The Character Paul

Paul's Case

The short story "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather is portraying a young boy escaping the true realities of life. Paul represents a character that is primarily concerned with himself, and symbolizes a depressed, arrogant, dreamer who wishes he was somebody else. The author uses different colors of language to create the protagonist Paul in "Paul's Case".

The character of Paul is a depressed boy who tries to escape the life that he is destined to live. Cather portrays the character as a young boy who is depressed with himself and his surroundings in his neighborhood, "He approached it tonight with the nerveless sense of defeat, the hopeless feeling of sinking back forever into ugliness and commonness that he had always had when he came home" (168, paragraph 2). Paul's character is disappointed by his way of living and wishes he had been someone else. The character is also in low spirits when he returns to school compared to the night at the concert hall. "Paul found the school-room more than ever repulsive; the bare floors and naked walls; the prosy men who never wore frock coats..." (171, paragraph 2). The character develops to be a boy lost in his own world not wanting to accept the reality of his life on Cordelia Street. Cather brings this out in full force when she writes, "It was the old depression exaggerated; all the world had become Cordelia Street." (176, paragraph 2,).

Arrogance is another character trait that was used by the author in a way, that makes you want to take the boy and put him over your knee and give him a good spanking. Cather describes the character's actions as a child with no fear of consequence for his actions. "Paul entered the faculty room suave and smiling" (164, paragraph 1). The character's cockiness represents a child who disrespects his elders as stated. "Once, when he had been making a synopsis of a paragraph at the blackboard, his English teacher had stepped to his side and attempted to guide his hand. Paul had started back with a shudder and thrust his hands violently behind him" (164, paragraph 2). Lastly, the introverted character is concerned only with himself and shows his disapproval of other people. The character expresses this in a snobbish way, disapproving of the job of his teachers. "In the itch to let his instructors know how heartily he despised them, ..." (171, paragraph 3).

Finally the character is a dreamer escaping reality, fantasizing about the luxuries and social life of the rich. "He reflected upon the mysterious dishes that were brought into the dining-room, the green bottles in buckets of ice, as he had seen them in the supper party pictures of