Willa Cather’s “Paul’s Case” is a short story about the struggles of a teenager named Paul. The focus of the short story is how Paul deals with being “normal”, and his longing to be among actors and singers. The story deals with themes such as obsession with money and fame, and narcissism and alienation. Michael Salda’s “What really happens in Cather's `Paul's Case'?” is a literary criticism of “Paul’s Case” that examines the ending of the story, and the ambiguity of the main character’s suicide. The literary analysis focuses on whether Paul kills himself, and if the most of the story is inside Paul’s head. Most readers would interpret a story such as “Paul’s Case” literally, but Salda decides to interpret the story in a more figurative way, …show more content…
“To put it another way, does Paul, sitting alone in the basement, imagine all that follows? When Paul drops ‘back into the immense design of things’ (121) at the end, is that the reader's clue that Paul never actually left it” (Salda 115). Throughout the story, Paul fantasizes about being among actors and singers, and he was known to lie to his other classmates about what he does with his life, so it isn’t unreasonable that the rest of the story is another fantasy or lie that Paul tells himself. Salda also notes that Paul never sees his father when he’s walking down the steps to the basement, and the story abruptly moves to the next paragraph (Salda 116). This abruptness in the story may hint at a shift in how the story is told, and it may be a clue that the rest of the story is in Paul’s …show more content…
“Yet there is the lingering sense that this is only a reverie. Everything seems a bit too perfect to be believed--and Paul, too, recognizes this” (Salda 117). The events that Paul experiences in New York is described in a dreamlike fashion like the scene earlier in the story where he describes the fancy hotel the singer walks into. I think it’s highly unlikely that his experience in New York would be exactly like his fantasies earlier in the story. Also, Paul was known to tell unbelievable stories about knowing actor’s and going to other countries to his classmates, so it isn’t unreasonable that the events in New York are another unbelievable
Jerra must let go of his musical life in the city, he has lost his dream. Jerra is a guitarist and a father, and now doing wood cutting to support his family. Life isn’t easy, especially for those with low income. ’Each day the young man left
Almost Famous tells the story of an uncommon adolescence, too unusual for audiences to relate to on a personal level, yet with a common resonance that speaks to millions. This effect can’t have been achieved on accident. Far from just a haphazard reminiscence, the screenplay succeeds by arranging its elements along the symbolism of our collective consciousness. Therefore, using the outline of “The Hero’s Journey” as the basis for analysis, we see how Almost Famous has also been wrought from the power of this infinite myth.
The structure of “Nikki-rosa” is distinctive yet strong. The lack of punctuation helps to tell the story; blunt thoughts about her childhood, a special moment for the author viewed as a negative by another. T...
Through O’Connor’s religious background, the audience must closely analyze the true message of her story through her symbolism. Her shocking and grotesque ending of the short story challenges individuals by questioning what is good and what is evil. O’Connor’s symbolism found in her setting and main characters truly embody her view of modern society. She uses these elements as a representation for the realistic paths individuals struggle to choose between: the path involved in sin concerning money, good looks, and pride or the path towards God concerning morals, values, and respect for humanity.
Brent, a suicidal killer, is on the journey of his life to pay tribute to the victim's family. In Whirligig by Paul Fleischman, Brent Bishop is an adolescent who has traveled and moved many times, even so much that he knows the way to “fit in” all down to the choice of which ear the earring is placed. But when a socially important party goes astray, he becomes a killer of teenage Lea Zimora of Chicago. He is faced with multiple consequences when he accepts a journey to pay tribute to Lea and her family by making whirligigs and placing them at the four corners of the USA. Brent gains many new experiences and it opens his eyes up to multiple different things, however the reader is faced with a large, prominent question: How has the journey affected Brent’s past, present, and future life? Because of Brent’s suicidal actions, he has been faced with positive consequences, negative consequences, and consequences that severely change his life forever.
In many short stories, characters face binding situations in their lives that make them realize more about themselves when they finally overcome such factors. These lively binding factors can result based on the instructions imposed by culture, custom, or society. They are able to over come these situations be realizing a greater potential for themselves outside of the normality of their lives. Characters find such realizations through certain hardships such as tragedy and insanity.
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. DiYanni Robert. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1986. 38-41. Print.
