noisily knock over a lamp, waking up Berniece, who shortly appears in her nightgown. She tells the two that with a young girl upstairs, she can’t allow this kind of activity in her house. Grace and Boy Willie leave.
The scene between Berniece and Avery is bookended by scenes of others’ unpredictable romantic ventures—the night on the town appears to have been successful for the young men, or at least for Boy Willie. Again, Boy Willie seems to be more concerned with casual sexual encounters than with establishing a meaningful long-term relationship.
Themes
While Berniece is making tea in the kitchen, Lymon knocks. He says he’d been with a woman, but she was only interested in his money, so he came back. He admires Pittsburgh women, though, and thinks he’s going to like it here. He especially likes Grace and wishes he’d gotten to her first instead of Boy Willie. He is optimistic about his future in the North. Unlike in Mississippi, Lymon can’t be forced to work for somebody like Stovall. He figures that after he and Boy Willie sell the remaining watermelons, he’ll look around for a job of his choice.
Though hapless in his first romantic overtures, Lymon is feeling hopeful about the new life he’s chosen. Unlike Boy Willie, he seems to desire genuine companionship and more stability. He also sees that this Northern city affords greater freedoms than he could find in the rural South.
Themes
Berniece says that Lymon shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a job—it’s all in how you present yourself. Boy Willie, on the other hand, only wants to do things his way, so he’d certainly get fired. She also warns Lymon not to follow Boy Willie into “that fast life”—he doesn’t need to be looking for women in saloons. Lymon agrees that nowadays, he doesn’t want to just spend the night with someone out of loneliness; he’s only interested in finding a woman with whom he’s a good fit. Berniece assures him that he'll find somebody. She also admits that although she likes Avery, she doesn’t really have anyone in mind right now.
Though Berniece agrees with Lymon that Pittsburgh has advantages over Mississippi, she also acknowledges that life in the North requires certain compromises, too—namely, accommodating oneself to the norms of the Northern white majority. Of course, this also gives her a chance to get another dig at her brother; unlike Lymon, Boy Willie isn’t interested in accommodating himself to anyone. Lymon’s view of romance has evolved: he only desires mutual companionship nowadays.
Themes
They talk a little more, and after an awkward pause, Lymon dabs a bit of perfume behind Berniece’s ear (he’d just bought the bottle off a man on the street) and kisses her. She kisses him back and then breaks away and goes upstairs. Lymon happily strokes his “magic” suit coat, believing that Wining Boy was right about it.
The interlude between Lymon and Berniece seems to be more a mutual recognition of loneliness and appreciation than genuine attraction, although it’s enough to satisfy Lymon’s goal to connect with a woman that night.
Themes
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