Preview

"Maestro" by Peter Goldsworthy

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
595 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
"Maestro" by Peter Goldsworthy
Maestro is written in the first person with an adult Paul, the main character, reflecting back over his life. It begins with Paul and Keller’s first meeting and they are both presented to us as rather arrogant and insensitive. However, when the adult Paul then interjects into his story about how he can understand that it might be incredible to believe that he came to ‘love this man’, his gruff music teacher the reader is brought to the realisation that there is a lot more depth to those characters and to their emotions than we might have previously thought. Throughout the book, Paul’s attitude towards Keller changes many times usually as a direct result of the way Keller treats him. For example, when Keller throws away one of Paul’s manuscripts, Paul fiercely hates him but when Keller surprisingly says that Paul should have won the music competition, Paul once again feels genuine affection for him. These changes in feelings by Paul show that he is a character who often lets his heart rule his head, and that his behaviour is very often dictated by his emotional condition.
As Paul matures, he slowly comes to the realisation that he is beginning to learn from the maestro, and that Keller's phrasings, which seemed absurd in adolescence, blossom into a "musical bible whose texts I knew by heart" that is why I have put a book in my visual representation and the book is named bible. This is a metaphor that emphasises the importance of Keller’s phrasings to Paul as they are referred to as a “musical bible”, displaying the importance of Keller in Paul’s life. It is through this metaphor that the composer conveys the significance of the loving bond between Paul and Keller to Paul in his development.
Thought out the novel peter Goldsworthy keeps goings going back to Kellers past so that is why I have put the swastika on top of the Star of David to show that the Nazis where on top and control over the israelis and because Keller speaks to Paul of his memories of the time “My

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the novel Paul’s parents both share a deep passion for music. They both have different thoughts on music which is shaped by their life experiences and contrasting personalities. This is highlighted when Paul is describing his parents relationships towards music,…

    • 366 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    P.9 -the yellow star? Oh well, what of it? You dont dies of it. . . . (Poor Father! Of what then did you die?)I think that the yellow star that the Jews were forced to wear, brought up on page 9 of Night, is a very important part of this book. First off, this quote foreshadows his fathers death later in the book. It means that though his thought being identified as a Jew wouldnt harm him, but in the end being Jewish is what killed him. I think this is very important. It shows that even though people knew of the war and what was going on to Jews they could not comprehend that the fact that they are Jewish is what would eventually kill them.…

    • 1710 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In Peter Goldsworthy’s novel ‘Maestro’ all relationships taught each character something about themselves. (Contention?) Through their relationship Keller and Paul learn from each other. Paul learns his arrogance is not doing him any good in becoming a better pianist and Keller helps him to mature from a selfish 15-year-old with a big ego to a caring adult, Keller sees his lost son, Eric in Paul which leads him to becoming attached although at first he finds it troublesome to express his feelings he tries to open up to Paul, Paul clearly influenced Keller’s decision to open up because before Paul was a student to the ‘Maestro’ Keller drank alcohol helping him…

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The image focuses on the earlier years of Keller's life told through someone Keller once knew well. The time is of the holocaust and of the Nazis when Keller was playing for Hitler and his men. Henisch told how Keller thought he was untouchable because he had played for such a great and powerful person in that time. This image establishes a past Keller and a past that he had once found enjoyable but to have it all taken away brought the bitter and unimpressionable Keller that Paul knows today.…

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Adult Paul's narration offers an interpretation of events from a position of maturity and self awareness. As a result, events at the beginning of the lone ls, such as Paul's first meeting with Keller, are recounted with the tone of ones self-criticism. The opening rhetorical question and immediate answer in 'first impressions? Misleading, of course" established our expectations that pails experience of Keller at the novels opening will be changes by novels end, and that thus changes perspective of the maestro will be reflected in change and perspective of himself.…

