The "Absoloodle-ly" Unforgettable Doctor.
From the first "absoloodle" out of his mouth, to his death in a great crystal cave of Africa, any reader is sure never to forget the intriguing character that is Professor von Vollensteen. Many interesting characters accompany Peekay, a young South African, through the hardships of life in Bruce Courtenay's The Power of One but none stand out so much as his beloved Doc. Doc has many attributes that bring his character to life in the book: his manner of speech, the way he carries himself, his love for music and that for his friends, even his love of cacti. The list goes on. Doc's passionate intellect, his weaknesses, and, most importantly, his caring teacher-student relationship with Peekay make him a most memorable character. They make him real.
The first thing a reader might notice about Doc is that he is amazingly smart and talented. This fact in itself makes Doc's entity unbelievable but even more mesmerizing is the passion at which he approaches his crafts. Doc can play Brahms, Beethoven, and Mozart. He can compose symphonies. He can name countless number of cacti and play a smashing game of chess. It is astonishing to see so much genius crammed into one individual, but it is even more astonishing to see the great care and patience that Doc takes in preparing his concerto or the many hours he spends in the fields, especially at his advanced age. How does he do it and manage to pass on his love and talent on to others like Peekay? It is something to wonder about. Doc is a strange mixture of brains and heart and that is something to remember. .
Another aspect of Doc's character that makes him unforgettable is his weaknesses, most notably his pain and problem with drinking. If Doc's intelligence makes him seem, in any way, unrealistic, it is his shortcomings and his triumph over them that make the professor human. Often times it is a character with whom readers can relate to that they never forget and Doc is such an example.
