Piano Lesson #8

August Wilson uses Doaker as a symbol of peace in The Piano Lesson to create growth in other characters. As Boy Willie and Berniece are explaining their opinions, Doaker doesn’t “say nothing about who’s right and who’s wrong” (46). Doaker always vouches for what is morally right, and does not pick a side. This makes him a neutral and righteous person. The most important characteristic of any neutral party is to not pick a side, because if they did it would make their decisions immoral. By putting this characteristic into Doaker’s character, Wilson Implies that that is what his role is. By having Doaker stay neutral, it allows the characters to express their opinions. When Boy Willie and Berniece express different opinions, it allows the two characters to become separate entities, therefore forcing them to mature and grow.