    • 929 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An understanding must be made in order to emotionally develop. This is explored within Maestro, in this regard the misunderstanding of Keller’s past as a WWII survivor. Pages 11-14 of the novel, is essential in comprehending Paul’s immaturity. The reaction of “He’s A Nazi” is made after Paul, is denied by Keller to play Chopin. High modality is used to emphasise Paul’s frustration and impatience, consequently bringing attention to his immaturity, highlighted within the racist slur. It is made obvious the inconsideration Paul has when he makes judgements of individuals. Goldsworthy uses Paul’s parents to call attention to their son’s naivety. Using both the distinctively visual image of Paul’s mother shaking her head and the quote “You know so much for your age…and so little” highlights his mother’s knowledge of Paul’s immaturity, the use of ellipsis creates tension between Paul and his…

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many different ways that the importance of respect and valuing people is shown by Paul, the main character in Maestro, by Peter Goldsworthy, with each relating to a different aspect of the novel. Paul explores his emotional understanding, his view of family and his values, and also where he stands in relation to the world. He starts out as a young teenager, not knowing much yet naive adolescent and develops to become a mature, respectful and humbled individual, over time realizing that it is more vital to develop and sustain relations than it is to accomplish success.…

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Spielberg said “A symbol that Jews wear. Helps people know who the Jews are(pg.113).The Star Of David is a symbol that could was half created to differentiate the Jews and non Jews. People didn't like Jews they were treated like scum. Gypsies, handicapped , homosexuals and African Americans were also treated badly but not as bad as Jews. How did the Nazis separate the Jews? The Jews has their hair shaved and had number tattooed to their arms.(Davidson pg.35). Nazis shaved the hair of Men,Women, and Children. The numbers on their arms show how they keep track of each and every Jew, the Nazis don't want to learn their names so if they were to call them anything they would call them by their numbers or other things.…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The composers engaged me by incorporating self identity as an aspect in their texts by reinforcing…

    • 558 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Maestro is a novel which primarily focuses on the study of human relationships. Considering such, characters within the text are very unique and differ in personalities. On the surface, it is a study of two people, Paul and Keller - a complex portrait of different yet similar individuals. Paul's central relationship with Keller changes as he matures and begins to understand his teacher. Their relationship can be viewed as both enriching…

    • 801 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The purpose of this essay is to reflect on and discuss three themes from Paul’s Epistles…

    • 1652 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the travesty of Young Master Paul’s surroundings within the home, we realize the profound difference in His perception of God and his mother’s lack of connection in being reeled in by the fallacy that God never responds to His children. Because of Hester’s selfishness and exalted…

    • 793 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Outsider Speech

    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In Maestro, Eduard Keller, the acclaimed Austrian pianist, resides in the Swan hotel, regularly drinking Schnapps alone, wearing his white linen suit with a tie as they did in his native Vienna; which strongly juxtaposes with the casual sweating shirts of the Darwinian social ethos; -“a city of booze, blow and blasphemy.” As a consequence, this makes Keller seem mysterious and so is excluded from mainstream society. The text, however, centres on Paul –an interstate migrant experiencing a new life, but who is also barred from his parent’s intimate relationship as well as school friendship groups, due to his exceptional musical talent. Similarly, Flack’s painting WWII, deals with the outcast Jewish group of survivors of concentration camps during the genocide of the Holocaust. The painting reveals perilously poised objects against a newspaper clipping, as if the Jewish community was detached from any signs of real life, or the material world. The concept of exclusion is further exemplified in the poem Migrant Hostel, where the clustering arrival of newcomers must struggle with “a barrier at the main gate” where they were mocked, shamed or superficially accepted in their own nationality…

    • 778 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The first piece to be examined is “Don Giovanni”, which was written by Mozart during the Classical era of classical music. It is apparent that it was written during this period by the use of both stringed and wind instruments. The vocals are harmonic, and go from being sung softly to very strong and intense, which also indicate that the piece was written during the Classical era. In this piece the music definitely plays just as much of a role in the storytelling, as the vocals do. The mood of both the vocals and the instruments indicate that the story is very personal and heart-felt.…

    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Maestro is written in the first person with an adult Paul, the main character, reflecting back over his life. It begins with Paul and Keller’s first meeting and they are both presented to us as rather arrogant and insensitive. However, when the adult Paul then interjects into his story about how he can understand that it might be incredible to believe that he came to ‘love this man’, his gruff music teacher the reader is brought to the realisation that there is a lot more depth to those characters and to their emotions than we might have previously thought.…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays