Sunday, May 24, 2020

The American Dream in August Wilson´s Play The Piano Lesson

A recurring theme in American history has been that of the American Dream, the idea that anyone, regardless of race, can achieve success through hard work. In his stirring 1990 play The Piano Lesson, August Wilson uses African-American characters to embody the American Dream. Throughout the play, set in Pittsburgh in 1936, Wilson traces the economic successes of several African-American characters, such as Boy Willie and Lymon. However, Wilson’s portrayal of this apparent progress conflicts with the true historical setting. The reality between 1877 and the 1930s was that social barriers, such as Jim Crow laws and sharecropping, precluded economic progress for most African-Americans. A few black Americans such as Madam Walker, an Indiana businesswoman, made some progress, but in general there was stagnation in terms of pecuniary growth during this time period. August Wilson’s interpretation of African-American economic progress through fictional characters in The Piano L esson is flawed because it represents a few economically successful African-Americans of the time, but fails to capture the lack of progress made by the majority between 1877 and 1930. Most African-Americans were unable to make economic progress because of de jure and de facto social barriers during that period. In a flashback from the play, the fictional Lymon Jackson was about to earn money by hauling wood, but was ruined when â€Å"the sheriff got [him],† â€Å"[said he] was stealing wood,† and â€Å"fined [him] aShow MoreRelatedThe Piano Lesson by August Wilson Essay2077 Words   |  9 PagesThe Piano Lesson by August Wilson: The Wisdom of the Ivories Can a treasured object of the past serve as a teacher for the future? Once people share the historical significance of it, an object can symbolize the overcoming of hardships of those lives in which it becomes a part. 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