The Misunderstanding of Paul

The Misunderstanding of Paul

A young man, misunderstood, confused, and unhappy with his life is not too uncommon. Most individuals in this situation would evolve or conform to his or her surroundings. In Willa Cather’s, “Paul’s Case,� this is far from the truth. Paul despises living his life on Cordelia Street in Pittsburgh, PA so much that he lies and steals to get away. Sherry Crabtree, a critic of this story, emphasizes the use of symbolism in this story; she notes that flowers are used to show how Paul is isolated for his existing world. Consequently, the main idea of “Paul’s Case� is the struggle of a young man’s isolation; Paul’s actions show how he is disgusted with the way his life is going and will do anything to alter his lifestyle. Cather does an exceptional job using symbols to represent the way Paul is isolated.

At the begging of the story, Paul is said to be wearing a bright red carnation in his buttonhole. The author explains that Paul’s teachers fell that the carnation “was not properly significant of the contrite spirit befitting a boy under the ban of suspension�(Cather 177). Furthermore, this symbol is grossly misunderstood by his teachers and is viewed as “a vehicle of defiance.� (Crabtree 1). In reality, “Paul uses the red carnation as a visible symbol of his alienation form the world of Cordelia Street� (Crabtree 1). Crabtree continues to explain; the bright color of the flower is set off by Paul’s dry surroundings. All Paul wants is to be different from his known society and wearing this carnation is a nonchalant way of demonstrating his indifference.

The teachers represent the general society, a society of similar people with middle-class ideals and goals, as well as expectations that their students will aspire to these same goals. This society, however is hostel toward those who are different and unusual. His red carnation, as well as all his other mannerisms, belies this difference. Because of Paul’s behavior they conclude that there is “something wrong about the fellow�(Cather 178). They judge him mercilessly and so contribute to his isolation from his known society.

Cather uses other references to flowers in this story; all these references show Paul’s isolation in someway. In one behavior “Paul uses flowers as a means of connecting himself to the gleaming world he seeks� (Crabtree 1). Furthermore, Paul shakes “over his fingers a few drops of violet water