Paul's Case By Willa Cather

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Whether the story takes place in the fantasy or in the present-day world the literary element of setting is significant to the development and evolution of the road map for 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 the physical settings change, from Paul’s high school in Pittsburgh, to Carnegie …show more content…
The premise for her story is said to be based on her experience with two boys in her classes (Sirridge.). At the onset of the story, Paul is confronted by his teachers at his school. The reader is given the first impression of Paul who shows up “suave and smiling” according to Cather’s description. (Cather 195). With a red carnation in his overcoat, this setting establishes a focus on the resentment Paul feels towards the formal establishment of school. He lies to the faculty and does not show sincere remorse for his inappropriate behavior in school. The foundation of the school and the notion of authority are considered revolting to Paul. According to Triolo’s literary review, “His teachers felt this afternoon that his whole attitude was symbolized by his shrug and his flippantly red carnation flower, and they fell upon him without mercy, his English teacher leading the pack” (Triolo 107). The teachers unpitying attitude towards Paul supports the setting chosen to express Paul’s feelings of rejection of school and authority. Later in the story, Paul depicts the school-room “as more than ever repulsive; the bare floors and naked walls; the prosy men who never wore frock coats, or violets in their button-holes…" (Cather 202). …show more content…
The fantasy for Paul is played out in his role as an usher at Carnegie Hall and in his experiences in New York at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The realism for Paul exists at his school, in his home and in his final act of suicide. Cather’s ability to place the reader into these different settings, both in the fantastical and in the real world, creates a dramatic visual flow. Her choice of settings and the vivid descriptions and language convey what Paul saw and how he felt. Within each setting, a different perception of the protagonist’s character is revealed. As was shown in the many examples cited, the story reveals an explicit connection between the settings and the revelation of the protagonist’s true narcissistic
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