The Piano Lesson Ending Explained: How Did the Piano End Up in the Hands of Charles?
The Piano Lesson Ending Explained: Based on August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, The Piano Lesson is a Netflix film that tells the story of two siblings, Boy Willie (John David Washington) and Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler), who face off over a piano that represents the Charles family legacy. While the former insists on selling it to build his future, the latter wants to keep it because it is a link to her ancestors. Who wins? What happens to the piano? Below, I will tell you what happened to the protagonists.
The horror drama directed by Malcolm Washington, who co-wrote the script with Virgil Williams, is set in Pittsburgh in 1936 and begins with Boy Willie and his friend Lymon (Ray Fisher) arriving at Berniece’s house after getting a truckload of watermelons that they plan to sell to get some of the money they need to buy the land that James Sutter (Jay Peterson) left behind after falling into a well because of the Ghosts of the Yellow Dogs. Boy Willie believes that the land belongs to him because of the years his ancestors worked there for nothing. To buy it, he needs to sell the family piano. Something Berniece doesn’t agree with and won’t allow. When Berniece claims that she saw Sutter’s ghost, her brother tries to use that to convince her to sell the object, but can’t change her mind.
The Piano Lesson Ending Explained: How Did the Piano End Up in the Hands of Charles?
During the time of slavery, Charles belonged to Robert Sutter, who offered Joel Nolander two slaves in exchange for his piano. Although Robert’s wife was happy with her anniversary gift, she missed the two members of the Charles family. He tried unsuccessfully to get them back. To reassure her, he asked a carpenter to carve the remains of those people into a musical instrument. Willie Boy, Doaker’s grandfather (Samuel L. Jackson), not only carved his wife and son into the piano but also the rest of his family. Although Robert Sutter was upset, his wife was delighted. When the woman died, Boy Charles, the father of the protagonists of The Piano Lesson, decided to steal the object that had a special meaning for his family. He succeeded, but he paid a very high price: his life.
Who is Sutter’s Ghost?
James Sutter, Robert’s grandson, dies shortly before Boy Willie arrives in Pittsburgh. From that moment on, Berniece begins to see his ghost haunting her house. Although her brother doesn’t believe it, Doaker sees him too, even scaring little Maretha (Skylar Aleece Smith) during an argument between the siblings. When Boy Willie and Lymon try to move the piano, the lights flicker and something strange happens, but Boy Willie doesn’t notice until the manifestation becomes more intense. Alarmed by the situation, Berniece calls on preacher Avery (Corey Hawkins) to dispel Sutter’s spirit, who apparently wants to claim the piano.
Boy Willie and Berniece, Can They Get Rid of the Ghost?
One night, Boy Willie and Lymon attempt to steal the piano by force but are interrupted by Wining Boy (Michael Potts), who is drunk and wants to play the musical instrument. As he does so, paranormal things happen, so Avery begins to bless the house, while Berniece holds a candle that she must not allow to go out. Boy Willie loses his patience and tries to speed things up, but only gets Sutter’s ghost to attack him. Avery continues his prayer, but the candle goes out and Berniece is the only one who can save him. How? By playing the piano and calling on all of her ancestors to get rid of Sutter’s ghost.
What’s Up With the Piano?
Throughout The Piano Lesson, it becomes clear that Berniece hasn’t played the piano in a long time because it brings back very bad memories. To her, it means suffering, and although she wants to free herself from the legacy of the women in her family, she is unable to get rid of it. However, that ends when she plays it to save her brother. For his part, Boy Willie understands the importance of the piano to the Charles family and no longer insists on selling it. At the end of the Netflix film, Berniece teaches her daughter Maretha to play the piano, while Boy Willie returns to Mississippi and sees that Sutter’s land is for sale.
What Happens to Boy Willie, Berniece, and the Piano?
At the climax of The Piano Lesson, Berniece, after resisting throughout the film, finally plays the piano in an act of desperation to expel the spirit of Sutter, the former owner of the plantation. This moment is cathartic for the Charles family, as it connects Berniece to her roots and the strength of her ancestry. Boy Willie, moved by the intensity of the moment, understands that the piano is more than an object of economic value: it is a living symbol of his family’s history. In the end, he returns to Mississippi, urging Berniece to continue playing the piano to preserve the memory and strength of her lineage.
The Meaning of the Piano in “The Piano Lesson”
The piano is much more than a musical instrument; it is the heart of the film. Carved with the images of the Charles family’s enslaved ancestors, it symbolizes both the pain and power of their history. It was created by the family patriarch under the oppression of slavery, and the piano has gone from a reminder of that suffering to an emblem of resistance and hope. The conflict between Boy Willie and Berniece encapsulates two perspectives: moving forward using the piano as a practical means to improve their lives, or preserving its historical significance as a source of identity and connection to the past.
The Presence of Sutter’s Ghost
The spirit of Sutter, the former slaveholder, appears as a physical manifestation of the family’s unresolved trauma. His presence in the house is not only a supernatural element but also a metaphor for the persistent weight of oppression and violence. The final confrontation between Berniece and Sutter, through music, acts as a symbolic release from these spiritual chains.
Why Does Berniece Refuse to Play the Piano Until the End?
Berniece’s relationship with the piano is one of deep grief and internal struggle. For her, playing the piano means confronting the loss of her husband, Crawley, and the legacy of sacrifice that the instrument symbolizes. In finally playing it, Berniece not only releases Sutter’s spirit but also frees herself from her denial and reconciles with her role as the keeper of family history.
