timeline of significant events that shaped Paul's personality

By 001950
  • First meets Herr Keller

    this is the first event that shapes Paul's character and gives insight to his curious nature. in this event he notices Herr Keller's red face from drinking, the pressed white European suit. this allowed the audience to see that Paul couldn't be a concert pianist seeing as he couldn't notice the finer things in music, the factors that contribute to emotion
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    First 3 chapters of the novel

    timespan from when Paul and his family moved to Darwin and the first 2 years of his study in piano with the maestro.
  • Paul's second lesson

    in this second or third lesson, Paul asks the maestro if he could play chopin for him, the maestro responds with a grimaced 'if you must'. this shows Paul's short temperedness and unwillingness to accept the maestro's judgement and thinking that his personal opinion is the most important. this moment shows that while Paul may be technically perfect, he lacks the ability to play with emotion.
  • Paul's black and white personality

    in one of their lesson's Keller asks the question what is the difference between a good pianist and a great pianist? at this point Paul can see how good his piano teacher is and his black and white personality and view on the world.
  • Meeting Rosie Zolo

    Rosie Zolo was annoying in Paul's life at the start and this was clearly seen in the book because she was too much like him, he didn't like having competition, this shows that he doesn't like playing the piano just for the enjoyment or as a hobby, but for the competition, he used Rosie to make himself superior and makehis self esteem increase.
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    Timespan including Adelaide

    this is the timespan that inclues the time that he spent in Adelaide and still growing up to the time that he started to become a man and decided to travel to Vienna.
  • Botanical gardens concert

    During this time in the book, Paul becomes attracted to Rosie and doesn't see her as annoying anymore because of her physical appearance, she has changed into a 'beautiful teenage girl'. This shows that Paul is shallow because he didn't like Rosie for her personality but her appearance.
  • Joining the band

    Paul joins the band with his old school bullies after showing them that he can play in a band and help them. this shows Paul's adaptive nature in the school environment and that he is maturing in his personality.
  • Paul really falls in love with Rosie

    Paul really falls in love with Rosie when he has to choose between this girl who is easy and Rosie and realizes that he likes Rosie more because of their love instead of fake feelings. this shows that Paul is starting to mature further and having emotions that show a mature person instead of a small child.
  • Paul's idea of friendship

    In this event Paul has told Bennie Ried that the bullies in the band are not his friends. this shows Paul is cowardly enough to hang out with the bullies to keep himself bully free and secure in school but shallow enough to dob the only person who was his real friend in on the bullies.
  • After the Adelaide concert

    Here in this event it shows Herr Keller's high praise of Paul, that he is his best student but not a concert pianist. but in Paul's clouded judgement he states that he wants to stay so he can learn off Keller even more and become the best concert pianist that he can, but what he doesn't realize is that Herr Keller is telling him that he has taught him everything he can and that emotion and feeling in a pianist cannot be taught.
  • Paul's arrogance continues to his last lesson with Keller.

    Paul has finished school and is now traveling to study law and music at university. he spends his last lesson with Keller talking of the story he had wanted to hear about Keller's family and the war. this defines Paul's character as a nosy person not willing to face Keller's words head on like the words that Keller says about his piano playing.
  • Christmas of 1974

    in this event Paul gets a letter from Keller with musical advice including to keep studying the childrens bach. Paul reaction to this is 'the childrens bach? still?' this shows Paul's ignorance and arrogance still in his personality. here he considers that he doesn't need advice because he is the best.
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    Vienna, 1975

    This is the timespan that includes his time visiting Vienna and experiencing the maestro's footsteps and learning about the history of his teacher.
  • More information on Keller

    In this event Paul hears of Kellers role as hitlers personal concert pianist. he learns this from Henisch when he goes to talk to him about Keller to learn more about him. Henisch explains that Keller was unwilling to be associated with Austrian's. Paul in his arrognace believes kellers act was stupid, but doesn't consider the fact that he may have been trying to protect his family. Paul plays for Henisch and Henisch says that he couldn't have learnt from the great Herr Keller, this angers Paul.
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    Return to Darwin and discovery of the maestro's illness

    This timeline includes the return to Australia and his discovery of Keller's death and the different relationship's with the ones he used to be close to.
  • The ending to an interesting story...

    In this event Paul looks back on his life and realizes that if he had listened more and been less arrogant then he may have become the concert pianist that he dreamt of, this shows Paul's realization but that it is to late for him. this ending creates a sort of anticlimax to the book and leaves audiences sad and left empty.