"Maestro": Peter Goldsworthy, Superficial Impressions

In Peter Goldsworthy's "Maestro", the characterization of each individual can be further analysed as the theme of superficial misleading impressions. Throughout the novel, Paul Crabbe encounters different characters. It is through these relationships that we see the irony within each beginning and ending impressions Paul has with every personality he meets. Paul Crabbe and Keller share a special bond that almost beckons to be ruined from the onset of the novel. Their relationship begins adversely, …

…relationship as a contrast to the others, it is not that their first impressions were misleading but rather their relationship with each other in the end based on music was fraudulent. Music operated as a cloak around what would have been their true feelings about one another. In conclusion, Goldsworthy successfully examines the theme of superficial impressions by delving into the reversal of ideas within a character's mind and how they react to those thoughts.