Free Example of 'Paul's Case' Essay

“Paul’s Case” is the story written by Willa Cather and “Death of a Salesman” is a play written by Arthur Miller, where the characters of both are dissatisfied with reality. As a result, the major characters of the two Paul and Willy Loman correspondingly demonstrate similar kind of behavioral outlines as well as draw out comparable responses of emotion from their individual particular environment. Both Paul and Willy endeavor for an unachievable vision of power, wealth and stylishness as well as block up their individual lives with so many lies with the intention to give the wrong impression about themselves and others for having a faith that they own these characteristics.

In the story of Paul’s case Paul is the central character with whom the story goes ahead. Paul was born in Colorado and lost her mother due to illness in his infancy. He is a slim, light, dreamy teenager who senses a requirement for placing himself separately from his conservative environment surrounding the Pittsburgh. While all surrounding him are always anxious for making a perfect way of living, but he was opposite and has a fascination towards the exciting world of music, drama, and art. He has an aspiration for the beautiful things that can be bought by money, but he scorns the dull, cold actuality of work and daily life. Subsequent to his constant lying behavior, breakdown to perform school work and impertinently insulting attitude guide him to his exclusion from school. Paul steals huge money from his employer and goes away to New York City.

After that he finds out his dreams there of purchasing luxurious clothes, living at the grand hotel ‘Waldorf’, being present at the opera, and becoming accurately the type of boy he had desired to be for all time. When the crime committed by him is discovered, Paul cannot return to the cruel and ordinary Cordelia Street and kills himself by jumping under a running train. Cather’s represent the character of Paul as undecided, so that readers perhaps not understand that whether Paul liberally prefers his sad end or not. Whilst Paul’s estrangement as of his surroundings is obvious, the reader can’t notify whether Paul’s is a “case” of environmental determinism or of the foolishness of youth, of a visionary who accept death without learning all his lessons (Cather, 1965).