Throughout the story Cather uses these symbols to enforce Paul’s alienation with his normal life. The first symbol mentioned is the red carnation, which symbolizes Paul in more than just one way. The color red gives the impression of anger and rebellion, which we see as Paul’s attitude towards school, his teachers and his life. The carnation also represents the artificial life that Paul tries the live in throughout the story. Like violets, lilies and roses, carnations need an artificial surrounding to live in; “Here and there on the corners were stands, with whole flower garden b

looming under glass cases, against the sides of which the snowflakes stuck and melted; violets, roses, carnations, lilies of the valley—somehow vastly more lovely and alluring that they blossomed thus unnaturally in the snow.” These references symbolize that in order for Paul to escape his common and monotonous life he needed the live in a theater world. In the end Paul realizes that he can no longer cover up his actual life with the life he was trying to live. “The carnations in his coat were drooping with the cold, he noticed, their red glory all over.”

Through sinking images, Willa Cather used water and rain to symbolize the barrier that kept Paul separate from the fantasy world and reality. Paul’s attraction high society drew him the theatre were he works and “comes to life” in the concert surroundings. His hatred of his squalid surroundings and poor relationship with

Some topics in this essay:
Red Carnation, Willa Cather, Words Cather, Willa Cather’s, Cordelia Street, , willa cather, Symbols Light, Dark” Water, reinforce story’s theme, reality paul’s, blue league, story’s theme, roses carnations, fantasy life, artificial life, reinforce story’s, red carnation, throughout story,