Portrayal of how the Past still haunts us in Maestro by Peter Goldsworthy and Neighbors by Tim Winton

Portrayal of how the Past still haunts us in Maestro by Peter Goldsworthy and Neighbors by Tim Winton
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Portrayal of how the Past still haunts us in Maestro by Peter Goldsworthy and “Neighbors” by Tim Winton
The novella Maestro by Australian writer Peter Goldsworthy is a bildungsroman narrative that portrays the themes of life and culture. It depicts the “coming-of-age of” of its characters through education, experience, and socialization. The characters attain moral and psychological growth by reflecting upon their life experiences and ruing their mistakes. In Maestro, the story portrays the past not only as a forgotten existence, but an experience that shapes the characters’ personality and worldview. The two main characters, Paul Crabbe and Eduard Keller are all transformed by events in their lives. Keller becomes more cautious about life, is disillusioned, and critical of humanity as a result of his experiences during World War Two. He is also guilty for not being able to safe his family from the hands of the Nazis. On his part, Paul’s upbringing in a well-to-do family and the love of his parents makes him to feel self-important. He is arrogant, craves for approval from those around him, and likes to exaggerate his achievements. However, he soon learns that he is not the best, especially after learning about the past life of Eduard Keller, his music teacher. The short story “Neighbors” by Tim Winton portrays a young newly wed couple who moves into a new neighborhood, and is unable to fit into the close-knit society where neighbors are their brothers’ keepers. This is because they come from an upper class background, where neighbors mind their own business and everyone likes their privacy. In reference to the novella Maestro by Peter Goldsworthy and the short story “Neighbors” by Tim Winton, this essay discusses the way the past haunts individuals by shaping their personality and worldviews.
Eduard Keller is haunted by his past due to the guilt he experiences for failing to save his wife and son from the Nazis, who gassed them to death at Auschwitz. He feels betrayed by the Nazis because he used to play for Hitler, and was performing for him when his family was arrested. As a result, he cuts off his ties with his Austrian roots, “sews the yellow star to his clothing and registers as a Jew” (Goldsworthy, 2010, p. 136). On the surface, his actions are a sign of rebellion against his own country of Austria, which collaborated with the Nazis in killing the Jews and his family. At the same time, however, Keller’s actions are driven by guilt because he believes he could have saved his family. Paul experiences a similar kind of guilt, of having betrayed and let down someone who was close to him, his music teacher. He is also guilt for having disrespected his teacher while he was alive. When he first meets Keller, describes him in a...