The Central Message Of Paul's Case By Willa Cather

Willa Cather’s short story, “Paul’s Case” is about a seventeen-year-old young man, Paul, who is crazy about art, music and beauty, also dreams the fancy and luxurious life in high class. The story starts with a meeting between Paul and teachers—Paul has been suspended from his high school for one week. Paul has no interests in school at all and he loathes his real life on Cordelia Street with commonness and monotony. His only happies is working at Carnegie Hall and surrounding himself with art and the rich, as a way to escape reality.
The central message of “Paul’s Case” is the dangers of materialism and misunderstanding money. On the one hand, the story is set in America during the Industrial Revolution, which is a period that economy and industry grows

dramatically.

People are only focused on money—Paul and his father are no exception—and middle class is created during that time. As a great number of labours are needed in factory, many children quit school and are sent to work; although there are some people, like Paul’s father, who want their children to go to school, the only reason is they believe that educated people can find a better job easier and can make more money. Willa Cather shows reader a world that is overly materialistic and reveals the greed and vanity in human nature. Under the circumstances, Paul is driven to his tragic fate by the distorted and destructive values of American. On the other hand, Paul obsesses on money, but he has misunderstanding the relationship between work and money. Paul’s father discusses with a young clerk who has become famous on Sunday on the steps, as they point out there are young people, like Paul, who start work as cash-boys and become rich gradually though hard work. However, Paul has “no mind for the cash-boys stage” (page201); while he desires success and high class life, he is not willing to work hard to gain what he deserves. “He felt no necessity to do any of these

things; what he wanted was to…float on the wave...” (page203) Since Paul’s misunderstanding of money and longing of wealth, it is no surprise when Paul steals money to get to New York City where he considers his destined home. Paul’s fantasy becomes true temporarily; however all illusion will come to the end one day. When his theft is discovered, he commits suicide by throwing himself in front of a train which is the representative of Industrial Revolution. Paul was killed by materialism and the desire to obtain money without working for it. Additionally, the conflicting values and contrast between the lives of people in different classes is present in “Paul’s Case”. The most remarkable example is when Paul trails the soprano to her hotel, he images vividly that he goes into the luxurious hotel followed her, “... into the warm, lighted building, into an exotic, a tropical world of shiny...” (page198); nevertheless, Paul is actually standing outside in the cold and raining driveway. Any dreams beyond reality are illusion. Paul’s obsession with money and failure of making money in proper way leads to his ruin.
In conclusion, by creating the painful and sympathetic character, Paul, Willa Cather lets her reader to understand the danger of materialism and misunderstanding the relationship between money and work.