The Much-More-Than-A Piano Lesson

While Ms. Healey was away on her trip to Vegas for "an english-teacher's conference," our class sat and watched a play (in movie form) called The Piano Lesson as our days to Thanksgiving break withered down...

My opinion?

Well, I'm not sure about how others felt about the film, but I have to say I genuinely enjoyed watching the on-going sibling struggle (trust me... the same type of incidents happen in my own home, although we don't pull guns on each other).  I liked the theme of the American Dream battling it out with keeping family hertiage sacred.  I thought the actors did a wonderful job, although I found it quite humorous watching Boy Willy and how he said certain words ("Beeeeernise, I goooot to get ma hands on dat pianooo"), but that's how people talked back then... I guess.  I had to say that the ghost was a bit confusing, considering there really was no ghost to be seen.  Oh well, I imagined it being there.

I really enjoyed to plot to be honest.  Boy Willy, in all honesty, was being a huge jerk.  He just couldn't let the piano out of his hands, could he?  Now, maybe if he had talked it out with Bernise he would've had a better compromise, but the way he handled the situation really didn't help his case.  I feel that if I were Bernise, I probably would've let him have the piano.  She barely used the thing, and it would make her brother's dreams come true.  What's an inanimate object compare to actual memories?  Well, I guess a lot, now that I think about it.  The least she could do is consider selling piano, though.  Perhaps she was so closed-minded because she had negative past-experiences with her brother and her dead husband (the shooting incident).  I guess I understand her situation a little better now that I'm looking at it through her eyes, even if her husband's really wasn't Boy Willy's fault.  I'm going to take the easy way out and say that I'm nuetral on this matter, haha!

The movie (of a play) was solid: the characters had great personalities, the music playing in the background brought a great emotional connection to the play, and the conflicts were entertaining and engaging.  I found that the play managed to draw me in and feel how Bernise and Boy Willy felt.  I'll admit, I think that I actually felt bad for Boy Willy not being able to reach his dream, although it pains me to feel sorry for such a jerk-wad.

One of my favorite scenes, strangley enough, was when all the boys were sitting around the table, and slowly each and every one of 'em began making a beat and singing a song.  Although the song was a bit repetitive, I kinda enjoyed watching this interaction and seeing them have a good time together.  It showed the more "fun" and down-to-Earth sides of the male characters.  It gave them a stronger personality, which, in turn, leads to greater character development.

Overall, I'll say I had a good experience watching the movie, mainly because the characters were just so well developed.  It made it very easy for me to feel their emotionals and sort of picture myself witnessing these events in person.

I'm glad I had a chance to view this play, and hopefully Bernise and Boy Willy leave there past behind for good!

Janie: Her Adolescent Dreams and Beyond

A short while ago, our class read a quote from "Their Eyes Were Watching God," and we were asked to respond.

Here's the quote: 

 

“Oh to be a pear tree - any tree in bloom!  With kissing bees singing of the beginning of the world!  She was sixteen She had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted."

I found this quote to be extremely...powerful.  The "and she wanted" really hits you hard. For me, it shows that she truly and desperately dreams of her future.

 

Looking into it further, the sentence compares Janie’s life and a blooming pear tree.  Janie is young and full of dreams, just as the pear tree is young in its life cycle, and its blooming pears are the future experiences and opportunities Janie will have as she steadily grows into a woman.  Janie dreams of a better life and for her true love.  The final comment “She had glossy leaves and bursting buds and she wanted,” refers to her eagerness for independence and womanhood.  She wishes to grow into a strong, independent woman and find her true love.

I believe she does find her independence through her true love.  After a few failed attempts at love, Janie finds Tea Cake.  Tea Cake is Janie’s true love, but the relationship becomes jeopardized when he gets rabies.  His jealousy and suspicion multiplies, which turns to violence.  In order to free herself from Tea Cake’s oppression and the risk of physical pain, Janie fires a bullet into him.  The instant she presses the trigger, she released herself into her own, independent world.  Her final decision was not to save love, something that she dreamed of as an adolescent, but to gain independence (and safety).  In my opinion, that was much more important to Janie than love, otherwise, she would not have killed Tea Cake.  I believe she realizes this while telling her story.

   

           I believe that the two most important themes are womanhood and independence.  These themes could actually be paired together into one dominant theme, seeing that as Janie grows into a woman, she is slowly becoming more and more independent.  At first, finding true love seems as if it is the leading theme, however, I believe that the need for love is just another way for her to become independent, to be strong, and to make life decisions.  Nanny attempts to make love “easy” for Janie by arranging a marriage, but the marriage fails and Janie runs away with another man.  I feel that Janie wants to make this decision on her own and become her own woman.  Now, she is mistreated, so her decision to run off is easy.  Again, she is mistreated.  The eventual death of her new spouse leads to her independence from short-lived oppression.  As I mentioned earlier, she finally finds her true love, Tea Cake.  It is her own decision to build a relationship with Tea Cake.  It is not the choice of another human being and it is not the result of a failed marriage.  This relationship is free from any other outside force acting upon it; It is solely Janie’s choice.  Once again, the relationship starts off well up until disease and jealousy shield Tea Cake from treating Janie with respect, and ends with Tea Cake’s demise.

          

          Janie is once again free to make new decisions, meet new people, and live any type of life that she chooses too.  Nothing is stopping her, and nothing can stop her.  She is a strong, independent woman who will not stop to keep her independence sacred and alive.