An In-depth Analysis of Willa Cather's Paul's Case

This essay provides an analysis of Willa Cather's short story, 'Paul's Case.' The essay explores the character of Paul, a protagonist struggling with societal pressures and alienation. The analysis delves into Paul's personality, his fascination with wealth, and his internal conflicts, including his likely homosexuality, which was forbidden in the early 20th century. The essay examines how societal values, such as the emphasis on wealth and the suppression of homosexuality, contribute to Paul's isolation and ultimately, his suicide. It highlights the protagonist's self-destructive nature, the darkness that surrounds him, and how these factors, coupled with the societal environment, lead to his tragic fate. The essay concludes by emphasizing the detrimental impact of societal values on individuals, particularly those who do not conform.

Running head: PAUL CASE- WILL CATHER
PAUL CASE- WILL CATHER
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1PAUL’S CASE- WILL CATHER
Paul’s case is considered to be a short story that is written by Willa Cather. The short
story was first published in the McClure's Magazine in the year 1905 under the heading of
“Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament” however, the heading was later limited. As the name
suggests, the story revolves around the character of Paul. He is considered the protagonist of the
story. Though the protagonist commits suicide by himself, it can be said that the values of the
society forced him to do so.
The protagonist of the story who is Paul is being described in the story with great detail
in the physical and behavioral attitude; he is very different from the others in terms of his
appearance. He is being described in the story as thin and small with glassy and bright eyes.
Though the protagonist of the story is being described as the per formative, defiant and playful,
personally the character is very much depressed (1). He tends to feel very much isolated from
everybody in the school and even in the presence of his father and his sister. Through the
generous utilization of the innuendo, it becomes very much clear that the character Paul is
homosexual- an identity that was very much dangerous and even forbidden in the time of the
twentieth century. Staying in the middle to repress the sexuality as well as express his
alteration’s, the protagonist tends to deal with alienation in a various number of ways like
through the invention of the fairy tale worlds of art and even though the physical pleasure (2)
The narrator of the story tends to describe the aggressive mood of Paul, his disobedient boldness
towards the authority figures and even his fast behaviour and decisions indicating that what tends
to be very harsh at the beginning of the story might stem from deeper issues of the society. Apart
from being highly influenced by art, Paul also has a great obsession with money. He wants to be
rich and believes that a huge amount of wealth is his destiny. It is total because of his egoism

2PAUL’S CASE- WILL CATHER
and even distraction, Paul tends to lie consistently. However, the self-destructive nature of Paul
tends to intensify throughout the story. In the beginning, he wants to escape from life by getting
involved in art. He even thinks what will happen if his father gets disgusted on him and kills him
instead. At the very end of the story, we get to understand that Paul is bringing a gun on arriving
in New York. Many times in the story, it has been indicated that darkness tends to dominate and
surround him. The darkness tends to be in the form of a fear that lies in him from the very
beginning of his childhood. In the end, Paul commits suicide not cause if a single event or trait of
the character but because of all the reasons for unhappiness, alienation and loneliness. Therefore,
it can be clearly stated that the values that society tends to internalize are one of the main reason
for the predicament of the protagonist.
If an individual tends to live in a society which gives value to the wealth and the
luxurious life and creates an atmosphere where homosexuality is forbidden, an individual like the
protagonist Paul in the Paul case tends to rush towards wealth staying aloof and later commits
suicide. Thus, in conclusion it can be said that the values of the society forced Paul to stay
isolated and even commit suicide.

3PAUL’S CASE- WILL CATHER
References
(1) Ku CH. A Boy Under the Ban of Suspension": Renouncing Maturity in Willa Cather's"
Paul's Case. MFS Modern Fiction Studies. 2015;61(1):69-89.
(2) Rockwell J. Paul's Case.