The Piano Lesson Women and Femininity Quotes

Lymon definitely does spend a lot of time focusing on women over the course of the play. At first, it seems like he views them only as objects or as things to conquer. Later, however it seems like he's really seeking true companionship.

It seems like Doaker is done with women altogether. Comments like the one above makes it seem like he's got a pretty bad opinion of females in general. He seems to think that they're all gold-diggers. Poor Doaker. We wonder who hurt him so bad, that he now has such an unfair and jaded perception of women.

It seems like the role of women in the Charles family often ends up being that of the mourning widow. Notice how Berniece is in much the same position that her mother was. She is mourning a husband who was violently killed. Also, she has her daughter play on the piano, though she herself won't play anymore.

Berniece is the one strong feminine voice in the play. She's the character that reminds us that there's a whole other perspective to the family's past. While the men were all busy trying make their mark, the women were left to pick up the pieces.

We wonder what exactly Avery means when he says this to Berniece. It could be interpreted as being kind of sexist. If a woman fits in his hand, doesn't that imply that he's in total control over her? Of course, he could mean that he wants to protect Berniece.

Here's another possibly sexist remark. Avery could by implying that Berniece shouldn't "close up" in a sexual sense, which isn't a particularly nice thing to say. Then again, maybe, he means "close up" in an emotional sense. What do you think?

Berniece gets really offended when Avery says this, but what are they actually talking about? Once again it seems that could be talking about the fact that Berniece is closed off sexually, or perhaps emotionally. Whatever it is, Avery's comment does nothing to impress Berniece. This is probably the worst proposal ever.

Today, single mothers are a lot more common than they were during the 1930s. Berniece's refusal to get remarried and insistence on raising Maretha on her own would definitely have freaked people out. It was much rarer back then.

It's likely that many modern audience members sympathize with Berniece here. If she doesn't want to get married, she shouldn't have to. Women don't have to be married to be complete.

Notice that, when Berniece makes her climactic appeal to the spirits of the ancestors, most of the names she calls are of women. The only male name she calls on is Papa Boy Charles. For the most part though, Berniece draws on the strength of her family's maternal line.