Paul's Case By Willa Cather Summary

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The term American Dream is certainly not one that should be included in the dictionary (although it is). The term should not have a definition; it is simply the ideal lifestyle of a specific person living in America. Sure, back in the day many peoples’ “American Dreams” may have been similar to each other––but definitely not now in 2016. Now 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 …show more content…
He seems extremely dissatisfied with the conditions with his home and he hates “his ugly sleeping chamber, the old bathroom with the grimy zinc tub, the cracked mirror...:” (202). Not only does the author tell us how unhappy Paul is when in his neighborhood, but we can see it though his actions. Paul acts out in school, and as a result he has issues with his teachers, and has even been suspended from the school building. From this, we get the idea that Paul is a difficult kid, who maybe even has trouble being in social situations, however this is not the case. Later on, we learn that Paul is employed at Carnegie Hall in Pittsburgh, and is “a model usher” (200). Working there was “Paul’s fairy tale, and it had for him all the allurement of a secret love” (204). This difference in Paul’s nature between school and work must come from a sense of comfort and peace that he feels in the theater, that he doesn’t feel at home with his dad, or in his school. The judgemental, competitive environment at school gives Paul a feeling of envy, while the world of art and music gives him endless
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