Master by Peter Goldsworthy is essentially a Bildungsroman, as it follows Paul on his journey from child to adult and from childhood to adulthood. As with all stories of growth and development, the Master's focus is often on Paul's weaknesses, flaws, and mistakes: his arrogance, naivety, stubbornness, complacency, indecision, and recklessness. These common maladies of youth blind Paul to Keller's true value. As befits a novel of personal development, Paul's moment of realization does not come suddenly, the moment Keller dies. Rather, his appreciation for Keller gradually grows, as each of his life experiences widens his naive, self-centered eyes. Keller's death is simply the completion of Paul's journey of self-discovery and character growth that allows him to recognize his mistakes and finally appreciate Keller for the enormous influence he has had on his life. In the regretful and touching final chapter of Maestro, 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 experiencing some of the same disappointments and awakenings as his mentor, that Paul is able to esteem Keller as “a great man” and realize too late the folly of his youth. The reason Paul can praise Keller as “Great” is because of the exemplary traits, such as wisdom and self-sacrifice born of a lifetime of experience, that Keller exhibits – the same traits that Paul failed to appreciate and model. plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Paul begins his journey to maturity as a naive and spoiled boy, essentially a child, in that he is only concerned with himself and his needs. From the moment of their introduction, Paul does not like Keller at all. His opinion of his new guardian is dictated by his selfishness and spoiled attitude. Of Keller's well-groomed appearance, Paul assumes: “Did he spruce himself up specifically to meet me? I was child enough – self-centered enough – to think this likely.” Like a child, Paul immediately judges Keller by his outward appearance, labeling him a “drunkard” and, without having heard him play, observes: “A pianist's hands? Impossible!" Paul's ego leads him to judge Keller's methods as "simple and condescending." He even describes him as "a sadist" to his father in a fit of childish exasperation. Paul's spoiled, know-it-all attitude makes him so that he doesn't believe "a word Keller said" after their first lesson. He continues this immature behavior, tactlessly thinking of Keller as a “Nazi” and “Adolf Keller.” In his youthful inexperience, Paul exaggerates his own potential and is unwilling to appreciate his mentor's far greater skill and experience. Keller is quick to diagnose these flaws, saying, "You are spoiled" and "too given to complacency." , Keller chooses not only to teach Paul to play the piano, but also attempts to instill character in his new student, saying: “First of all you have to learn to listen.” However, the value of these life lessons, and of the. man who teaches her, is lost by young Paul. In these early stages of Paul's life the common defects of youth are evident: his tendencies towards pride, selfishness and poor judgment which too often end in remorse once he reaches maturity, as is the case in life of Paul. begins to develop some appreciation for his strict but guardianlong-suffering. By chance, Paul learns more about this enigmatic man, and this knowledge makes him begin to understand Keller a little more. Keller's lateness to a class leads Paul to discover photos of his wife and son. Keller's undressing in Adelaide reveals her “six faded blue fingers” – relics of her wartime horrors. Motivated by youthful curiosity, Paul discovers the tragic fate of Keller's wife in an Adelaide library. He hears Keller playing Liszt in a way that "seemed closer to lovemaking than music", but with "self-contempt and self-hatred". Watch this elderly master “Crying in his tropical white suit” to Wagner's music, reduced to tears by its evidently terrible connotations. As a result of these experiences, Paul gradually begins to recognize Keller's immense talent, and also the weight of the past that haunts him. These discoveries, as well as 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 slowly developing, acquiring color, texture and detail even as I watch. ”However, despite Paul's growing experience and knowledge, his understanding and appreciation for Keller remains replaced by adolescent arrogance and pride until Keller's death. As Paul's high school years come to a close, he has yet to shed his "youthful arrogance." Before Paul leaves for college, Keller attempts to share his troubled past with his favorite student – ​​a privilege that Paul "due to selfishness and sensual dependence, has failed to accept." In this final parting, Keller attempts to tell Paul the truth about his uncertain future as a 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 college it becomes apparent that Paul still has a lot to learn. He is "smug, insufferable" and considers himself "much better than anyone else at playing the piano." Rather than be grateful for Keller, Paul foolishly decides : “I knew enough… I had learned all the lessons it was in his power to teach me… his advice seemed irrelevant, long behind me now.” As a result of this exaggerated self-image, Paul sees if himself as “the only pianist I have had time to listen to.” Goldsworthy's concern is the pride that often accompanies new knowledge and experience – a pride often followed by remorse, as in Paul's case. Gradually, the harsh realities of life begin to wear away. Paul's naive pride. His youth gives way to the dawning realizations of adulthood. In Europe “Paul's enthusiasm slowly waned”. In Henisch's living room, Paul is "hugely hurt" by the words: "you didn't learn from Eduard Keller." Pain and failure open Paul's eyes through "moments of depression and frustration." Once Keller dies, Paul begins to see the full picture: his “polaroid print” finally develops. This sad but enlightening experience puts Paul in a position to appreciate Keller and perceive his own flaws and failures. Paul is no longer smug and describes himself as: “Paul Crabbe, greying, dissatisfied”. Paul is no longer proud and describes his life as "a silly and innocent world, a world of disappointments... and ridiculous dreams." Above all, Paul is no longer self-centered, for once he appreciates Keller.