Paul's Case Willa Sibert Cather Analysis

“Paul’s Case,” a short story by Willa Sibert Cather, tells the story of a teenage boy named Paul. He was a boy unlike any other who would not give up on his dreams. Paul comes from a simple background, he lived with his father, attended high school, and worked a job. Although his life appears to be sufficient, Paul was not pleased. Paul wanted to live a lavish lifestyle. He found a job at Carnegie Hall as an usher, where he was exposed to this fancy lifestyle. Paul sees the audience wearing fine clothing only the rich can afford. This creates conflict because Paul wanted the lifestyle that the people attending the theater had, but he does not want to work for it. Paul had a part in creating issues for himself, ultimately causing him to take his life. From the start, the audience can already …show more content…
In his high school, teachers despised him for interrupting and misbehaving. His father holds a young man whom is his neighbor as a role model this is because it was “his father's dearest hope that he would pattern,” in hopes that Paul will take interest in the way the young man lives. All these factors contribute to Paul’s psychiatric mind; he feels out of place in his life. When Paul works in Carnegie Hall, he is allowed to express his mind in the way he wants to, no one will judge him for his artistic personality. He knew he had the ability to explore the lavish lifestyle he had always desired. Paul surrounds himself with people he admires, the rich, classy, elegant, and sophisticated individuals. Life outside of this “fantasty” lifestyle was “asleep and forgetting” for Paul, nothing else mattered to him the way an extravagant life did. Living an extravagant life meant he would be up to par with the wealthy, if he was not at their economic wealth he would see himself as being less than them. He found no joy his own life, he knew that the lavish lifestyle he desired was far from his reach, even if he had put in the