Character Analysis: Boy Willie

A.  Physical Traits
Gender, Age, Race/Ethnicity, Size, Appearance, Ways of moving or speaking? Male, 30 years old, African American, slender probably (he’s a farm worker), he “has an infectious grin and a boyishness… talkative and somewhat crude in speech and manner” (1-2).        

B.  Social Traits

Economic status, Occupation and hobbies, Influential childhood experiences, Education, Social relationships, Family relationships. He’s lower class, working on farms, “chopping down trees” (5). He doesn’t own his own land, which is why he wants to buy some of Sutter’s. His father was killed while stealing a piano, and he is like his father in the way that when he wants something, he goes after it. He believes now that the piano should be used to buy himself some land. I’m not sure of his education, but I think he had little. He doesn’t know anyone higher up except for maybe Sutter’s brother who is possibly going to sell him the land. He’s not close with any of his family because he doesn’t see them too often. He hangs out with Lymon, a friend, instead.

C.  Psychological Traits

How does this character typically think and respond?  For example, simple or complex?  Rigid or flexible?  Rational or intuitive?  What are this character’s goals and desires?  Likes and dislikes? He doesn’t believe that law is fair, so he sometimes doesn’t follow it, “I don’t go by what the law say. The law’s liable to say anything. I go by if it’s right or not” (38). He’s a complex character, because you can’t tell if his motives are evil or good sometimes. He’s a very rigid character and will not budge for anyone. He’s very intuitive and not rational at all. Also, he white-lies a lot, which could mean he’s lied about bigger things like killing Sutter. He wants to one day own his own land. He dislikes the fact that Berniece is ashamed of the piano, “You ought to mark down on the calendar the day that Papa Boy Charles brought that piano into the house” (91). He likes the idea of using the piano to celebrate his rising up in society by using it as a mean to an end, the end being receiving his own land, something his grandfather could never see coming.

D.  Moral Traits

Moral traits encompass a sense of right and wrong, a sense of beauty, religious beliefs, and certain political convictions.  How does this character’s words, actions, and ways of relating to others illuminate his/her moral makeup? He doesn’t want to take the piano, or Berniece’s half away from Berniece. In fact, after trying to persuade her, he decides that he will sell the piano and give half of the earnings to her. He doesn’t see how that would affect her emotionally because his reason is logical. His logic is beautiful to him, his logic being that his great granddad carved some of the piano’s figures without his master’s permission, then his father stole the piano and died for it, because his father believed that they would never be free while it was still in the Sutter’s house, and so now he must contribute to the cause, which is to sell the piano and get some of Sutter’s land. He believes in ghosts (he wrestled one) and also God, “the Bible sya an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a life for a life” (89). He doesn’t believe in the law as already stated. He puts words in other people’s mouths, “Lymon wanna hear you” (41), which shows that he uses people to get what he wants and lies.

E.  Dramatic Function

How does this character function in the play as a whole?  Protagonist?  Antagonist?  Minor character?  What is this character’s main objective in the play? He is the antagonist because his main objective is to take the piano and sell it, and buy the end of the play, we know that’s not how it was meant to be. Also, there was no drama until he came around.

F.  Give your character some abstract qualities.  What would this character be if he/she were:

1. An animal: he’d be an ant, because he always feels small, he wants land, ants seem ambitious when making a colony, are willing to take from others.
2. Food: he’d be steak, because he can be tender and raw at the same time.
3. A scent: he’d smell like dirt, because he works on the farm all day.
4. An inanimate object: a cellphone, because he can’t charge himself and has to use other people. He’s constantly being social when no one wants to be social with him.
5. Music: He’d be gospel, because he’s hopeful and wanting something more for his life.

G. Draw a mind-map of each character’s traits as well as their relationships. See Porter p. 115 and 119 for help. Do this for at least 3 major characters.

H.  Overall characterization

Thinking as a director or designer, determine which of the above characteristics are most important when producing this play.  Based on your understanding of the script and your vision for the play, which qualities will be highlighted when casting actors for these roles, coaching actors in developing their characters, and costuming them?  Why did you make these choices? Ambition and persistence are two main characteristics of Boy Willie. I will want to see someone who can talk someone’s ear off smoothly. While coaching them, I need to make sure there is an underlining evil to their words, because there is a good chance that he murdered someone and he’s proud of it. While costuming them, I want to put them into something that’s breathable because they will be running upstairs and singing a lot. He needs to be a powerful character, but an antagonist.