The Piano Lesson

by

August Wilson

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Lymon Jackson Character Analysis

Lymon is 29 years old. He is Boy Willie’s good friend and has partnered with him in various work ventures. Lymon doesn’t talk very much, but when he does, he is disarmingly straightforward. Lymon served time on Parchman Farm for being involved in Boy Willie’s wood theft; he got shot in the stomach during the incident. Later, Lymon was jailed for not working and then forced to work for Stovall to pay off his bail. Refusing to work for Stovall, Lymon lived in his truck in order to hide from the sheriff. Though Lymon is more mild-mannered and laid back than Boy Willie, he is ambitious in his own way—he is determined to make a new life in Pittsburgh work out. Lymon is very interested in women and can hardly wait to start meeting Northern ladies. He initially doesn’t seem very successful, but at the end of the play, it’s suggested that he and Grace have hit it off, and they slip away together. He also shares an affectionate moment of mutual understanding with Berniece, who seems to respect him and to believe that he has better prospects in life than Boy Willie.

Lymon Jackson Quotes in The Piano Lesson

The The Piano Lesson quotes below are all either spoken by Lymon Jackson or refer to Lymon Jackson. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Racism and Self-determination Theme Icon
).
Act 1, Scene 1 Quotes

BOY WILLIE: Lymon bought that truck so he have him a place to sleep. He down there wasn’t doing no work or nothing. Sheriff looking for him. He bought that truck to keep away from the sheriff. Got Stovall looking for him too. He down there sleeping in that truck ducking and dodging both of them. I told him come on let’s go up and see my sister.

Related Characters: Boy Willie (speaker), Berniece, Lymon Jackson, Jim Stovall
Related Symbols: Truck
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis:

They got so many trains out there they have a hard time keeping them from running into each other. Got trains going every whichaway. Got people on all of them. Somebody going where somebody just left. If everybody stay in one place I believe this would be a better world. Now what I done learned after twenty-seven years of railroading is this…if the train stays on the track…it’s going to get where it’s going. It might not be where you going. If it ain’t, then all you got to do is sit and wait cause the train’s coming back to get you. The train don’t never stop. It’ll come back every time.

Related Characters: Doaker Charles (speaker), Boy Willie, Lymon Jackson
Page Number: 19
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 1, Scene 2 Quotes

BOY WILLIE: They looking for Lymon down there now. They rounded him up and put him in jail for not working.

LYMON: Fined me a hundred dollars. Mr. Stovall come and paid my hundred dollars and the judge say I got to work for him to pay him back his hundred dollars. I told them I’d rather take my thirty days but they wouldn’t let me do that.

Related Characters: Boy Willie (speaker), Lymon Jackson (speaker), Jim Stovall
Related Symbols: Truck
Page Number: 37
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

That’s how the whole thing come about between me and Lymon’s mama. She knew me and his daddy used to run together and he got in jail and she went down there and took the sheriff a hundred dollars. […] The sheriff looked at that hundred dollars and turned his nose up. Told her, say, “That ain’t gonna do him no good. You got to put another hundred on top of that.” She come up there and got me where I was playing at this saloon…said she had all but fifty dollars and asked me if I could help. […] I will give anybody fifty dollars to keep them out of jail for three years.

Related Characters: Wining Boy (speaker), Lymon Jackson, Cleotha Holman
Page Number: 63
Explanation and Analysis:
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Lymon Jackson Quotes in The Piano Lesson

The The Piano Lesson quotes below are all either spoken by Lymon Jackson or refer to Lymon Jackson. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Racism and Self-determination Theme Icon
).
Act 1, Scene 1 Quotes

BOY WILLIE: Lymon bought that truck so he have him a place to sleep. He down there wasn’t doing no work or nothing. Sheriff looking for him. He bought that truck to keep away from the sheriff. Got Stovall looking for him too. He down there sleeping in that truck ducking and dodging both of them. I told him come on let’s go up and see my sister.

Related Characters: Boy Willie (speaker), Berniece, Lymon Jackson, Jim Stovall
Related Symbols: Truck
Page Number: 6
Explanation and Analysis:

They got so many trains out there they have a hard time keeping them from running into each other. Got trains going every whichaway. Got people on all of them. Somebody going where somebody just left. If everybody stay in one place I believe this would be a better world. Now what I done learned after twenty-seven years of railroading is this…if the train stays on the track…it’s going to get where it’s going. It might not be where you going. If it ain’t, then all you got to do is sit and wait cause the train’s coming back to get you. The train don’t never stop. It’ll come back every time.

Related Characters: Doaker Charles (speaker), Boy Willie, Lymon Jackson
Page Number: 19
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 1, Scene 2 Quotes

BOY WILLIE: They looking for Lymon down there now. They rounded him up and put him in jail for not working.

LYMON: Fined me a hundred dollars. Mr. Stovall come and paid my hundred dollars and the judge say I got to work for him to pay him back his hundred dollars. I told them I’d rather take my thirty days but they wouldn’t let me do that.

Related Characters: Boy Willie (speaker), Lymon Jackson (speaker), Jim Stovall
Related Symbols: Truck
Page Number: 37
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

That’s how the whole thing come about between me and Lymon’s mama. She knew me and his daddy used to run together and he got in jail and she went down there and took the sheriff a hundred dollars. […] The sheriff looked at that hundred dollars and turned his nose up. Told her, say, “That ain’t gonna do him no good. You got to put another hundred on top of that.” She come up there and got me where I was playing at this saloon…said she had all but fifty dollars and asked me if I could help. […] I will give anybody fifty dollars to keep them out of jail for three years.

Related Characters: Wining Boy (speaker), Lymon Jackson, Cleotha Holman
Page Number: 63
Explanation and Analysis: