Paul's Case Materialism

After Paul had given his mother five thousand pounds for her birthday the echoes in the house grew. His mother’s expression did not change when she saw she had been given money. At this point, Paul realized he would forever be in debt to his mother and her nonexistent love for him. With each race he won, the echoes only continued to grow. Paul had created his own downfall because he fed into the house’s haunting words. He was easily manipulated into believing that having money was the only way to be happy. Paul’s mother viewed him as a burden and could not find a way to love him. As a result, he could not keep up with the lavish lifestyle and took his own life by surging madly to find more money. This short story indicates that adults heavily influence the thoughts and feelings children acquire at a young age.

In the beginning, when Paul has to present himself in front of a board of teachers for unsuspension, he wears a peculiar assortment of clothes: a “frayed and worn” (1) overcoat with a carnation in its buttonhole, paired with an opal pin on his tie. However, the author claims, “there was something of the dandy about him” (6). Paul dresses luxuriously in order to reflect the style of the upper class, or at least seem more unique than the people around him. The small details in his outfit (the carnation, opal pin, and velvet collar) imitate and seem reminiscent of his desire, but Paul cannot fully achieve the look he wants because he does not truly belong to the upper class. His attire portrays a weak imitation of the exclusive upper class that he wishes to be a part of. However, Paul hides his feelings of inferiority to the upper class with his lack of empathy, another symptom of narcissistic personality disorder, to the lower class. Paul himself, after questioned whether he should have made an inappropriate remark to a teacher, states that “I [don’t] mean to be polite, or impolite, either. I guess it’s sort of a way I have of saying things, regardless” (1). Paul’s lack of empathy becomes apparent in this scene because he does not consider the feelings of those around him. He refuses to accept the possible ramifications of his actions, indicating that he views himself above those whom he interacts with. Paul acts indifferently and treats the visit like a meaningless formality, which causes the teachers to lash out at him. Paul's apathetic demeanor towards people in the lower class highlights his narcissistic values.

“Paul’s Case,” a short story written by Willa Cather, is widely known and taught throughout English classes ranging from high school to college level. This is perhaps Cather’s most famous and reprinted short story, and for good reason. The main character, Paul, is constantly being developed through the story leaving the reader trying to keep up. There are also countless other aspects of “Paul’s Case” that call for attention. Two of the most significant aspects that the author uses are foreshadowing and symbolism. Throughout the text, Cather does a magnificent job of using the elements of foreshadowing and symbolism to allude to Paul deciding to commit suicide.

“When the weather was warm, and his father was in a particularly jovial frame of mind, the girls made lemonade, which was always brought out in a red glass pitcher, ornamented with forget-me-nots in blue enamel. This the girls thought very fine, and the neighbors always joked about the suspicious color of the pitcher.” (5). This quote shows how the neighbors and Paul’s sisters see him as compared to the family’s flowered pitcher. The pitcher is described as always the same and ornamented, like Paul with his strange attitude and well-dressed appearance. Also, Paul is seen in his sisters’ eyes as a fine person, while the neighbors see him as strange and unusual; something they can joke about. This gives the neighbor’s reason to suspicious and joke about not only the pitcher, but Paul too. This is not only how others perceived Paul’s life as, but also how Paul understood his own life to be: strange, but

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

Paul has very little interest in his class studies. Although Paul's appearance is that of a perfect gentleman, his teachers find his behavior inappropriate and unacceptable. They have no understanding of Paul's behavior and do not wish to learn. How others perceive Paul only encourages him to fulfill his dream of escaping his monotonous lifestyle. Paul is longing for

Paul’s defiance is a result of his love for his fantasies of the “high life”. He hates his life at home on Cordelia Street and he wishes to live the lives of performers; the life with money. In Elizabeth Hick’s criticism, she explains what “Paul’s case” exactly is. “His mannerisms at school, from his avoidance of being touched to his ‘dandy’ dressing

As Paul goes on leave and is able to visit his home and family, his books, his escape during childhood, he longs for the past. During Paul’s leave, one may see his true craving for his youthful years to reappear when Paul says, “speak to me… Life of my Youth… receive me again-” (172). Paul becomes more aware that war causes paralysis to run over his soft heart as he visits home. Paul avoids discussion with his family or lies and says, “No, Mother… it isn’t so bad” (161). The burden simple conversation brings Paul illustrates how he feels he needs emotional distance from these experiences.

As long as Paul could remember he had his giant glasses on and was told he couldn’t see without them. But even though Paul can see fine without them. Paul, unfortunately, deals with this on a day to day basis. We discover who Paul is and how significant events changed him. Paul also experiences switching schools. We see how Paul sees the world and his perspective on certain events.

In “Paul’s Case”, the theme is Many people live a superficial life focused on wealth and social position. An example of this from the story happens when Paul is in New York with the stolen money living the “high life” drinking, partying, and spending money. One night on this adventure of Paul’s he spends the day with a freshman at Yale he met. The two boys create a brief relationship and once the next day has come they part their ways and never see each other again (Cather 124-125). This brief relationship with the other boy reveal that Paul does not care about creating any meaningful relationships or even friendships with others, he is simply looking for a good time and anyone that can help him do that.

In Paul’s world, “the nature always wore the guise of ugliness, that a certain element of artificiality seemed to him necessary in beauty” many of his actions are triggered by this view on life. In fact this prospective is what provoked him to become so self-destructive and withdraw and chiefly determines the ending. As mentioned above, indulging in art was only one of his ways of escaping the reality, death is another option. Much before his suicidal act in New-York, he devotes a whole night picturing what it would be like if his father accidentally kills him as a bugler. More disturbingly, he also imagines what happens if one day his father regrets not killing him. Paul is constantly bugged by fear, but never the less , he considers death as an ideal solution to life. Even at the finest moment of his life, when he prepares to go to New-york, Paul still buys a pistol so that he is entirely ready to take away his miserable life at any moment.

Paul always felt distant with his father. He believed his father would not love or want him anymore if he really knew Paul. Some nights “He would tell his father that he had no carfare and it was

Few people, even in today's world, are truly open-minded to the differences of others. They decide at an early age what, they believe, is the right way to live. But what happens when a truly unique boy is brought up in an environment where he is forced to believe he only has one option in life? "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather is a short story beautifully illustrating a young boy fighting to hold on to his identity in a town where his dreams are looked down upon and criticized. His struggle is displayed through characterization, setting, and symbolism.

After reading Paul's Case by Willa Cather I was able to come to the conclusion that I believe that the main theme of this short story was self pity. I believe that this was the theme that Willa was trying to convey because it seemed that Paul was never happy with what he had. When it came to school he seemed like he couldn't care any less if the teachers and administration had allowed him to return to school.

Many times, we try to separate ourselves from the world around us; we distance ourselves from society that gives us life. What is worse, we are voluntarily subjected to the lonesomeness which precedes wallowing in our own self pity. "Paul's Case," in which the theme of the fatal progression of deliberate seclusion presents the major conflict, centers around a young man, in his alienation, suppressing his need for attention and satisfying himself through his own world established through his seclusion. The author, Willa Cather, renders this main theme by her insinuations of the character, by the point of view she chooses to illuminate Paul"'"s characteristics, and by key