Summary Of Paul's Case By Willa Cather

The world on Cordelia Street did not amuse Paul, he saw it as mundane and boring. The real excitement, through Paul’s point of view, was found in the theater. Throughout the short story “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather, it was clear that Paul wanted to escape. Paul wanted to live in a more exciting world, opposite of his world on Cordelia Street. Living on Cordelia street was as boring as life could get, every day it was the same routine; the neighbor kids played in the streets on the weekends, the women sat in rocking chairs outside and gossiped, and the men always sat on a porch step. There was absolutely no excitement on Cordelia Street; no doubt, Paul could not stand knowing that everybody living on Cordelia Street had no ambitions. Not …show more content…
The people in the theater were just like Paul and they enjoyed the same pleasures. The stock theater is where he felt accepted because he was able to sit in on the rehearsals thanks to Charley Edwards. Performing in the arts is not what Paul enjoyed, he enjoyed the atmosphere that the theater and Carnegie Hall gave off. When he was kicked out of the theater, and essentially out of town, he lost his escape, but New York was another escape he always dreamt about. Accordingly, New York was full of luxuries which he looked up to, he wanted to be surrounded by the finer things in life. When Paul arrived in New York he talked about the silk underwear and expensive robe, both things that were not an option on Cordelia Street. All things considered, Carnegie Hall, the stock theater, and New York, were opposites of Cordelia Street and that is why Paul needed to escape to such places. In the end, Paul wanted to live, experience higher class living. He also wanted to be surrounded by people who were intelligent and who strove to become something. The theater and New York made him feel free from all of his past troubles on Cordelia Street, it would “free some hilarious and potent spirit within him” (pg

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Paul's Case By Willa Cather Summary