“I’d heard that he was a good teacher. No wonder they call him the Maestro. I’d always thought it was a joke, something to do with his temperament.”

Is Eduard Keller a good teacher?

Peter Goldsworthy’s novel “Maestro” depicts Keller in many ways as a good teacher, but one who has several frailties. Keller’s flaws are his overwhelming sense of arrogance and rudeness as well as his

authoritarian and judgmental nature. Nonetheless, his positive attributes as a teacher mask these weaknesses. He is indeed a good teacher because he teaches Paul the requirements to be a great pianist and also teaches him about life in general while possessing deep care and affection for Paul.

Keller’s sense of arrogance and his judgmental nature are his greatest weaknesses as a teacher. In Paul’s first few lessons with Keller, he is not allowed to play the piano. His explanation is that “I have heard hands like these before. I know how they sound.” The reason he says this could perhaps be because he wants Paul to start ...

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