The author skillfully uses literary techniques to convey his purpose of giving life to a man on an extraordinary path that led to his eventual demise and truthfully telling the somber story of Christopher McCandless. Krakauer enhances the story by using irony to establish Chris’s unique personality. The author also uses Characterization the give details about Chris’s lifestyle and his choices that affect his journey. Another literary element Krakauer uses is theme. The many themes in the story attract a diverse audience. Krakauer’s telling is world famous for being the truest, and most heart-felt account of Christopher McCandless’s life. The use of literary techniques including irony, characterization and theme help convey the authors purpose and enhance Into The Wild.
In one story, “Night Women”, Danticat delineates the life of a prostitute in Haiti. Danticat explains that the woman has a son that she works to provide for. The woman doesn’t want her son to understand that she is a “night woman”. He remains oblivious and sleeps peacefully while she works. The mother describes, “He is like a butterfly fluttering on a rock that stands out naked in the middle of a stream. Sometimes I see in the folds of his eyes a longing for something that’s bigger than myself” (73). The son, like a butterfly, is the beautiful hope found in the mother’s shame and oppression that result from prostitution. She hopes for a safer, more respectable life for her son. By nourishing the future generation she hopes for freedom from the degrading society she knows. Moreover, in the stories following, Danticat continues the idea of hope for the future generations. In the epilogue, Danticat connects the stories by portraying hope through flight and writing. She explains the importance of writing, that it passes the hope for freedom from the past generations to the future. Writing is essential to maintain hope. She reflects, “You thought that if you didn’t tell the stories, the sky would fall on your head” (195). The sky represents freedom, infinite opportunities, and hope. The feeling of the sky falling resembles the
Far more examples exist in the book of music becoming someone’s saving grace. For instance, the barmaid that the narrator a...
Paul's Case by Willa Cather shows the world through the eyes of Paul, a boy's who's naive view of a good life leads to a tragic fate. Throughout the story, the reader is shown the life of Paul a snobby kid who believes he is above everyone else. Readers are shown his views of life and given quite a bit of information about Paul's character. By giving details about Pauls character through his thoughts, actions, words, and others' thoughts about him, readers are able to have an in depth view of his character and understand why he ultimately decides to take his own life.
In ‘Paul’s Case’ Paul has created a fantasy world in which he becomes entranced, even to the point of lying to classmates about the tales of grandeur and close friendships that he had made with the members of the stock company. This fantasy falls apart around him as “the principle went to Paul’s father, and Paul was taken out of school and put to work. The manager at Carnegie Hall was told to get another usher in his stead; the doorkeeper at the theater was warned not to admit him to the house” (Cather 8). The fantasy fell apart further when the stories he had told his classmates reached the ears of the women of the stock company, who unlike their lavish descriptions from Paul were actually hardworking women supporting their families. Unable to cope with the reality of working for Denny & Carson, he stole the money he was supposed to deposit in the bank to live the life of luxury in New York. Only a person who felt backed into a corner would attempt something so unsound. After his eight days in paradise, he is again backed into a corner by the reality of his middle class upbringing, and the dwindling time he has before his father reaches New York to find him. The final way out for Paul is his suicide, for which an explanation would be “In the end, he fails to find his security, for it was his grandiose “picture making mechanism” that made his life so deardful.” (Saari). With all the securities of his fantasy life finally gone, his mental instability fully comes to light as he jumps in front of the train to end his
In "Paul's Case," Willa Cather manages to apply the emotions, feelings, troubles, and thoughts of modern society, allowing the reader to relate to the story. By incorporating the same heavy burdens that bother and aggravate people in their daily lives, Willa explores the pain and treatment unwanted people experience. Obviously, nobody wants to feel rejection or alienation from the world, but instead they desire to encounter acceptance and agreement with the world's standards. In the story, the main character, Paul goes through excruciating transformations and lengths to try and impress the people around him. Attempting to belong in a superficial society, Paul loses a part of his identity without acknowledging it and therefore he strays from his own personality. Blinding himself from reality, Paul succumbs to the materialistic requirements of society, which contributes largely to his peculiar behavior.
In "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather, a young man named Paul is unhappy with his home and school life. He is happiest when he is at Carnegie Hall, where he works as an usher. When he is not physically at Carnegie Hall, his thoughts remain there causing his school work to suffer. When his father finds out about his problems in school he has Paul banned from Carnegie Hall, taken out of school, and put to work. One day, while on his way to make the company's deposit, Paul decides to take some of the money and go to New York to experience the life he feels he was destined for. Unable to cope with the punishment for taking the money he commits suicide. The central idea in this story is that it takes patience and perseverance to accomplish your dreams, and you should not give up on them.
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Eds. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 3rd ed. New York: Pearson, 2010. 261-263. Print.