All the Broken Pieces

Music provides an important source of comfort and an opportunity for Matt to express himself throughout All the Broken Pieces. As Matt’s mother says, “Maybe music will help / soothe [Matt’s] monsters” (28). Many times during the book, Matt’s mother herself sings lullabies that calm Matt and demonstrate her love for him. Late in the novel, Matt remembers that his Vietnamese mother also “sang a soft song” (151). Music provides a connection between Matt’s two mothers, and the love they both feel for him.

Matt’s American mother also encourages him to take piano lessons with a Vietnam veteran, Jeff Harding, and piano becomes a way for Matt to cope with his anxiety and trauma. Matt finds music comforting because “notes are like numbers, / never changing” (33), so he doesn’t have to worry about uncertainty while playing. While he’s at the piano, Matt feels he’s “sheltered” in a “safe place” (62) where nothing but music matters; Matt also appreciates and wishes to emulate the “calm quiet” (42) his teacher achieves while playing. Like Matt, Jeff has lived through the violence of the Vietnam War, but Jeff seems to have faced down his “closet of monsters” (42)—and Matt hopes that music will help him to do the same.

Music also appears in the book in the form of the Bee Gees’ song “Stayin’ Alive,” which is mentioned several times throughout the novel. This song provides one of the few cultural references aside from the war itself, reminding readers of the era when this story takes place, but characters alter the lyrics to reflect their own perspective. Matt’s father changes the lyrics to “You’ll always be our MVP” (51), expressing his unconditional love for his son. Matt, on the other hand, hears the lyrics as “Whether you’re a mother / or whether you’re a brother, / my brother died / because of you” (53). Therefore, the song reflects his hurt and agitation over a classmate’s cruel words, and his own sense of guilt.

Overall, music is a positive presence throughout All the Broken Pieces, and by the end of the novel, Matt has dedicated himself to practicing piano and becoming more confident. At times Matt’s fingers even “fly over the keys,” and Jeff has to remind his once-tentative student to “slow down” and “pace [himself]” (212). Readers sense that music is no longer a way for Matt to escape from his memories and emotions, but rather another tool for him to speak up. Fittingly, Jeff encourages Matt to see music as a deeper form of communication rather than just notes played correctly. “Music is not simply / playing notes,” Jeff tells Matt. “You have to play / the silence too” (212).