Quest for Identity
Remember the days when life was easy and our biggest worry was what mum had packed us for lunch, or whether we would get up early enough to catch the morning cartoons? No? Or have those days been drowned out by the endless nagging of parents to study and get a good job…Now don’t get me wrong-I know education is important, but sometimes I feel we have too much pressure placed on us to live a ‘perfect life’ that when one mistake comes along, everyone, including ourselves, ends up upside down. Instead, as presented in the novel ‘Maestro’, by Peter Goldsworthy, we find the importance of not losing ourselves, but rather, taking these adversaries as opportunities. . I don’t know about you but I plan on living a life with no regrets-
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I hope you do to, because in the end, you only live life once. Maestro by Peter Goldsworthy is an engaging novel and is relatable to a wide range of audience, from teens to adults. As you flip through the pages of Paul Crabbe’s journey, you learn that sometimes, just sometimes, life doesn’t work the way you want it to- that doesn’t mean it’s bad, it just means you’ve learned from your mistakes. Peter Goldsworthy’s teaches you to not take your golden opportunities for granted. ‘Maestro’ will attract your attention with the author’s unique style of writing of the simple yet emotion filled plots.
It explores and discovers Paul Crabbe’s will to become a concert pianist and his quest for identity, but stumbles across obstacles such as the desire for women. Megan, Paul’s first crush, symbolizes lust and desire and later on into the story we meet Rosie, Paul’s true love who symbolizes reality.
Paul is seen as a pianist prodigy, although he is spoilt, leading him to become too proud of his skills which were not a good trait in Keller’s eyes, shown in Keller’s rebuking “…You
are
too
proud
to
play
it
again…?” P.
27.
and “…You
are
spoilt…First
you
must
learn
to
listen…” P.
12
The true highlight of the plot is the character development which centres on Paul Crabbe, and his piano teacher Eduard Keller. At first, Paul develops an instant sense of distaste towards Keller.
What will captivate you about this novel is the way Goldsworthy manipulates the gradual increase of Paul’s attachment and relation with Keller. This later creates the powerful emotions which run throughout the story. An example of this occurs in the last few scenes where Paul comes to the term of his past arrogance. He realizes that Keller had actually been like a father to him. “…You
are
my
teacher…You’ve
been
like
a
father.
Taught
me
everything
I
know…”
P.
115. These scenarios relate quite well in relation to our modern day lives. Especially the teacher and student relations. At the end of the day, it seems that not all of us can find our identity. Paul realizes this despite his piano talent. You learn that he lacks emotion, thus, he isn’t able to achieve perfection. This is implied through his quotes “…Perhaps there can be no perfection. Only levels of imperfection…” P. 31 We come to the realization that we all have to move on eventually. Paul also comes to this realization after remembering Keller’s words “…You must know when to move on. To search too long for perfection can also paralyse...” P. 31 Maestro is a well-written novel that depicts the people after their adolescence and their hard times searching for their identity. Their lives full of regrets, they could have prevented missing many important opportunities. When you read this novel, you really feel a strong connection between you and the characters. You really sense the hardships and the struggles of Paul. At the start, we are made to believe that Paul is selfish and arrogant, but gradually towards the end, you sympathise with him. What will really help you connect with the book is how well you can relate to the characters and situations. Despite the annoying characteristics of Paul, the author was able to captivate me more and more, cancelling out the negatives of the book with an abundance of amazing character development and good pace of the story. Maestro would definitely be a genre of book I like. It’s a book with consistent character development, good story flow and emotion. It leaves you longing for more and gets you thinking about the other possible outcomes Paul could have achieved.
the play. It looks at the person he is and the person he becomes. It
The style of Paul?s wardrobe determines the attitude of Paul?s personality. During the meeting with the faculty of his school, Paul displays himself as a motionless, dead character. ?His clothes were a trifle outgrown, and the tan velvet on the collar of his open overcoat was frayed and worn, but for all that there was something of a dandy about him, and he wore an opal pin in his neatly knotted black four-in-hand, and a red carnation in his buttonhole.? Paul feels that the clothes he wears symbolizes his status in life and only the nice, fancy clothes seem to please him. When he reachers the theater at Carnegie Hall, the glow and warmth returns to Paul?s face and attitude. ?...Paul th[inks] it very becoming though he kn[ows] the tight, straight coat accentuate[s] his narrow chest, about which he was exceedingly sensitive...
