Analysis Of Paul's Case Willa Cather

593 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Paul's case by willa cather summary

Courtney Duban
English 202
4/27/14
“Paul’s Case” By Willa Cather

In the short story, “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather”, a young male named Paul, has his own life of dreams but consequences that later come with it. Paul is obsessed with money, thinking that money is the only thing in life that makes life better. Paul is later tangled up in the” high class” life and ends up making his way through by stealing money. He then runs away to New York to experience his life dreams until he ends up taking his own life.
In the beginning of the story, the story tells us how Paul is seen and how awkward Paul is from others. “Paul was tall for his age and very thin, with high, cramped, shoulders and a narrow chest. His eyes were remarkable for a certain hysterical brilliancy and he continually used them in a conscious, theatrical sort of way, peculiarly offensive in a boy” (111). Paul’s dad ends up calling the school to tell them that there is something wrong with his son “…and confessed his perplexity about his son” (111), which le...

Show More
Related

  • Comparing Barn Burning and Paul's Case

    630 Words  | 2 Pages

    In comparison, Paul and his father also have conflicts and Paul too seems to be afraid of his own father. He decides that he would much rather spend the night in the cellar of his house than go inside and face his father. Paul does not feel as much at home when he is at his father's house as he does at Carnegie Hall where he works as an usher and spends most of his time. Paul's teachers and his father believe his working at the theater affects his schooling. As a result, Paul's father takes him out of school and forces him to work for a company referred to only as the firm of Denny and Carson as an office boy.

    Read More

  • Overview: Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    Every encounter Paul has with someone he creates a new identity to bond and connect with them. Throughout the play Paul creates multiple personas for himself, he realizes that he is an empty vessel with no past and only memories of what he has done during his different personas. Paul loses control over his multiple personas which cause them to overlap with each other. Which causes him to feel lost and in search of help, when Ousia offers this help he gladly takes it which end up putting him in prison and never to be seen in New York.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Paul's Case by Willa Cather

    1076 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Paul’s true reality he has a lack of interest in school. His disinterest in school stems from the alienation and isolation he has in life. This disinterest in school reflects Paul’s alienation because of the unusual attention he receives there that he doesn’t get at home. In class one day he was at the chalkboard and “his English teacher had stepped to his side and attempted to guide his hand” (Cather 1). Paul, at the moment of being touched, stepped backwards suddenly and put his hands behind his back. In other classes he looks out the window during lectures and pays little attention to his teacher’s lessons. Paul, growing up without a mother figure in his life, is unaccustomed to any affection or care from his teachers that mothers tend to give. Therefore, his alienation is portrayed in his attitude toward school, and the fore...

    Read More

  • Pursuit of the American Dream in Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman

    1321 Words  | 3 Pages

    While everyone has a different interpretation of the "American Dream," some people use it as an excuse to justify their own greed and selfish desires. Two respected works of modern American literature, The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman, give us insight into how the individual interpretation and pursuit of the "American Dream" can produce tragic results. Jay Gatsby, from F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, built his "American Dream" upon the belief that wealth would win him acceptance. In pursuit of his dream, Gatsby spent his life trying to gain wealth and the refinement he assumes it entails. Jay Gatsby, lacking true refinement, reflects the adolescent image of the wealthy, and "[springs] from his Platonic conception of himself" (Fitzgerald 104).

    Read More

  • Irony and Symbolism in Willa Cather's Paul's Case

    1774 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Paul's Case," by Willa Cather, is a story that deals with a young boy who does not feel that he lives a life befitting of him. Upon a close reading, it is evident that "Paul's Case" is ruled by irony and symbolism, which are apparent in the story through the words of the narrator. The irony woven throughout the text builds up to an epiphonic moment, a main paradox in the story, which reveals to the reader Paul's true nature.

    Read More

  • Cruise Control Terry Trueman Character Analysis

    580 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pauls past relationship with his dad has been rough because of his dad leaving shawn. Paul feels as though his dad left the family so he didn't have to worry about shawn and their family problems. During the time his dad was gone paul has been angry that shawn hasn't been getting the fatherly support he needs to feel normal. “My dad couldn't stay with us and help us take care of my brother--no, he left me to handle all that so he could jet around and make a bunch of money whining about his tragic plight”(4). Paul realizes that if his dad really cared about their family situation he wouldn't have left the family in the position he was in.

