paul's case Essay

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In the short story “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather, the protagonist, Paul, turns his back on his morals to pursue for his splendid American Dream. Paul is an arrogant student who values himself in a high position and believes that everyone one else is beneath him. He has fell in love with all those artificial, luxurious elements in the Carnegie Hall that provides him imaginary self-worth. Unfortunately, when his lies were exposed and his job got taken away, Paul’s world is shattered. To escape from his mundane, ugly reality, Paul commits the crime of stealing, which causes his tragic downfall. At the beginning of the story, Paul seems to be a classic teenage boy who gets into trouble for causing problems during class time. As the story progresses, the reader can infer that Paul is quite introvert. He would choose to live in his fantasy world instead of confronting reality. Paul is reluctant to return home after the Carnegie Hall performances. The theater and Carnegie Hall was where Paul "really lived". (pg 202) To him, the rest of his life was only "a sleep and a forgetting". (pg 202) The moment Paul stepped into either one of those places; he felt he was in his element as he "breathed like a prisoner set free". (pg 202) Paul's life was so monotonous and cheerless in comparison to his theater life, which he felt was his “fairy tale”. (pg 202) This alone provides insight into his character, as Paul is likely an unrealistic person who is not fulfilled with his status currently. Paul is personally a high self-esteem teenage; he could not handle the difficulties that he encountered as it leads him to commit the crime of stealing. Paul admired the opulence of the theater, the perfumes, the lights, the colors, the flowers, the champagne and all those luxurious and gracious items. He is a

Symbolism In Paul's Case

Paul’s Case “Flowers” a symbol of beauty and defiance, a last gasp of picturesque outer qualities to combat the dreadful nature of reality itself. Paul, a person of great beauty and defiance does indeed resemble his red carnations. Cather specifically employs the literary use of symbolism in the quote “His teachers felt this afternoon that his [Paul’s] whole attitude was symbolized by his shrug and his flippantly red carnation flower, and they fell upon him without mercy, his English teacher leading…

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Paul's Case Essay

What is Paul’s Medical Situation? Paul throughout the story appears to be a tormented and intermittent character that is not able to find a balance in his life. One of the teachers, in the beginning of the story, immediately triggers a trail of thought in the reader’s mind about the boy’s behavior by saying: “There is something wrong about the fellow.” But what is wrong about him? Analyzing the boy’s behavior throughout the story I was able to create a psychological theory that explains his actions…

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Creativity In Paul's Case

The majority of humans have been following traditions, yet some stand up and go against traditions, which lead to risks. According to Willa Cather in “Paul’s Case”, the protagonist, who is Paul, got in trouble at school and is waiting for his dad, until he decides to go against traditions which leads to his death. In “Paul’s Case”, Cather uses a third person direct limited omniscient and a physical integral setting to prove a point moving away from traditions creates creativity but also may lead…

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Paul's Case By Willa Cather

any plot. In “Paul’s Case” authored by Willa Cather the setting changes within this fictional story and plays an important aspect in revealing the protagonist’s character. Paul, the average young man, Cather portrays is in search for the elegant things in life and believes that money can transform his identity to someone influential. She is coy in her presentation of this narcissistic character and uses the settings skillfully to serve as the stage for the development of Paul’s character. As…

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Summary Of Paul's Case By Willa Cather

The world on Cordelia Street did not amuse Paul, he saw it as mundane and boring. The real excitement, through Paul’s point of view, was found in the theater. Throughout the short story “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather, it was clear that Paul wanted to escape. Paul wanted to live in a more exciting world, opposite of his world on Cordelia Street. Living on Cordelia street was as boring as life could get, every day it was the same routine; the neighbor kids played in the streets on the weekends, the…

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Literary Analysis Essay On Paul's Case

by money/desire for power or position. In the story Paul’s Case, by Willa Cather exemplifies the literary criticism economic theory through the main character Paul’s internal self and his life around him. The economic theory is shown in this story by the way Paul has a desire for the nicer things. When learning that the theory has to do with how money can make people feel a certain way, it makes you think about how that was used in Paul’s Case. “His clothes were a trifle outgrown and the tan velvet…

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Paul's Case Vs Eudora Welty

spectacular job portraying this reality in "Paul's Case." Showing an isolated young man struggling daily from these struggles, yet finding the strength to manage his way through life. Eudora Welty perfectly captures the cruelty of these struggles in "A Worn Path." Giving the reader insight into how people manage to survive in these harsh environments. Both authors address socio-economic issues, which provide unseen insight into the questions listed above. In "Paul's Case" and "A Worn Path," Willa Cather and…

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Paul's Case By Willa Cather Summary

every person dreams of something different, some wanting to live simply, and some to the extreme. Some wanting to live materialistically, and some wanting to live doing things that make them feel good. The short story “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather represents this idea well. Although Paul’s lifestyle of working at Carnegie Hall, and staying in fancy New York City hotels may seem like something someone would do for show, Paul does it in attempt to find his…

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A Rose For Emily Vs. Paul's Case

are victims of their own societies, driving both characters to isolate themselves. In the short stories “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather. Emily is isolated by her father who thinks no one is good enough for her. Similarly, Paul isolates himself from his family as well as from people in his school. Emily’s and Paul’s irrational decisions are a result of isolation, a persistent theme in both short stories, and are…

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Conformity And Pursuit Of Personal Desire In Paul's Case

wiggle room to pursue a personal desire that is out of the norm. Willa Cather displays the drastic and life-changing decision between conformity and pursuit of personal desire, through the arrogant, high school character of Paul in the short story “Paul’s Case”, and the juxtaposition between the way he is living and the way he wants to live. In the beginning of the short story, Paul feels imprisoned in Cordelia Street and its uniformity; however, when he is further controlled and cut off from his means…

Words 665 - Pages 3