Analysis Of Paul's Case By Willa Cather

There are few things in this world that are satisfactory to people mentally. These ideals create new beliefs and perspectives on life. Some of these changes can make a person want to change their surroundings to fit their ideal way of life. This intern makes them restless and unhappy with the way their life is. On the other hand these ideals can affirm the way of life or view on life is perfect in their own eyes. With each new idea more perspectives are made, while some may be positive others may be negative. Within the short story “ Paul’s Case” Willa Cather encapsulates that ideals can make people act irrationally and foolish. At times people become so consumed by their ideals that they destroy their relationships, surroundings, and belief.

The world that Paul lives in is one of mundane and simple but with still excitement. This life that Paul lives in is a nightmare to him with a constant suffocation of dullness of his life. The rejection of the middle class is not only to the environment it is also to the people. The disgust that Paul has as he finds his English teacher a seat, “Paul was startled for a moment, and had the feeling of wanting to put her out; what business had she here among all those fine people and gay colors” (173). This annoyance eats at Paul most of the night until he listens to a pianist that he is calm again. As Paul leaves the show he watches all the first class people being to leave and he imagines that he is with them. The disgust that Paul harbors leads to his home street of Cordelia. This street of suffocation that holds Paul to the world of the mundane. The constant loathing of the street hit Paul every time he came up the street “ Paul never went up Cordelia street without a shudder of loathing (175). This hate for the street always consumed Paul to the point of corrupting his personality to be dishonest and negative. The street in general was picture perfect with few flaws. The mundane street is the complete opposite of what Paul dreams for, but for the father of Paul there is a single man in the neighborhood that he wishes Paul would look up to. The young man was average

He lies to his father, his teachers, and his friends also to steal to allow his ideal to come true. His desire for an extravagant life causes him to despise and reject the middle class life. He disrespects his teachers, and hate everything about Cordelia street. Because of theses emotions he attempts to escapes his reality.while still in Pittsburgh, Paul takes refuge at Carnegie hall and the stock company. When that is not enough he runs away to new York. Finally Paul faces a return to Cordelia street; instead of going home he ends his own life. Though not all ideals lead to horrible outcome, it all depends how much the person lets the ideal define them. The ideals to help people, or to boost someone are helpful but it all takes the people around them and how they react to the ideals of others and