Goldsworthy’s Maestro and Maitland’s Along the Amazon

As a necessary part of the human existence, journeys invoke a maturation in perspectives and attitudes about oneself and the world surrounding us. These often involve a transition from the familiar to the exotic and involve learning and discovery. Such is the case of Goldsworthy’s Maestro and Maitland’s Along the Amazon, which both involve the disruption to the protagonists’ identity in response to a journey through a harsh new environment, affirming the self-discovery undergone on a journey.

Throughout Goldsworthy’s novel, the protagonist, Paul, undergoes a physical and emotional maturation which transforms him from naivety to ennui. Goldsworthy uses a challenging oxymoron to initially describe Paul’s innocence, “you know so much, yet so little” which employs a mournful tone to highlight the vicarious nature of which he initially understands the world, also alluding to his hubris which is portrayed as the stymying factor to his maturation. Sexual discovery is an catalytic force of his emotional journey to knowledge; Goldsworthy employs his sensual tone in “The music transported me to that familiar, aching zone of lovemaking.” to highlight Paul’s transition to a sexually excited adolescent and elucidating how his new-found experience consumes his art and life. Upon reflection of his journey, Goldsworthy employs a regretful tone to demonstrate Paul’s revelation “once we begin to sense our childhoods, we are no longer children” to elaborate how his maturation to knowledge created a sense of ennui within him. It also highlights how the journey can transform oneself as the maturation has majorly damaged his ambitions and hubris.

Through the pursuit of Keller’s approval and musical virtuosity, Paul learns about the cathartic nature of the music world he enters. Goldsworthy uses symbolism “a mass in remembrance of last night’s beer and tobacco.” to convey the dogmatic nature of Keller’s refuge, the Swan, as a place where he purges his emotions. Goldsworthy utilizes the physical journey to Adelaide to demonstrate the contention of emotion and mind within Keller “He played a duet of head and hurt.” highlighting the machinistic nature of his life as Adelaide serves as a catalyst to free caged memories. Goldsworthy employs a cautious tone in “Never trust the beautiful” which highlights Paul’s lesson to never become arrogant as an allusion to Keller’s traumatic past. Throughout Paul’s quest for approval, he becomes too self-satisfied as Goldsworthy elucidates with an arrogant tone, “I’d learnt all the lessons he could teach me” which illustrates how Paul has embraced the senses, foolhardily which ironically becomes his hamartia to musical success. Thus, Goldsworthy employs Keller as a way to communicate the deceptive nature of the world.

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