Since the beginning, she was not happy with the fact that her father sold her to marriage to a man she did not know. She was, however, content with the fact that he accepted her despite her silence. She was also not happy that he did not let her keep her prized piano, so she resented Stewart deeply. This scene embodies the overall theme of the movie by presenting a strong female character that stands up for what she wants and fights back when life seems unfair.
The ending of The Piano was very strong and Campion’s change of heart would have been more realistic, but with the piano buried in the sea, she buries a dark part of her life as well. A dark part where she was controlled by her father and Stewart is let go and she does not allow herself to go down with that dark part. She realizes she wants to rebuild her life with the man she chose to love. She finds a newfound peace with Baines and music is still a part of that peace. With the film ending abruptly on Ada’s suicide attempt, viewers would not have the chance of experiencing her triumph as she beings to learn to talk and to be