Identity In Peter Goldsworthy's Maestro

You know, there’s so much that you can talk about in this world – trust me, I get told that I talk way too much and yet speak such little. But there’s one thing I really find interesting, and that would be journeys. They’re an ongoing paradigm that really makes you wonder about what sort of world we live in – they constantly challenge the whole ideals and quirks that we know about not just only ourselves, but also the world around us.

Take Peter Goldsworthy’s book Maestro for example, it’s constant use of tasteful contrast and setting arouses the concept of growing up primarily through the unique themes of both music and the development of interpersonal relationships.
Throughout the novel, we constantly hover over and observe musical protégé …show more content…
Tan manages to represent the highly intricate complexities of the journey process through the highly visual medium of picture books. His allegorical presentation of the concept of identity, or rather, the loss thereof is greatly touched upon in the book. This can be seen in the quote “Many grandparents ago”, which quickly sets and notifies the reader that the story is observed from an Indigenous perspective. The native numbats and their constant futility against the invading rabbits serves as an allegorical representation of the Indigenous Australian’s plight during colonial-era Australia. This divide between animals shows the quintessential difference between the values of the Indigenous inhabitants of spirituality and one’s connection to the land and culture versus that of the imposing and brutalist nature of the empirical …show more content…
This is further backed by the animal’s national flag being a plethora of arrows deviating from a single point, supporting the Rabbits’ role as vehement expansionists. In addition, the quote “…they stole our children,” appears within the book, which serves as a direct reference to the Stolen Generation, a devious act conducted by the British government to “destroy the native, but save the man.”

The novel serves as an ever-evolving recount of Australia’s journey in history, which both arouse and challenges our preconceived understanding of our national history. This is seen in the visual component of the novel, whereby the vast landscape of a pre-contemporary Australia slowly, but gradually turns into a brutalist, concrete dystopia.

Although the novels may differ in theme, they both herald a developed ability to enrapture our minds as the audience and challenges our preconceived notions of both ourselves, and the wider world around us. The two narratives exhibit a different manner of storymaking, one that continually encourages us to partake in both the protagonist’s journey, while also progressing the journey of our