Materialism in Pauls Case by Willa Cather Essay - 782 Words

In Pauls Case, Willa Cather manages to apply the emotions, feelings, troubles, and thoughts of modern society, allowing the reader to relate to the story. By incorporating the same heavy burdens that bother and aggravate people in their daily lives, Willa explores the pain and treatment unwanted people experience. Obviously, nobody wants to feel rejection or alienation from the world, but instead they desire to encounter acceptance and agreement with the worlds standards. In the story, the main character, Paul goes through excruciating transformations and lengths to try and impress the people around him. Attempting to belong in a superficial society, Paul loses a part of his identity without acknowledging it and therefore he†¦show more content†¦The fact that Paul?s temperament changes that quickly, just because of high quality clothing demonstrates his cloudy outlook on life. Throughout the story, Paul?s personality depends massively on his comfortability with the setti ng. Expecting to acquire treasures in his life, Paul despises his normal, pitiful life. After the concert, when Paul goes home, ?he experience[s] all the physical depression which follows a debauch, the loathing of respectable beds, of common food, of a house permeated by house odors, a shuddering repulsion for the flavorless, colorless mass of everyday existence.? It shows that Paul does not appreciate the simple things in life, instead he dreams of having a better, more luxurious life. Nevertheless, Paul feels enthusiasm and alive while working at the beautiful theater. ?When the symphony beg[ins] Paul s[its] into one of the rear seats with a long sigh of relief, and los[es] himself ...It was not that symphonies, as such, mean[s] anything in particular to Paul, but the first sight of the instruments seem[s] to free some hilarious and potent spirit within him.....He fe[els] a sudden zest of life, the lights danc[ing] before his eyes and the concert hall blaz[ing] into unimagina ble splendor.? The theater represents Paul?s comfort zone, the place where he feels he belongs and also a place where Paul pretends to play a part in the elite community. Lastly, the actions of PaulShow MoreRelatedPauls Case the Rocking Horse Winner Essay examples1756 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Paul’s Case† and â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner† After reading â€Å"Paul’s Case† by Willa Cather and â€Å"The Rocking Horse Winner by D.H Lawrence the reader can realize these stories are warnings against materialism and the longing to have it all. Two different characters both by the name of Paul face a difficult situation, the desire to acquire more money. A substantial number of outside forces of both characters lead them to believe they need more than they already have. While feeling alienated