In Paul’s Case, a short story by Willa Cather, she shares the story of Paul. Paul is introduced as a boy who in the beginning is a suave young man, but we slowly come to realize that he is, in fact, flawed. Paul is a boy who’s struggles to separate himself from his every day, common life. As a young boy, Paul is taken with the opulence of the theater. He admires everything from the lights and wardrobe to the colors, perfumes, flowers and the champagne. He realizes that it isn’t possible to have all these things, so he throughs away his life. Paul’s character shows us that because he focuses on what he didn’t have, he couldn’t live at all.As we take a closer look at Paul’s character, we will see that he is driven to have these feelings by his misunderstanding of money his overpowering love of art and the alienation of his sexual orientation. …show more content…
He believes that money will solve all his problems which, eventually leads to disappointment in his life. He is constantly concerned with the fact that there are people who have very little money and those who have a lot. The two provide humiliation and power, respectively. He is convinced that money is the solution to the problems he has with his life. Although Paul wants money, he has no understanding of the relationship between money and work. He is only fascinated by the show of the wealthy and their adventures, but he does not consider the work they have put in to go from the ‘cash boy stage’ of their lives to the wealthy persons they have because he wants the wealth without the
Paul’s character relates to the central idea because he is an example of a person who was not accepted by others and fell down on a dark path of no
In the end, that was the choice you made, and it doesn't matter how hard it was to make it. It matters that you do." (Cassandra Clare) In the novel Tangerine by Edward Bloor, Paul's parents make many decisions that affected Paul's life. From moving to Tangerine, being inattentive towards Paul, and having secrets kept from him, you could tell Paul Fisher has a pretty crazy life.
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.
Analysis of Paul's Case by Willa Cather. Willa Cather’s “Paul’s Case” is a story about a young 16 year-old man, Paul, who is motherless and alienated. Paul’s lack of maternal care has led to his alienation. He searches for the aesthetics in life that he doesn’t get from his yellow wallpaper in his house and his detached, overpowering father figure in his life. Paul doesn’t have any interests in school and his only happiness is in working at Carnegie Hall and dreams of one day living the luxurious life in New York City.
In "Paul's Case," the story revolves around a young male. He is the main character. There are very few mentions of women, however, when they do come into the story they are only mentioned briefly, or they play minor, secondary characters. Paul's mother and sisters are spoken about once during the entire story, while there are four references to his father. The females in his family are mentioned only in passing and remain flat characters, while his father is referred to several times, each time involving an action or comment which exhibits an aspect of his father's personality which makes him a more rounded character.
As a child Paul and Norman were very much the same, for they both seeked love from their father but, growing up Paul strayed from his fathers teaching. We see that in fly fishing; Paul leaves the four tempo technique, and creates a technique called shadow casting. Paul seeks attention, for example when he danced with the Native American girl all eyes were on them due to the provocative dancing or Native American. Paul loves being in the center of attention whenever; he came home he would often tell stories with both parents giving him full attention. Paul’s character was very boisterous and quick-tempered. Paul tended to start fights and cause a scene. Paul is not reserved, and he will quickly tell you how he feels. Paul is a very independent person, and he does not like to receive help; for example after the gambling scene Paul tries to dissuade Norman away from helping him. Paul is not one to follow other people’s example, but rather sets examples like fly fishing. Paul has an alcohol and gambling problem, and he knows, but he refuses help due to his pride. Paul was equally loved as a child, but he craved for attention as an adult because he did not know what to do with the love that was given to him. In the movie Paul started to really act out when Norman came home, and perhaps this was because he felt as if he was in Norman’s shadow. Norman was called the “professor” in the family because he went to college, but Paul never left Montana, and he could never achieve what Norman achieved perhaps that is why he acted so immaturely to receive
Paul’s depression and suicidal thoughts continue to course his mind. He imagines scenarios where his father mistakes him for an intruder and shoots him dead, and another where his father did not kill him, but later wishes that he had. Paul continues on his path and eventually steals money to fuel a lavish adventure in New York City. Paul hates being part of the middle class and would rather be wealthy. He believes that if he were to have money, it would make his life easier and he would actually have some importance. He places too much blame on uncontrollable circumstances and not enough on himself and how he could change his life. He is so self-absorbed that he never considers the consequences of his actions on others, such as his father who paid back the money he stole and goes to New York to search for his son. Even when he dies to ultimately end his life, he does not consider how his family will mourn, but instead of all the places he will never have a chance to
"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.
Willa Cather’s “Paul’s Case” tells a timeless tale of troubled youth filled with feelings of spite towards society and feelings of alienation and depression. Throughout the story, Paul’s artistic tendencies are constantly suppressed by his father and other characters, and his hate for society and dissatisfaction with his lifestyle lead him to commit the crime that makes his dreams immediately possible. Cather portrays her opinions of the money and its effect on the actions of people using Paul’s theft and lavish lifestyle, and symbolizes many of society’s flaws using the various characters and their actions throughout the story. While many think that Willa Cather’s
Paul has an addiction to alcohol that has greatly devastated his life, but he also has a problem with gambling. Paul’s gambling started shortly after his alcoholism and his problems are all related. This is demonstrated when Norman states “… tell my mother and father that my brother had been beaten by the butt of a revolver and his body dumped in an alley” (Maclean 102). His addiction caused a cycle of problems, starting with his alcohol addiction, which led to gambling and from there stemmed money problems. Ultimately his alcoholism left him dead in an alley with his family wondering how it all happened, because he was not connected to them. His life was literally destroyed because of a few thoughtless decisions he made while intoxicated. All of his life problems and experiences are connected by one thing: his need to get a short rush of happiness from alcohol. His past decisions all added up and ended up killing him, and if he would have made wiser decisions in the past he might be still
Despite all these, it is worth noting that, Paul is a typical adolescent who wants a life that is different from the one he was born in. The desire for a different life is part of an adolescent longing to have a better life. Many people believe that, to become the person they are destined to be, they need to change their environment. At one point in people’s life, there is a struggle where one denies the obvious, such as things which are vital for one to work, to achieve goals. Paul’s case is a case study; it is about a young troubled man who has genes that need excitement to benefit from changes that occur in the environment.
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.
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.
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.
According to D.H. Lawrence: a study of the short fiction Paul’s last words ““Mother did I ever tell you? I am lucky!” Are really a desperate, confused proclamation of his love” (4)? This demonstrates that even after all his mother has done he still loves her and cares about her. He sees more in his mother than her materialism, he knows that she still loves her family, even if she cannot control her need for more money. Unlike his mother Paul shows that he does not care about money by saying “oh, let her have it, then! We can get some more with the other,” (Lawrence 800). This proves how different both characters are and how not all people are materialistic even if they come from the same family. He is willing to give his mother all the money he has earned just to make her happy. This proves how important his mom is to him and how money is not important to him because he is willing to give up all the money he