Keller's Point of View

Look at the gap on page 13 after Paul runs out of Keller’s room.

Write the next section from Keller’s point of view. What did Keller do next? What did he think as he contemplated the scene which had just taken place? Use your narrative to reveal Keller’s attitude to growing up and to Paul. In planning, consider Keller’s experiences and how these might affect his attitude to what growing up entails.

Read the section pages 63 – 67. What does this section tell the reader about the way each of them might understand growing up?

Keller stood up from his seat and moved to the library. He thumbed through a few pages of an old manuscript. He put the book back into the library and searched for another book. His hand hovered over a thin book and he pocked it out from the library and slowly walked over to the piano. He sits down, places the music on the stand and stares at the music. He doesn’t raise his hands from his lap. He sits in his room listening to the piano being played in his head.

He stands up and collects a glass of water from the table. Returns to the piano, sighs and lifts his wrists to play. A single note resonates throughout the room. What an ungrateful child, Keller thought. The music of the piano can be expressed from one note to the thousands written by Bach and Liszt. He stares at the stump of a finger and returns his hands back to his lap. He does not understand. Perhaps he never will understand the subtly of the piano.

He stands up, collects the music and stands in front of the library. Hovering his hand over the book, he wonders, would it be possible to teach this boy how to play the piano, when he is set on not playing it properly. He sighs again and places the book back on the shelf. Turns around to sit on his chair and stares at the world pass him by.

Monologue

Choose a point in the story and write a monologue in which the mother talks to her husband about watching her son grow up and what that means to both him and his father. In other words, what does the boy think it means to grow up or to be grown up? What does the father think it means? Are there differences in their views?

What does the mother think it means to grow up?  What would she say about their relationship?

She gives a new (perhaps female) perspective. Try to give her an authentic voice. This may vary from person to person according to your view of the character but try to make it clear and consistent. 

The point of intervention is when the son decides to put both his parents into a home.

“My dearest husband, I have been silent for a while and I now want my opinion to be heard.”

The husband stands up from his armchair, slowly walks over to the dining table, sits opposite her and indicates she may continue.

“Our son has grown up. It is no longer our responsibility to be holding his hand for each step he takes. I am very sad though, he did not get to see you often because of your job. I know we tried very hard to get you another job to be more active in your son’s growing up; however, when you were home you never seemed to be all there.

Sure, you taught him to wield an axe, and I know that is manly, but our son is not like you. He is a sensitive boy who can’t wield an axe how you do, because he isn’t strong enough and that is our perspectives on his growing up. The boy thinks wielding the axe is a definition of a man. Why should that be how a man is defined?

I married you before you learnt to wield the axe; I love you because of your personality, not for your ability to swing an axe. Our relationship is strong, but I believe the relationship you have with our son has disintegrated over the years because you don’t like to talk about your feelings.

I know that life has been hard. Having a job you don’t enjoy and being away all the time, but our son has grown up and you've missed the train!

I am sad because you didn’t get to enjoy the times he laughed with me and cried the times when you cried. The train has come and left the station. I know our views are different on the growing up of our son, but I do want you to know that he is the best man that he can be.

Describe Paul

Describe Paul as you see him, using language as effectively as you can. Try choosing a scene and imagining what Paul looks like in this situation.

Paul sits at the piano at school. His small figure makes the piano seem enormous. The large keys are as white as clouds, his long fingers are delicate: the piano is an extension of his fingers. His hands are young - only fifteen years. 
There is a glisten of sweat on his brow, frozen in a frown. He pushes his left foot onto the pedal and plays one note. It resonates through the room and the frown releases as he starts to play Liszt. The elongated melody with accompaniment moves Paul and his figure sways with the music.
There is nothing of particular interest to anyone who doesn't enjoy the subtle beauty of Liszt. His small frame moves with the music, because there is nothing out of the ordinary about this boy, nobody gives him a second look. 

Reflection on Growing Up

Write a personal reflection on what it is like to grow up on the Gold Coast in 2014. What are the positives? What are the negatives? Try to let your own voice emerge. Do you want to write in a serious way? Do you want to put a humorous slant on the topic? Allow some your own concerns/ideas to come through. For example, if you have strong feelings about the place of women in society, this might affect your thoughts on the topic of growing up on the Gold Coast. Post to your blog by Wednesday Week 2.

To grow up is a challenge, however it is a journey that everybody takes. To be able to grow up in the Gold Coast is a privilege because of the amazing opportunities it gives; however, there are only a limited number of activities to enjoy. To grow up in this sheltered environment is hard to become the person you want to be. The limited resources and repeated places in the Gold Coast make it a good environment to grow up in, but it all depends on where about in the Gold Coast you grow up.

As I have grown up in the outskirts of the Gold Coast area, I can say that it is very different to those from inside the city. With little to do around the house and no place close enough to walk to, I learnt to be content with the little that I had. There were not many people I could talk to, so I became content with my cats as my friends; however, we were not so far away that I didn't have chances to meet others.

Learning to be content with living in the outskirts and being able to live in the city at the same time became a positive experience. The limited activities make the Gold Coast a place to remember; however, it is also a place of new beginnings and change.

Reflection

Look at the advertisement picture again and plan an imaginative response which involves the girl as a character and which challenges the representation of growing up constructed in the advertisement. Your choice of genre and your choice of point of view. You could write as the girl or as one of her friends or as her parent.  You could narrate an event, write a letter, write a journal entry or a news report.

As a parent, it is always hard to see your child grow up. I want to be by her side for as long as possible, however I know that I have to trust her and let her be her own person. It was hard for me at first, however, we made rules together and she has stuck to those. When I finally agreed to let her go out to a party and I believe I had made a good choice. So what if she came home at 11? So I didn’t know her friends … should I have been more concerned?

I asked my daughter about it the next day. She told me the story about how at the party, she and her friends decided not to have alcohol.

What!? When did my daughter become so grown up?

Anyway … she explained how they had bouncers at the entry of their friends place, to ensure the people entering the party didn't bring any illegal materials to the party.

I was extremely pleased with how she is growing up and the choices she is making. I now feel she will be able to look after herself when she finishes this league of her journey. I believe that she will be able to make the right choices for herself, and I will be there to help her should she ever fail,

I know that my time of helping her is almost over, however I am sure that she will continue to make good choices and get the most out of life.