The Piano Lesson

by

August Wilson

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Piano Lesson makes teaching easy.

Ophelia Sutter Character Analysis

Ophelia was Robert Sutter’s wife, for whom the piano was a gift. She later pined for the slaves (Mama Berniece and Papa Boy Charles) whom Robert traded in exchange for the piano, so Papa Boy Willie carved images of his wife and son onto the piano for her—and him—to remember them by.

Ophelia Sutter Quotes in The Piano Lesson

The The Piano Lesson quotes below are all either spoken by Ophelia Sutter or refer to Ophelia Sutter. 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: Sutter’s brother selling the land. He say he gonna sell it to me. That’s why I come up here. I got one part of it. Sell them watermelons and get me another part. Get Berniece to sell that piano and I’ll have the third part.

DOAKER: Berniece ain’t gonna sell that piano.

BOY WILLIE: I’m gonna talk to her. When she see I got a chance to get Sutter’s land she’ll come around.

DOAKER: You can put that thought out your mind. Berniece ain’t gonna sell that piano.

Related Characters: Boy Willie (speaker), Doaker Charles (speaker), Berniece, Sutter (Sutter’s Ghost), Mama Berniece, Papa Boy Charles, Robert Sutter, Ophelia Sutter
Related Symbols: Piano
Page Number: 9
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Piano Lesson PDF

Ophelia Sutter Quotes in The Piano Lesson

The The Piano Lesson quotes below are all either spoken by Ophelia Sutter or refer to Ophelia Sutter. 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: Sutter’s brother selling the land. He say he gonna sell it to me. That’s why I come up here. I got one part of it. Sell them watermelons and get me another part. Get Berniece to sell that piano and I’ll have the third part.

DOAKER: Berniece ain’t gonna sell that piano.

BOY WILLIE: I’m gonna talk to her. When she see I got a chance to get Sutter’s land she’ll come around.

DOAKER: You can put that thought out your mind. Berniece ain’t gonna sell that piano.

Related Characters: Boy Willie (speaker), Doaker Charles (speaker), Berniece, Sutter (Sutter’s Ghost), Mama Berniece, Papa Boy Charles, Robert Sutter, Ophelia Sutter
Related Symbols: Piano
Page Number: 9
Explanation and Analysis: