In The Piano Lesson, there is the ghost of John Sutter – of the Sutter family who owned the Charles family in slavery times- whi
ch hovers over the piano and which does not want the piano to be disturbed. However, the use of the supernatural element was also a convention introduced by Wilson because he wanted to offer a resolution to an ongoing conflict. What was that conflict?
Berniece doesn´t want to play the piano, which represents their tragic past. She claims to be afraid of awakening the spirits of her ancestors.
But when Sutter’s ghost attacks her brother, she overcomes her fear and releases her ancestors´ spirits by playing the piano to defeat the ghost.
Wilson uses the supernatural element to allow Berniece to stop making excuses for her despair and anguish, so she can bury the past and move on with her life.
It also touches on the theme of being an outsider, which is very much explored in the anchor text. The author recounts his early childhood experiences of attending an American school, and reflects upon how he experienced shame of his Korean background.
