Keller - good or bad teacher?

Is Keller a good teacher or a bad teacher or a bad teacher? What did he teach Paul? What did he fail to teach him and why? Did he teach him about life?

Bad

Because of Keller’s own past experiences and his loss of romanticism, he doesn’t encourage Paul to play with emotion. Technical ugliness is something that he can trust. “We must be on our guard against beauty always. Never trust the beautiful.” – (Keller pg.50)

Paul is only fifteen and he receives little encouragement from Keller. This is enough to depress Paul, his dreams for the future and his passion for the piano. Children should dream.

Keller is cryptic in teaching Paul and not definitive. Paul becomes confused and finds it difficult to interpret what Keller says and find an answer.

Good

Paul is taught about life through the development of his piano education so consequently as Keller didn’t teach Paul how to feel the music, he taught him to live a passion-less life without connection to anything.

To play with passion is something one is born with. Technically, Keller taught Paul everything he could. “I have taught you everything you were able to learn.” (Keller pg 115)

Keller gave Paul all the tools necessary to be both a better person and pianist. Paul has the responsibility to take on what Keller has taught him. Paul’s own ego restrained his ability to push himself. Eg. Paul made fun of Keller giving him the Children’s Bach and didn’t embrace the opportunity to master it. “The boy is too given to self-satisfaction. The self-satisfied go no further.” (Keller pg 43)

Keller is a good life teacher. Although he is torn between loving Paul and honouring his family. Keller is torturing himself by exposing himself to music, but also manages to educate Paul with his textbooks and warnings about propaganda.

He teachers Paul that is he can do good things in bad situations, he will do great things in great situations. ”make music on that”, he told me, “and you can make music on anything”’ –Keller (pg 36)

Keller leaves room for Paul to make his own conclusions, believing this to be vital for his development. “It (Van Gogh forgery) was technically better than the original ... And yet something was missing. Not much – but something” –Keller (pg 46)

Keller shows Paul human perfection and subsequently snatches it away. He educates him about the levels of imperfection and that each being has unique potential. “every fish has its depth” –Keller (pg 107)

“Maybe there can be no such thing as perfection, just levels of imperfection” –Keller

-Life teachings:
*everything you do counts
*don’t get fooled by beauty, beauty isn’t always right
*truth is not skin deep, you have to look deeper to find the most important things
*simplicity is better
“I’ll practise more next time” –Paul (pg 111)
“No. Next time- less.” –Keller (pg 111)