The Struggle In Paul's Case By Willa Cather

Paul’s Case is a peculiar story of socio-economic struggle and refusal to accept the conditions in which one is born to by Willa Cather. In Cather’s story we get to know our character, Paul, Paul is a very witty and sarcastic person who is disliked by his teachers and he dislikes his life as he feels the need for fine things. He ends up stealing money from the place he works at. He finally gets to experience the luxury he so desires but upon hearing his father is coming to get him hastily throws himself in front of a train, but upon flying through the air realizes how hastily he had reacted and thinks of all the things he’ll never get to see. The point of the story that Cather is trying to prove is that there is no easy way to success, and if one does try to it has consequences. We can see that this is

This is what Paul could have been had he not been the self-absorbed and foolish man he is. Paul disregards these tales of success for the pure reason of them not being him. He’s jealous of those who are successful. He decides to eventually take money from his place of employment to finally achieve his selfish dreams. He finally goes to New York and checks into his hotel where, even then, his is unsatisfied and requests flowers to be brought up into the room. As a final garnish to his exuberant ill-gotten rendezvous we get to see him go to the theatre, and this is where he has his epiphany that he’s running out of money, and for once we see him use common sense. The final scene is heavily symbolic as his suicide is a summary of who he is as a person. Paul wanted to do everything the easy way, and he couldn’t bare having to return to his father, and even worse, a life of mediocrity. Cather shows us once again that he makes hasty decision and he only realizes as he’s hurdling through the air, that he made the wrong