The Soloist Themes

“Music is the mediator between the life of senses and the life of the spirit.” (Beethoven) The story in the book The Soloist by Steve Lopez is a well-presented plot through which we can learn a lot. While the story of the book can be said to be covering a variety of themes; music, homelessness, mental illness, and friendships, I am of the opinion that the themes of mental illness and music are the base of the story. Nathaniel Ayers suffers from schizophrenia, a mental illness that affects his moods and causes him to have bouts of anger, stay in silence and other times speak incoherently. This illness was brought about about by the mental trauma he endured as a child which caused him great pain that he carried throughout his life. This illness made him drop out of Julliard yet he was a skilled musician, which led him to become homeless and disconnect with family. Although his mental illness and homelessness were an issue, Ayers love and passion for music and the comfort and opportunities it gave him, was used as an ultimate escape for disabling his problems. Through the two themes, the readers can witness …show more content…
The story is told and revolves around the fact that Ayers is a good musician with exceptional instrumental talent. Through the talent, Ayers not only meets people he would not have met but is also presented with life-changing opportunities. For instance, because of Ayers’ talent with instruments, Rivera thought that Ayers deserved a chance to be seen and heard and gave him the opportunity to perform in his club, the Blue Bongo. Also, because of music, Ayers and Lopez are invited by Crane to the Third Symphony Concert and when Ayers gets the news, he marvels, “Symphony Number Three in E-Flat Major!” (Lopez, p.105). Because Ayers was not in the best state of mind due to his illness, were it not for his musical talent, he would not have gotten the opportunities that came his