Symbolism Of Paul's Case By Willa Cather

Flowers have many meanings behind them and have many uses, such as complimenting the dinner setting, or showing affection to that special someone. For example, the Carnation flower in general symbolizes love. However, this is not the case for Paul. In the short story “Paul’s Case”, Willa Cather uses symbolism of the carnation to contradict its true meaning through his teacher’s perspective, glass-cased flowers, and his eventual death. Paul’s red carnation is very striking to his teachers at the school he attends. As mentioned, the carnation, in a broad definition, symbolizes love. However, Paul does not have any love towards his school work or education. During Paul’s meeting with the school, the faculty notices the carnation and immediately thinks that it is not an accessory “befitting a boy under the ban of suspension” (Cather 74). An English teacher even attempts to help Paul by guiding his hand on the board, but Paul recedes his hand quickly not allowing the teacher to set a hand on him. This attitude continued on and is symbolized by “his shrug and his flippantly red carnation flower” (Cather 74). Even as Paul leaves the school he shows his respect by bowing. This

Paul leaves his town with the money that he pockets and takes a train to New York. Paul then takes a carriage up Fifth Street, and to his delight he sees “whole flower gardens blooming under glass cases, against the sides of which the snow-flakes stuck and melted: violets, roses, carnations, lilies of the valley, somehow vastly more lovely and alluring that they blossomed thus unnaturally in the snow” (Cather 81). As Paul returns however, the beauty of the carnation goes away as he is unable to see them due to the change in the snow storm. This shows that although Paul sees the carnation’s beauty and warm loving presence, he is unable to obtain it. It is as though he is separated from it’s