He struggles to find a focus in life. The uncertainty of the narrator leads him to a life filled with meaningless purposes. He cannot continue with his life, to some extent, a "coda" must be put, or should I say urged, in order for his life to gain some kind of meaning. The "grace notes" of his life reveals vivid images of society, religions, and social changes. From the Eucharistic wafer to the murder of the computer programmer, he tries to view a perspective of life that might bring meaning to him, yet, he cannot comprehend how these meanings developed. His image of the world, a true existentialist belief -- that "life with its little joys, griefs, triumphs, and tragedies, is a very brief interlude between two vast abysses of nothingness." And in the grace note, of the two backward steps and then again the forward movement, a coda seems to be …show more content…
Alfred is tackling a very rocky relationship with his wife and at the same time trying to live his life through others. For example, his daughter is learning how to play the piano. When Alfred was a child, he wanted to learn how to play the piano and read music, but he was frightened of the outcome. As he watches his daughter hit the ivory, he feels like he is the one doing the playing. The same situation applies to the murder of his friend, a computer expert. He is unable to cope with his murder because he though about the many things he has done, including success, and that wasting all that was just a waste of effort. He is confused about his life. "Our aim as poets is not representation but presentation--Marianne Moore." The illogical connections of metaphors in The Music School add deeper meanings in the story. It reveals, in a vague manner, the significance of the narrator's thoughts and how he relates to life as a whole. His perceptions in life are then conveyed to the whole story itself -- which in turn helps us prepare for the last two paragraphs. The last two paragraphs connect all of the metaphors together to form the many different meanings and purposes of the story. Also, the last two paragraphs clarify Updike's style of conveying the meaning of the story--through a confused man's perspective. He is unable to commit to something--always