Paul’s Case

Taking a deeper look into a story can help a reader see and understand a story better. By looking into a story, the little details stand out about the characters. The reader can understand so much better when reading between the lines. By reading between lines the reader can learn more about the characters in the story and understand them better. Also the setting in the story is more clear and easier to see. When taking a farther look into the story, the conflicts the character face make more sense. Every word an author puts in a story is important. So by knowing the symbols with in the story help the reader understand why it is there. In Willa Cather’s short story, Paul’s Case, allows readers to see the themes more clearly and through challenging consequences of the characters’ actions, the difficulty of reaching one’s dreams, and the hardships of facing depression. Basically, Cather writes about Paul’s, the main character, troubles within.

In a story, there is always at least one protagonist and at least one antagonist. In the short story, Paul’s Case, the protagonist is Paul. A troubled character not happy with the way he lives his life. On page two, Cather wrote, “He stood through smiling” the line shows the attitude that Paul has toward life. Also on page two Cather wrote, “his only sign of discomfort was the nervous trembling… and an occasional jerking of the other hand…” These two quotes from Cather’s “Paul’s Case,” shows him to be a round character because of how in the first quote he shows how nothing matters, not even getting all his teachers coming down hard on him, trying to get some kind of reaction out of him. But the second one shows him to be nervous. Cather writes, “Paul had started back with a shudder…...

... middle of paper ...

...: Thomson Gale, 1997. 192-209. Web. 28 Jan. 2010.

2. 'Paul's Case': A Narcissistic Personality Disorder, 301.81. Rob Saari.What Really Happens in Cather's 'Paul's Case?'. Michael N. Salda..

Studies in Short Fiction

Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Justin Karr. Vol. 50. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. p389.

3. Studies in Short Fiction

Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Justin Karr. Vol. 50. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. p113.

4. Cather: Overview. John Ditsky. Reference Guide to Short Fiction.

Ed. Noelle Watson. Detroit: St. James Press.

5. Cather's 'Paul's Case.'. Sherry Crabtree. Explicator

Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Justin Karr. Vol. 50. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. p206.

6. An overview of 'Paul's Case,'. Jennifer Hicks. Detroit: Gale, 200258.4 (Summer 2000): p206.29.1 (Winter 1992): p113.34.3 (Summer 1997): p389. Short Stories for Students.