Social Isolation Fantasies and Death Pauls Escape from a Hostile Society in Paul's Case by Willa Cather
The short story Paul's Case by Willa Cather details the life andeventual death of Paul, who is characterized as an individual who isisolated from his society, primarily because there is mutual dislikebetween Paul and the people around him. In the story, Paul is depicted asa day-dreaming boy who dislikes his real life and self, and resorts tofantasizing dreams that he only achieves when he is in another place, awayfrom the people whom he hate and feel isolated from. Social isolationismand fantasizing led to Paul's death, when he committed suicide, as a resultof his inability to cope with his society. This paper details the factorsthat became Paul's escape from his isolation in the society he livesin-that is, through isolation, fantasies, and death. One of the elements Cather used in the story to illustrate Paul'sescape from his society is her illustration of the boy's society, wherein
In the theater, Paul feelsdifferently; where he "lost himself as he had done before the Rico. Lastly, death becomes Paul's final resolution when he failed toreconcile his reality from his fantasies. Inthe end, he commits suicide, where he finally feels that for once, he trulybelongs to life and himself, and not society: "his limbs were gentlyrelaxed. It is in terms of this awareness, this capacityto learn, that she understands life and the characters in it" (Lyon,2003:89). the disturbing visions flashed into black, and Paul dropped backinto the immense design of things. " In this particular instance,Cather uses place as a phenomenological symbol, where the individualreconciles his isolation from the society and his need for belongingness. He felta sudden zest of life; the lights danced before his eyes and the concerthall blazed into unimaginable splendor.
Common topics in this essay:
Willa Cather,
According McDonald,
paul's escape,
,
adversarial relationship,
internal conflict,
story paul,
isolation society,
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