Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Boy Willie, Berniece

For most of the play, Boy Willie acts as the protagonist. We say so because he drives the actions of the play. It's his stubborn insistence that piano be sold that causes all of the play's conflict. However, at the end of the play his sister Berniece kind of steals the show. The play climaxes when she plays on the piano, drawing on the spirits of her ancestors to banish Sutter's ghost.