    Read More

  • Edward Bloor Tangerine Analysis

    758 Words  | 2 Pages

    For all of Paul’s life, he has been bullied by his brother Erik and hasn’t told anyone because he feared him. On page 263 and 264 of the book, Paul had a flashback “I remembered Erik’s fingers prying my eyelids open while Vincent Castor sprayed white paint into them.”. This illustrates

    Read More

  • Character Analysis Of Paul In Tangerine

    606 Words  | 2 Pages

    As previously stated, in the beginning of the book, Paul was super quiet, shy, and lonely. In fact, his only friend was his mom. Paul never tried to change anything, and never made his voice heard. He had terrible self esteem - mainly because he felt it was his fault he was blind, and had to

    Read More

  • Unable to Permanently Escape Reality in Paul´s Case by Willa Carter and Araby by James Joyce

    955 Words  | 2 Pages

    Paul in “Paul’s Case” wanted to get away from the reality and the hostile environment he faced. He was sick of Pittsburgh and the middle-class, Cordelia Street, which he lived on. Although his mother past away, his home life was as normal as could be. This is something Paul hated, normality. At school he would tell other students false stories to try to make his life seem more interesting than theirs. This ultimately caused none of the other students like him, even the teachers lash out at him. Paul was suspended from school, but he didn’t mind. He found an interest in music and in art, although he knew his father would not approve. Paul’s father wanted him to be a business man, have a normal family and have an ordinary life. Although, having a normal, ordinary life was not what Paul had in mind for his future. He dreamt of much more which caused him to believe he would never get his father’s approval.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Wolf Of Wall Street And The Great Gatsby

    1564 Words  | 4 Pages

    For some, simply having infinite wealth and popularity is enough for them to be happy. For others, they need something that money can’t buy. Two books that express these qualities are: The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Both of these books describe the life of a wealthy man but each of them have different ideas of the American dream. Examples from these books will show how the American dream differs from person to person.

    Read More

  • Paul's Character in Paul's Case

    615 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the beginning of the story, Paul seems to be a typical teenage boy: in trouble for causing problems in the classroom. As the story progresses, the reader can infer that Paul is rather withdrawn. He would rather live in his fantasy world than face reality. Paul dreaded returning home after the Carnegie Hall performances. He loathed his "ugly sleeping chamber with the yellow walls," but most of all, he feared his father. This is the first sign that he has a troubled homelife. Next, the reader learns that Paul has no mother, and that his father holds a neighbor boy up to Paul as "a model" . The lack of affection that Paul received at home caused him to look elsewhere for the attention that he craved.

    Read More

  • The Setting of Paul's Case

    1097 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Paul’s Case." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Kathleen Wilson. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 192-209. Short Stories for Students. Gale. Web. 21 Jan. 2010.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of Paul's Case by Willa Cather

    296 Words  | 1 Pages

    Paul's father is a single parent trying to raise his children in a respectable neighborhood. He is a hard worker and trying to set a good example for his son. His father puts pressure on Paul by constantly referring to a neighbor, whom he feels is a perfect model for his son to follow.

    Read More

  • Misery by Stephen King

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    Paul is rescued from the car wreck by a woman named Annie Wilkes, an experienced nurse who lives nearby. As Paul waves in and out of consciousness, he hears a voice telling him that she's his "number one fan". Annie takes him not to a hospital, but to her home, putting him in a spare bedroom. As Paul regains consciousness, he lies there completely helpless, being unable to move anything from his waist down. She feeds and bathes him and splints his broken legs, giving him

    Read More

  • The Rocking Horse Winner: Examining Relationships

    520 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first indication the relationship between Paul and his mother is not one that is ideal is when we are first introduced to the mother. She reveals she feels her children, "had been thrust upon her, and she could not love them," whenever her children were present, "she always felt

    Read More

More about Analysis Of Paul's Case Willa Cather

Open Document