Paul Case

It is a widely known idea that times change and people change. After major world events, there are often changes in the world's popular culture. After the Great War, writers began a new style of literature that came to be known as modernism. Modernism deals with conflicts between social classes, eclecticism for the past and the finer things in life, and the further advancement of society. All of these aspects of modernism are present in the short story "Paul's Case," by Willa Cather, and they all affect the evolution of the plot. These things drive the main character, Paul crazy and lead him to do a lot of wildly extravagant things in this story.

There have always been and will always be conflicts between social classes, and this story is no different. People always want more than they have and they envy the people who have it. Paul is a troubled boy from Pittsburgh who embodies this idea. His teachers think he is a delinquent, and his classmates do not interact with him, but Paul does not really seem to care. These people and their opinions matter very little to him. He feels he was born for something more than these stupid people and their opinions. He hates his life at home on Cordelia Street and at school, with his only place of refuge being at his job at the theater. His attitude at work is completely opposite to his normal life, "very much as though this were a great reception and Paul were the host"(Cather 314). Working as an usher at the symphony surrounds him with the beauty of the upper class that he belongs in. He feels that he belongs with these people so strongly that he steals money from his job at the "firm of Denny and Carson." When given the weekly payroll to deposit, Paul steals it and takes off for New York City, a place where the rich can live beautiful lives of luxury and ease. He has dreamt of coming to New York City for so long that when he finally reaches New York, everything he sees is just as he has imagined and studied for so much of his life. Paul uses the stolen money to live this life for a short time, about a week. During his time in paradise, he gets himself a room in the lavish Waldorf Astoria Hotel, buys himself beautiful new clothes to go out in, flowers, and nights out on the town. He is purely happy because he is now exactly where he feels he should be. He is hanging out with rich people, staying at the best hotel, eating at the best restaurants, and basically just surrounding himself with all the things that have set his imagination on fire for much of his mature life. He refuses to go back to life he so despises which leads him to the actions he takes in the final paragraph of the story.

The past plays a large part in Paul's mentality in this story. When he is in Pittsburgh in the beginning of the story, any thoughts of his home and family are filled with bitterness and anxiety. The thought of leaving the theater to retire in his "ugly sleeping chamber" (Cather 316) is so appalling to him that he considers simply not going home and staying in the rain for the night before he faces his father's inquisitions. He even contemplates a scenario where his father nearly shoots him and later wishes that he hadn't held himself back. Paul definitely has a very vivid imagination that truly takes a hold of him at times. At school, Paul hates his teachers and classmates, but even more, he hates the fact that he has to learn all the "trivial" things that will have no effect on his life in the future. He feels school has