Peter Goldsworthy's Maestro is essentially a Bildungsroman, in the sense that it follows Paul on his journey from child to adult and from childhood to maturity . As with all stories of growth and development, Maestro often focuses on Paul's weaknesses, flaws, and mistakes—his arrogance, his naivety, his stubbornness, his self-righteousness, his indecision, and his recklessness. These common illnesses of youth blind Paul to Keller's true value. As befits a self-help novel, Paul's moment of realization does not come suddenly, as Keller dies. Rather, his appreciation for Keller grows gradually, as each of his life experiences widens his naive and self-centered eyes. Keller's death is simply the completion of Paul's journey of self-discovery and character development, which allows him to recognize his mistakes and finally appreciate Keller for the enormous influence he had on his life. In Maestro's regrettable and poignant final chapter, Goldsworthy seems to suggest that life, unlike the piano, must be learned through personal experience rather than taught. It is only with the hindsight of maturity, after having experienced some of the disappointments and awakenings of his mentor, that Paul is able to esteem Keller as "a great man" and to realize too late the madness of his youth. The reason Paul can praise Keller as "Great" is because of the exemplary traits, such as wisdom and self-sacrifice born from a lifetime of experience, that Keller exhibits - the same traits that Paul does not have managed to appreciate and model. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Paul begins his journey to maturity as a naive, spoiled young boy – essentially an infant, in the sense that he does not only cares about himself and his family. needs. From their introduction, Paul completely dislikes Keller. His opinion of his new guardian is dictated by his own selfishness and spoiled attitude. Of Keller's well-trimmed appearance, Paul surmises: "Was he dressed up especially to meet me?" I was childish enough – self-centered enough – to think it was likely. Like a child, Paul immediately judges Keller on his outward appearance, calling him a "boozer" and, without having heard him play, remarks: "Pianist's hands?" Impossible!" Paul's ego leads him to quickly judge Keller's methods as "simple and condescending". He even describes him as "a sadist" to his father in a fit of childish exasperation. The attitude Paul's spoiled and know-it-all attitude makes him not believe "a word Keller said" after their first lesson. He continues this immature behavior, tactlessly viewing Keller as a "Nazi" and "Adolf Keller". In his youthful inexperience, Paul exaggerates his own potential and is unwilling to appreciate his mentor's much greater skills and experience. Keller is quick to diagnose these flaws by saying, "You are spoiled" and ". too inclined to self-righteousness." In his wisdom, Keller not only chooses to teach Paul to play the piano, but also tries to give character to his new student by saying: "You must first learn to listen" . However, the value of these life lessons and the man who teaches them is lost on young Paul. In these early stages of Paul's life, the common faults of youth are evident – ​​his tendencies toward pride, selfishness, and poor judgment that too often end in regret once maturity is reached, as this is the case in the life of Paul. As you measureAs Paul grows up, he begins to develop some appreciation for his stern but patient guardian. By chance, Paul learns more about this enigmatic man, and this knowledge leads him to begin to understand Keller a little more. Keller's lateness for a class results in Paul's discovery of photos of his wife and child. Keller's undressing in Adelaide reveals his "faded blue six digits" – relics of his wartime horrors. Motivated by the curiosity of his youth, Paul discovers the tragic fate of Keller's wife in a library in Adelaide. He hears Keller playing Liszt in a way that “seems closer to love than to music,” but with “contempt and self-hatred.” He observes this elderly maestro "crying in his white tropical suit" to Wagner's music, reduced to tears by its visibly terrible connotations. Building on these experiences, Paul gradually begins to recognize Keller's immense talent, but also the weight of the past that haunts him. These discoveries, along with the vast knowledge of the piano that Keller imparts, soften Paul's perception of this tough man. Through this process of enlightenment, Goldsworthy explores a young person's natural progression from experience to knowledge, and from knowledge to understanding – a process that the adult Paul describes as "like a Polaroid print developing slowly, gaining color, texture and detail even as I watch. “However, despite Paul's growing experience and knowledge, his understanding and appreciation of Keller remains replaced by arrogance and adolescent pride until Keller's death. As Paul's high school years come to an end, he has yet to let go of his "youthful arrogance." Before Paul leaves for college, Keller attempts to share his troubled past with his favorite student – ​​a privilege that Paul "because of his selfishness and sensual dependence, failed to accept." During this last separation, Keller attempts to tell Paul the truth about his dubious future as a concert pianist, but Paul's pride immediately interprets this honesty as an insult: "I couldn't believe my ears: our last hour together and he wanted to insult me. During his university studies, it becomes clear that Paul still has much to learn. He is “smug, unbearable” and considers himself “much better at the piano than anyone else.” Rather than being grateful to Keller, Paul foolishly decides: "I knew enough... I had learned every lesson it was in his power to teach me... his advice seemed irrelevant, long behind me." Because of this inflated self-image, Paul considers himself "the only pianist I had time to listen to." In this time of “personal concerns,” Goldsworthy is concerned with the pride that often accompanies new knowledge and experience – a pride often followed by regret, as is the case with Paul. Little by little, the harsh reality of life begins to wear away. Paul's naive pride. His youth gives way to the first achievements of adulthood. In Europe, Paul's "enthusiasm slowly faded." In Henisch's living room, Paul is "hugely hurt" by the words: "you have not learned from Eduard Keller." Pain and failure open Paul's eyes to "moments of depression and frustration." Once Keller dies, Paul begins to see the bigger picture – his “polaroid print” finally develops. This sad but enlightening experience places Paul in a position to appreciate Keller and perceive his own faults and failures. Paul is no longer complacent, describing himself as: “Paul Crabbe, graying, dissatisfied. » Paul is no longer proud, describing his life as "a foolish and innocent world, a world of illusion...and dreams.