Paul's Case: A Short Story About The Obsession With Money

Categories: Short Story

Paul’s Case was written by Willa Cather in 1905. This is a short story about Paul, the main character, is obsessed with money and living in the upper class. He would do anything to obtain his goal. He would go on in life to steal and lie.

Willa Cather was born in Back Creek Valley, Virginia, on December 7, 1873. In 1884, she and her family moved to Red Cloud. Red Cloud will be an inspiration to one of her most famous short stories.

The Red Cloud Opera house was built in 1885, and quickly became the center of attention. In this town young Willa Cather developed her love for the stage, for musical performance, and artistry of all sorts. Cather moved in 1890 to continue her education at the University of Nebraska to study science and medicine. Willa had a long childhood dream of becoming a physician. During one of her years of prep school, Cather wrote an English essay on Thomas Carlyle that her professor submitted to the newspaper for publication.

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After publishing her essay, she discovered she wanted to become a writer. She later becomes the editor of that newspaper. Her reviews earned her the name of a 'meat-ax critic'.While she was producing four columns per week, she was still a full-time student. This determined personality would suit her well for her first career in journalism, a career that would take her away from Nebraska. In June of 1896, one year after graduating from the University, Cather accepted a job as managing for a women's magazine in Pittsburgh.

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While she was turning out this magazine, she also wrote theater reviews for the Pittsburgh Leader and the Nebraska State Journal. Her intense interest in music, drama, and writing continued as she took in the Pittsburgh arts scene. Cather met a fellow theater lover, Isabelle McClung, who quickly became her closest friend. Between 1901 and 1906, Cather took a break from the newspaper business to teach English in local high schools. During this time, she published April Twilights (1903), a book of verse, and The Troll Garden (1905), a collection of short stories('Editor').

The 1920s was a decade of change, when many Americans owned cars, radios, and telephones. A substantial growth of industry occurred in North Carolina, especially in the areas of tobacco, textiles, and furniture. Women shortened their hair, flappers danced and wore short fancy dresses. The average lifespan in the United States was about fifty-four years, whereas today it’s about seventy-seven years. In 1920 the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed, forcing the Prohibition Era to begin. The amendment forbade the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcoholic beverages. Many people ignored the ban, however. In 1933 this was deceased and became the only Constitutional amendment to be repealed.

Musical styles were also changing in the 1920s. In 1922 Louis Armstrong started improvising and adding personal musical variations with his trumpet, playing in a style known as jazz(“1920s: A Decade of Change.”).

The main character of this story is Paul. He's deceptive and very suicidal. He doesn't fit in anywhere. Paul looks down on everyone and he doesn't appreciate the class that he is in. He tells everyone about his fake friendships with all the actors and musicians. ”He desires the beautiful things money can buy, but he disdains the monotonous, cold reality of work and everyday life”(Wilson). Paul is jealous of the wealthy and wants to be like them but he doesn't want to do the work for it. He despises the idea of this. He just wants the money and luxury handed to him on a silver platter. Paul goes to an opera show to watch all the singers. Before this he had bought an expensive suit to show off to everyone. 'He felt now that his surroundings explained him. Nobody questioned the purple; he only had to wear it passively. He had only to glance down at his attire to reassure himself that here it would be impossible for anyone to humiliate him'(Cather). This quote shows that Paul is very conscious of how he looks. He care about what everyone else thinks of him and how everyone sees him. In his head he is this great all knowing man but in reality he's all alone and he soon realizes this.

Paul develops into a deceitful thief. He begins to go down to the opera hall and watched this beautiful woman as she goes out. Paul went to the opera to see the beautiful singer come out and his feet got wet. Throughout the story, Paul realizes that he does not want to be with a woman but he doesn't want to be with a man either. He realizes that he doesn't like women but he semi knows what it is he wants. He actually wants to be alone in life with all the money he could possibly acquire. None of his classmates or family really care for him. “The end had to come sometime; his father in his night-clothes at the top of the stairs, explanations that did not explain, hastily improvised fictions that were forever tripping him up”(Wilson). This quote shows that he even lied to his father for no reason. Because it is late, Paul decides not to enter the house and face his father’s displeasure. Instead he climbs through a window into the basement, where he sits awake all night fearing rats. He imagines his father mistaking him for a burglar, imagines himself warning his father in time to avoid being shot, and wonders whether his father would ever regret that warning.

One of the main themes of Paul’s Case is The American Dream. This means that a 'perfectly respectable' middle-class neighborhood, believe in values of hard work, family and church”(Theme). Paul and his family believe you should work for everything and get what you want on your own. Everyone shares the same dream, to become rich and have everything they desire. Even all of Paul's neighbors and family friends all share the same vision. They all grew up having to work for what it was that they wanted. They believe that everyone else should do the same. Paul doesn't share these same visions so he looks for a way to get what he truly desires without having to do much work. Paul soon discovers a way he can do this.Paul eventually gets what he desires but it is taken away from him. He achieves what he wants for a little bit because of crime and all the lying he’s done. “In the lap of luxury, Paul realizes that this was what all the struggle was about and that money was everything”(“Theme”). After losing his wealth he discovers that all the work everyone does to earn this is truly worth it. He sees how much he needs the money to survive. This pushes him to lean towards suicide. He buys a gun when he first gets to New York he buys a gun.

The plot of the story is Paul goes off to New York to try and get wealthy. He steals from his company and gets caught. Paul becomes depressed and wants everything to end. The people of his hometown discovered his theft and reported it. Paul grabs his gun he bought and goes to the train tracks. He discovers a running train and jumps in front of it.

This story is connected to the real world by using Paul's experiences and the lives of others to get what he wants. He wanted to thrive but he didn't want to do the work needed for it. If you steal the consequences will not be good. Paul then realizes after all his wealth for the short time he appreciates the money. He steals from his company and later gets caught in the newspaper. To escape his guilt he grabs his gun. Paul doesn't use the gun, but ends his life in a different way. He drives to the train tracks and jumps in front of the train. During this time period suicides were common due to the decline of the economy.

This short story written by Willa Cather shows the reader that you should work hard to get what you truly desire. If you go against this it will eventually get back to you and haunt you. Paul’s Case does a good job in showing this.

Updated: Feb 02, 2024
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Paul's Case: A Short Story About The Obsession With Money. (2024, Feb 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/pauls-case-a-short-story-about-the-obsession-with-money-essay

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