Character Analysis of Paul's Case by Willa Cather

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The other characters in the story mainly helps show Paul’s opinion of the world. His father and teachers from the school is used to show the life that Paul rejects. Paul’s father especially highlights Paul’s resentment towards normal life and authority. The feeling that “he could not be accosted by his father to-night” (199) shows how Paul views his father and his family situation as a limitation of what he wants to do. Similarly, the teachers’ comparison of Paul to “a miserable street cat set at bay by a ring of tormentors” (196) shows how society makes no effort to understand Paul’s opinions. Furthermore, their response to Paul’s actions show how Paul isolates himself and is ostracized in return. The accumulation of Paul’s interaction with these characters provides a stark image of the distance that Paul has placed between himself and the world. Other characters, such as the German soloist and Charley Edwards give readers an insight on the depth of Paul’s obsession with the atmosphere of the stage and fame and provides a contrast to his opinion on reality. This contrast explains Paul’s later actions of escaping to New York, and why he foolishly decides to commit suicide instead of going back to his father.

In conclusion, the main character was transfixed by an ideal he created of what life should be and as a result made a rushed decision to end his life because he could not achieve this ideal. Paul’s traits of being elitist shows his obsession with fame and luxury; his rebelliousness shows his disconnection to society and rejection of normalcy; His manipulative nature shows how he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The supporting characters provide examples of how Paul puts a life of fame on a pedestal; they not only show how Paul rejects the world, but also how society rejects Paul as person. This treatment partially explains why Paul chose suicide at the end because he felt like there is no place he could fit in. Through “Paul’s Case”, Cather shows how when a person is fixated on the ideal life, they may lose sight of what is in front of them and make reckless decisions instead.

Word Count: 1490