Paul was characterized as having a “smartness” about him and his actions. The teachers could not understand why Paul was acting that way and neither could his father. His father called the principal to “confess his perplexity about his son”. And the teachers stated their charges against Paul with “rancor and aggrievedness”. Paul had to seem to changed from an nice boy to now a rude and eruptive character.
In paragraph 11, there is a shift in point of view. How is Paul’s character revealed here and through whose eyes? Record examples of the characterization provided after paragraph 11.
Paragraph 11 is written in a third point of view through Paul’s eyes. Paul was always sad and sensitive about his appearance. Before he was happy about seeing a performance, but after was quite depressed all the time. He often dreamed about living in New York with a theatrical career.
Setting
List the four settings in the story in the order they appear. Why does the author reveal these settings in this order?
-The school, Carnegie Hall, Cordelia Street, and New York.
This order serves as a life cycle as a progression, in which Paul goes from his hopes and despair for his dream and where dies in New York.
Two of the four settings include access to the world of the arts. Does Paul love art and creativity? Does he aspire to be an artist in some form, or does the world of the arts offer him something he is unable to find in the other settings? Explain.
-Yes, Paul does love art and creativity, but he does want to create things. He loves it because it gives him his own little world outside the sad one he lives in.
Connotation
List at least three connotations the word “case” has in the title. Give examples from the story to support your ideas.
A person being on trial, - a mental condition, a situation.
-Paul goes to his school to ask his principal and teachers to be allowed to go back to school.
- Paul seems to have a disorder in which he is only happy when he is around theater.
- They cannot figure out why Paul is acting this way.
Theme
Short stories often reveal human nature in some form. What is revealed about human nature in this story? Consider Paul as a representative for young people who don’t seem to fit in and his teachers and father as a representative for society. What might Cather’s theme be in this story?
-The story reveals that if humans are not happy they with their life they will do such crazy thing s to bring about a better suited one,
-His theme in this story is that when people do not fall into what they were expected to be or a disappointment they may become sad and even commit suicide.
Symbols
List at least one symbol in the story and explain what it represents.
Flowers: Paul trying to see and find beauty in a very mundane, uncertain world. When he wears the red rose when he appears before the faculty, it stands out in a negative way, appearing garish and tacky instead of beautiful and subtle.
