Wilson uses Sutter's ghost throughout The Piano Lesson to foreshadow the climax of the play. Sutter, who owned Boy Willie's family during slavery, does not want the family's piano to leave their home. His ghost appears whenever the piano is in danger of being removed or sold. This builds anticipation in the audience for Sutter's final appearance in the last scene, mirroring Chekhov's principle that foreshadowed elements must pay off. Boy Willie is determined to sell the piano to buy the land his family once worked on as slaves, creating high stakes. He hopes this will allow his family future generations to own property, as his ancestors did not.

1. The Piano Lesson by August
Wilson
Part Two of the Independent Script Assignment
by Nate Chung

2. Foreshadowing
To foreshadow means to hint at what is to come,
leaving the audience sitting in anticipation.
In The Piano Lesson, Sutter’s ghost is used
throughout the play to foreshadow the last
scene in which he appears while the piano is
being carried out of the house. (The Sutter
family owned the Charles family during slavery.)
Sutter does not want the sacred piano to leave
Doaker Charles’ parlor, so whenever the piano
is in danger of being removed or sold, Sutter’s
ghost appears.
Wilson uses Sutter’s ghost throughout the play
to make the audience keep it in the back of their
minds. Like Anton Chekhov said, "If in Act I you
have a pistol hanging on the wall, then it must
fire in the last act.” Wilson demonstrated
Chekhov’s theory with Sutter’s ghost.

3. Character Archetypes
The Chief: Boy Willie
Determined to sell the piano and
buy the property that his family once
worked on as slaves (goal oriented)
Demonstrates stubbornness by
arguing with his sister Berniece
The Swashbuckler: Wining Boy
Roller coasters through life as a
recording star and a broke man
Lives for today by recounting stories
of his history as a musician and
family history and being providing
others (Lymon) with tips on
seduction

4. High Stakes & High Hopes
High Stakes - The dramatic need of a protagonist
must be something of great enough value that it would
hurt to not achieve, but something that is realistic. The
high stakes of keep the audience intrigued in the
protagonists journey to meet his dramatic need.
Boy Willie has the dramatic need to buy the land that
his family once worked on as slaves with the money
he makes from selling the sacred piano. This is
achievable, realistic, and has high stakes to keep the
audience intrigued.
High Hopes - The protagonist should have desire to
meet his dramatic need and have high hopes that is is
possible to do so.
Land that Boy Willie’s ancestors
Understanding that his ancestors lived without owning once worked on as slaves that he
wants to buy
property, he does wants to guarantee that his
generation and the following generations of his family
to live their lives owning great property.

5. The End