Paul's father is a single parent trying to raise his children in a respectable neighborhood. He is a hard worker and trying to set a good example for his son. His father puts pressure on Paul by constantly referring to a neighbor, whom he feels is a perfect model for his son to follow.
Jane describes an interaction between her husband, John, and herself after she asks to visit her cousins, and writes, “But he said I wasn’t able to go, nor able to stand it after I got there; and I did not make out a very good case for myself, for I was crying before I had finished. It is getting to be a great effort for me to think straight. Just this nervous weakness I suppose” (Gilman 80). Jane is not someone who is able to stand up for herself. She is portrayed as weak, and bends easily to John’s will, giving up relatively easily, and just blaming it on the “nervous weakness” while putting herself down. She does not yell, does not fight, just begins crying quietly in the face of opposition. When he returns to school after a night at Carnegie Hall, Paul’s thoughts on how he presents himself are described, “He could not bear to have the other pupils think, for a moment, that he took these people seriously; he must convey to them that he considered it all trivial, and was there only by way of jest, anyway” (Cather 121). Paul considers himself above everyone he is surrounded with, and he makes sure to do everything he can to make it perfectly clear how he feels on the matter. He needs to show the people in his life that he doesn’t belong with them in their mundane little world, because if they believe he does, he just might. The narrator describes Paul’s reasons for lying in school, saying, “He had never lied for pleasure, even at school; but to be noticed and admired, to assert his difference from the other Cordelia Street boys; and he felt a good deal more manly, more honest even, now that he had no need for boastful pretensions, not that he could, as his actor friends used to say, ‘dress the part.’ It was characteristic that remorse did not occur to him” (Cather 126). Paul’s narcissism and selfishness are revealed in this passage. Unlike Jane, who tries
The first and most emphases is the dark feeling of despair when he realizes that his father was coming to New York City. "It was to be worse than jail, even; the tepid waters of Cordelia Street were to close over him finally and forever". (Kennedy & Gioia, “Paul’s Case,” para. 57) From this statement, Paul finally accepts that is fate is to live on Cordelia Street and become what he despises the most; poor. Another important reason was that his craving for money and entrance into the upper class, "more than ever, money was everything, the wall that stood between all he loathed and all he wanted". (Kennedy & Gioia, “Paul’s Case,” para. 61) Other important issues that were mentioned but not truly discussed where his homosexual tendencies and his mother’s death early in his childhood The final and most important reason Paul commits suicide is because he feels alone in a hostile world that does not understand him and his love of beautiful things, color, art, and music. "It occurred to him that all the flowers he had seen in the glass cases that first night must have gone the same way, long before this. It was only one splendid breath they had, in spite of their brave mockery at the winter outside the glass; and it was a losing game in the end, it seemed, this revolt against the homilies by which the world is run". (Kennedy & Gioia, “Paul’s Case,” para. 64) From this statement alone, Paul feels
Paul has very little interest in his class studies. This leaves him open to distraction and eventually criticism. Although Paul’s appearance is that of a perfect gentleman, his teachers find his behavior inappropriate and unacceptable. The narrator draws particular attention to Paul’s eyes describing them as “remarkable for a certain hysterical brilliancy”(Cather 245); this is followed by the response of his teachers who find it “peculiarly offensive in a boy”(Cather 245). Paul’s meeting with the schools principal continues as each of his teachers get an opportunity to voice their disgust with Paul. The whole time Paul stands there never losing his smile. This is dubbed “irritating to the last degree” (Cather 246). For Paul this is his sign of strength. He refuses to allow his teachers, of such simple minds, to tear at his soul. They have no understanding of Paul’s behavior and do not wish to learn. After the meeting his teachers felt remorse for their onslaught against this mere boy. One remarked on the similarity to a “miserable street cat set at bay by a r...
Paul’s appearance is unusual for a teenaged boy. Paul likes to look good; he is happy that his usher’s uniform is “very becoming” (Cather 3). He likes to primp and take time getting dressed, such as when he is in New York, he pays close attention to how he looks, “watching every stage of his toilet carefully in the mirror” (Cather 12). During his eight days in New York City, he buys clothes at expensive stores (Cather 11). ...
