Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament by Willa Cather Essay examples --

A Symbolic PerceptionImagine world entrapped in a life that you did not feel you belonged in. That isthe story of capital of Minnesota in capital of Minnesotas Case, written by Willa Cather. He lived in a suburbanhome where everyone seemed the same and there was a spirit of despair. Paul, whowas a young man, felt that his father, teachers and classmates mis downstairsstood him andtherefore were unworthy of his company. In the story there are many symbolicelements. Flowers, for instance, symbolize Pauls personality and life. The parallelbetween the boy and the flowers is made by the author many times throughout theshort story.In the get down of the story Paul has a clash with the teachers of his schoolbecause he was misbehaving. For the meeting Paul shows up wearing clothes thatwere a trifle outgrown . . . with a red clove pink in his buttonhole (49). This shows his total disrespect for dresser because he is going to get disciplined and the teachers thought this was not powerfu l significant of the contrite spirit befitting a boy under the ban of suspension (49). The flower he wore shows that he does not cathexis about school or his teachers his teachers felt that his whole attitude was symbolized by his shrug and his flippantly red carnation flower (50). The principal in addition noted his conceit as he left the meeting and arched which was described to be a repetition of the scandalous red carnation (51). It is almost as if the flower is his strength and reminds him of his ne...