Paul's Case by Willa Cather
Willa Cather was born near Winchester, Virginia in 1873. At age ten,
she moved with her family to Nebraska where most of her stories were set. In
1913, she began an extensive writing career which included many short
stories and several novels. In her stories, she depicted the lives of prairie
farmers on the great plains. She glorified them over the city dwellers.
The Work of Willa Cather
Inspiration is a passionate spark that influences people. It can arises from nature, people, and a personal experiences. Artists throughout history have found inspiration from within their own personal experiences, the people in their lives, and their surroundings. An artist can look into their past to inspire their art work. Whether an artist channels their inspiration though music, paintings, or writing they all have a goal in mind to show the world what sparked their inspiration.
Willa Cather Describes Erotics of Place in her Novel, A Lost Lady
To discover an erotics of place in Willa Cather's A Lost Lady, takes little preparation. One begins by simply allowing Sweet Water marsh to seep into one's consciousness through Cather's exquisite prose. Two paragraphs from the middle of the novel beckon us to follow Neil Herbert, now 20 years old, into the marsh that lies on the Forrester property. This passage, rich in pastoral beauty, embraces the heart of the novel-appearing not only at the novel's center point but enfolding ideas central to the novel's theme:
An impulse of affection and guardianship drew Niel up the poplar-bordered road in the early light [. .
... and her and her husband settled back down in the United States. Both pursued their writing careers and worked off and on until they finally decided to return to London once again.
Tina Chen’s critical essay provides information on how returning soldiers aren’t able to connect to society and the theme of alienation and displacement that O’Brien discussed in his stories. To explain, soldiers returning from war feel alienated because they cannot come to terms with what they saw and what they did in battle. Next, Chen discusses how O’Brien talks about soldiers reminiscing about home instead of focusing in the field and how, when something bad happens, it is because they weren’t focused on the field. Finally, when soldiers returned home they felt alienated from the country and
Greene, Bob. Homecoming: When the Soldiers Returned From Vietnam . N.p.: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1989.
The Conflict Between Conformity and Individuality in Willa Cather's Paul's Case
Willa Cather’s “Paul’s Case,” displays the conflict between conformity and individuality through the main character, Paul. On a number of occasions, Paul is forced to lie and steal to escape the conformists who wish to control him and stifle his unique imagination. However, his lying, stealing, and attempts to escape the conformists, only force Paul into isolation, depression, and feeling a sense of shame for his individuality. Throughout the story one might see Cather’s constant contrast of individuality versus conformity, as well as Paul’s lying and stealing. Cather seems to draw the conclusion that extreme individuals, much like Paul are simply misunderstood, and not offered the acceptance they desire from conformist society.
Willa Cather's Sexual Preference
A highly discussed subject about Willa Cather is whether or not she was a
lesbian. There are arguments for every side of the topic, but given the
amount of information we have, its clarity, and the vagueness of the
period itself, all of it can be used for every side.
One aspect that people questioning Cather's sexual preference concerns
gender identity greatly. This gender labeling system that everyone is
familiar with is very simple and logically sound, but not true to all
points of nature.
The author of this story, Ernest Hemingway, was indirectly involved in war efforts in WW1. He was an ambulance driver for the American Red Cross in Italy, and he was hurt during duty. Later, he was sent to the hospital, where he became attracted to his nurse. When he was well enough to go back home, he wanted to marry her, but she refused him. (Henningfield 259). This may have sent him into a downwards spiraling depression that lead him to feel similar to Harold Krebs, the main character of our story, who seems to be suffering after a war. Unfortunately for him, this abrupt breaking-off of relations may have harmed Hemingway mentally. (Henningfield 259). This harm likely manifested itself
All wise people will tell us that we must never let the sadness of our past and the fear of our future ruin the happiness of our present. However, what happens when this idea becomes an illusion restraining us from actually living in the present? What happens when the only condition to our happiness is that our present returns in the past? The book A long way home, written by Saroo Brierley and its film adaptation, Lion, directed by Garth Davis illustrates the fight of a young man who tries to appreciate his present by reconnecting with his past. Indeed, both literary and visual works present Saroo’s incredible, once thought impossible quest to find his biological family in the indian village he left 25 years ago. Through both narratives, it