...his he gains the respect and attention of his audience. Paulsen has flawlessly conquered the connection between reality and fictional writing, his young adult adventurous audience demand an amusing plot that holds their attention, sparks their imagination and teaches a lifelong lesson.
Wilson demonstrates how one should accept and respect the past, move on with their life or slow down to pay respects to their family?s history, by describing the struggle over a symbolic object representing the past like the piano. Often people will sulk in the past and struggle with themselves and the people around them when they cannot come to terms with their personal history or a loss. Others will blatantly ignore their personal history and sell valuable lessons and pieces of it for a quick buck to advance their own lives. Berniece and Boy Willie in The Piano Lesson are great examples of these people. Through these contrasting characters and supernatural occurrences, Wilson tells the tale of overcoming and embracing a rough and unsettling family history.
The theme of the play has to do with the way that life is an endless cycle. You're born, you have some happy times, you have some bad times, and then you die. As the years pass by, everything seems to change. But all in all there is little change. The sun always rises in the early morning, and sets in the evening. The seasons always rotate like they always have. The birds are always chirping. And there is always somebody that has life a little bit worse than your own.
The story is about an heiress (Ellie) that has run away from her big shot father to go be with the man that she is marrying, which so happens to be King Westley (Jameson Thomas). Only to spend the whole film falling in love with a wisecracking reporter (Peter). Ellie is not the brightest crayon in the box, but once she has Peter by her side she becomes a little more street smart. Peter sees her as a stubborn and spoiled girl that does not want help from anyone. He offers to help
A great philosopher and a writer, George Santayana once said, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it”. This phrase by Santayana has deeply touched many people’s hearts and encouraged them to look back at their past. Everyone has a shameful history that one desperately endeavours to hide and ignore, or sometimes forced to hide and ignore. However, whatever the reason might be, hiding and ignoring is definitely not the wisest solution to one’s problem, because it often initiates bigger problems. One must accept to face the past and truly learn from past mistakes in order to prevent the repeating of the same mistakes. The novel, The Piano Man’s Daughter deals this idea of learning from past mistakes, and the author Timothy Findley expands
Identity and the development of identity is a prominent theme in The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. In the Alchemist Paulo Coelho shows identity being malleable through experience. Santiago is shown to develop in his thoughts throughout the book. It can be confirmed that Santiago’s identity is developed through his thoughts, “Here I am between my flock and my treasure…he had to choose between something he had been accustomed to and something he wanted to”(Coelho 30). “…his courage is having given up his sheep and in trying to live out his Personal Legend”(Coelho 139). As Santiago lives life and takes on more knowledge his thoughts turn towards the betterment of the world, and not only himself. Realization is drawn upon and the world becomes more
The main characters were Miranda who desperately wanted to leave her abusive boyfriend who sold her body for money. Marcus who deals with his wife Lisa that stepped out on their marriage because she felt lonely. Amy who blind to the fact that her younger good looking husband Lance is cheating on her and using her for her money. Ellis who is Miranda’s mother who hasn’t seen her in years but recently gets fired from her job and needs help. And Willie is a main character for half of the play who deals with a mental illness and claims to have crazy people in his head, he is where most of the comedy came from. All of these actors and actress tell us a story about everyday situations that married couples go through and how people in a dark space overcome. I rooted for Ellis, the mother that gets fired for being “too old”. Ellis was the sweetest old lady that was a maid at the hotel the reunion was held but as days went by Ellis became slower and slower on his work and the manager got fed up. For 67 years of working at the hotel he never made any problems nor did he ever complain so of course he didn’t deserve to be fired. Amelia’s message to her was everything will work out in God’s favor, be patient and wait on your blessing. I hated Lance, the man that married and used a woman just for her money. That’s very selfish and the way
The scene opens on Diana Goodman, a sharp yet over attentive mother, waiting for her son Gabe, a smart, dashing boy who doesn’t seem to like to follow curfew. Her daughter Natalie, a girl who doesn’t seem to be very happy despite the fact she is a piano prodigy, storms in very upset looking for comfort from her mother. Noticing the chaos, Diana tries to help her family, which soon goes downhill when sandwich fixings are flown every which way. Dan, the genuine father of the Goodman family, sees Diana all bewildered and rushes to help her as Natalie hurries of the school so she can take advantage of the piano practice room where, not after long, she is interrupted by Henry, a classmate of Natalie who obviously wants to be much more than that.