The character of Eduard Keller At the start of the novel impressions of Eduard Keller are of an alcoholic drunk, mysterious

and stern. Keller is an unemotional person who has been through many hardships and tragedies during World War 2. When Keller was still a concert pianist in Vienna, he had too much pride and arrogance to think that he was untouchable to the Nazis if he played for them. He also believed that if he played for the Nazis leaders and those of importance, he would be able to save his Jewish wife, Mathilde, and his son, Eric, from being taken from the Nazis. However his wife and child were taken to a concentration camp and were murdered while Keller was away performing to Nazis. He never forgave himself and enlisted as a Jew to redeem himself of his arrogance. He went into a concentration camp, where he cut off some of his pinkie as consequence of desiring to play composers celebrated by Germans. Kellers hate and contempt towards the events that happened in Austria made him a bitter man, shutting himself emotionally where he is filled with guilt and self-contempt. He becomes someone entirely different than the person he was in Austria before the mistakes that he made. He then settled in Darwin, nestled in a cramp place above a pub. By forming a relationship with his young pupil, Paul, he begins to open up and somewhat talk about his past and family to Paul. Keller is honestly blunt and tries to mend his past mistakes by advising Paul of the near-by future and his short lived talent.

The setting of Darwin, 1960s Darwin is presented as a city of immigrants and is the city where the Crabbe family will live as Mr. Crabbe is promoted and has to live here. Darwin has a hot tropical climate, has been affected by the war as it has been attacked by the opposition. In all this initial imagery of Darwin, Goldsworthy emphasises its lushness. This connects with Pauls growing sexuality as he grows up and falls for Megan, then Rosie. Darwin makes the contrast between the out of place Keller and the heat, where he mostly wears a white linen suit even though he may look entirely uncomfortable. In the book, Darwin is described by Pauls father as a city of booze, blow, and blasphemy where there are many scum and bad people living in this one city. Metaphorically, it symbolises the endurance of withstanding overwhelming events and can heal the wounds over time. The attacks in World War 2, heat and cyclone Tracy are events that are tremendous but however Darwin has withstood these strong forces.

The theme of music The theme of music is constant throughout the play, where the narrator Paul Crabbe wants to become a great concert pianist. At the beginning Paul is told to practice The Childrens Bach, where he thinks it is too simple. By him being criticized by Keller about his piano performances, he tells him he lacks of the little bits, the passion and depth where Paul plays perfectly but shows no meaning. The music passion Paul lacks is constant throughout the play, where music shows us the theme of genius versus talent where an individual has it or not, that the difference between a talented person and a genius is a little bit but metaphorically a huge difference. When Keller plays, Paul is overwhelmed and believes it is the best. The difference between the rock and roll music and classical music shows that classical music is a part of Paul and that will never leave go away. Paul realizes how music was influential in Kellers past life that Keller believed that by performing and showing the beauty of music to murders would spare his family, he thought wrong and never forgave himself. Where a specific piece is performed like Wagner, Keller has horrible and guilt ridden memories he is filled with rage towards the Nazi and importantly towards himself. The story of growing up The story of growing up is about someone gaining insight to become a mature adult. At the beginning of Maestro, we see that Paul Crabbe is an arrogant and nave fifteen year old who believes to be superior above people and a genius. By the way he acts and talks, gives the impression of him being spoilt by his parents and takes everything for granted (as we see later on with Rosie). When he meets Eduard Keller, he is full of pride and shows this by offering to play a piece and feels insulted when Keller tells him to The Childrens Bach, as Paul sees this as too simple. By falling in love and out of love, his sexuality begins to grow and is shown throughout the novel as he sees dreams of Megan. He has fun and joins a rock band where initially he knows that it will never be great. Paul is given advice and insight from Keller to stop his delusional dreams about being a concert pianist. Paul ignores his teachers words and enters competitions in Australia and Vienne, however fails and learns of humility and respect, that he should have taken the advice that he would never become a concert pianist. Paul and Kellers relationship is a brutally honest and a tense student/ teacher relationship at first, where Paul feels patronized and mocked. Over the few years, their relationship grows into a warming fondness to each other where Paul thinks of Keller as a fatherly figure and Keller treating Paul like a son. However they grow apart and Paul becomes less concern with his maestro until Paul learns of Kellers guilt and self contempt he goes to Keller who is in hospital. Paul reconciles with Keller, feeling content with his past bitter life.