the piano
...piano and despite her insistence her refuses to take it off the beach. Continually throughout the film Stewart fails to understand Ada’s needs. Even after catching her playing on keys carved into the table, he sees it not as a sign of need or yearning, but wonders if she is not “brain affected”. Ada’s actions continue to bewilder Stewart, he cannot understand her passion and un-conventional behavior and he cannot understand why she can’t show the same passion towards him. Baines’ understanding of Ada is contrasted to Stewart. An example of this is when Stewart asks Baines he thought of her, Baines comments that she “looks tired”, whist Stewart states that she “looks stunted”. Baines always seemed to understand Ada’s passion and her need for the piano. He agrees to take her to the beach to play it when he sees how badly she needs it, and then buys it from Stewart as a way of getting close to Ada. As he understands that she would be willing to do almost anything for the piano, he uses it as a bargaining tool rather than taking advantage of her as he so easily could. Yet Baines ends the deal as it “is making him retched and Ada a whore” and give the piano back. Ada, however, returns to Baines as he understands her passion and manages to bring it out through their love affair, not just her piano playing. It is not until Ada reaches his with her mind that Stewart understands . After his fit of rage in which he cuts off her finger, Ada feels that she must communicate and make Stewart underst...