Imagery In Paul's Case

Paul’s Case is about a boy named Paul. The story takes place in the 19th century steel era. Paul goes to 4 different places. He goes to his home, the theatre where he works, New York, and then New Jersey. Paul doesn’t like his home and he is always fighting with his dad because he doesn’t understand Paul. Paul thinks that the theatre is more of a home to him then his actual home and there are many theatres in New York so he decides to go to New York, not just for the theatres but to also get away from his dad. The story is Person vs. Society because Paul is always getting into trouble and his teachers hate him and are embarrassed and angry that they have a student that behaves like that. Also, his dad is basically against him and he isn’t a supportive guy. In Paul’s Case Cather contrasts imagery of place that reflects Paul’s struggle by describing how Paul feels about each place.
At his house, Paul doesn’t feel like he belongs here.
Paul’s house is really old and he just doesn’t like the way it looks. He also doesn’t like the way his house feels For example, on page 4 Cather describes the house as “his ugly chamber; the cold bathroom with the grimy zinc tub, the cracked mirror, the dripping spiggots; his father, at the top of the stairs, his hairy legs sticking out from his nightshirt, his feet thrust into carpet slippers.” This quote describes how his father doesn’t really take care of the house and how it’s like a nightmare to him and he hates how his house looks. Another example from page 4 is when he sneaks into his basement through the window because he doesn’t want to deal with his dad again. Cather says “He is horribly afraid of rats, so he did not try to sleep, but sat looking distrustfully at the dark, still terrified lest he might have awakened his father.” Paul is scared that he will get hurt by his dad because his dad will think Paul is a robber. But he would much rather stay down in the basement then go upstairs and face his
dad.
In the theatre, Paul feels like himself, and the theatre feels like his home to him. He loves listening to the symphony play and he can just be himself there. For example on page 3 Cather says “…but the first sign of the instruments seemed free some hilarious and potent spirit within him: something that struggled there like the genie in the bottle found by the Arab fisherman.” This shows that he is moved by the music in some way that has never moved him and it feels like home. Another example on page 3 is when Cather says “He felt a sudden zest of life; the lights danced before his eyes and the concert hall blazed into unimaginable splendor.” This quote shows that Paul is alive in the theatre and it feels like home to him. In the theatre he is alive unlike at his home where he feels in the dark and his home is not welcoming like the theatre.
The main conflict is resolved when he kills himself. Paul now feels free and he doesn’t have to be arguing with his dad and getting into trouble every day. It is the only way he can feel free and feel like himself because his dad made him stop going to the theatre and that was the only thing he had so he just wanted to feel free. The imagery that is used throughout the story did foreshadow the conclusion. In Paul’s Case Cather contrasts imagery of place that reflects Paul’s struggle by describing how Paul feels about each place.