Willa Cather's, "Paul's Case," is a short story about a young man whose obsessions and fantasies lead others to believe that he is a blatant liar, drug addict, and a peculiar individual. Cather illustrates how the protagonist, Paul, virtually lives within a world of dreariness and gratification. She also portrays Paul's attitude and personality through the eyes of his father and teachers. By examining Paul's behaviors, problems, and motivations, the audience gradually understands and becomes part of the world he lives in. Paul's behavior in school, from the perspective of the teachers and stud...

• Word Count: 851
• Approx Pages: 3

Too often in today's society are people merely defined as their habits: he is a smoker, she is an alcoholic, etc., when these individuals are much more. Little attention is paid to what such people do, or what their particular stories are. In written work, though, as opposed to life, the characters can be examined, their vices scrutinized, and, eventually, all can be tied into the various stories" prevalent themes. Such is the matter in Willa Cather's "Paul's Case" and James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues." The title character in Cather's short story voyages from his drab life and home in Pittsburgh...

• Word Count: 727
• Approx Pages: 3