Paul's Case Flowers and Dress Thesis

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Thus, the fact that Willa Cather employs flowers in her story does not necessarily suggest that Paul is different, and for symbolic value to emphasize the contrast between difference and similarity in the story. Paul's desire for flowers certainly emphasize his difference as he wears them when it seems less than appropriate, and their presence as a symbol is emphasized by the fact hat they accompany his major steps in the story (going to the suspension hearing, his meetings with Charley, his trip to New York, and his death), as well as the way they are used to contrast similarity or "everyday things" (Cather 19).

In addition to flowers, Paul's interest in dress and his dress itself can easily be seen as a sign of his homosexuality. Like the flowers, however, it can also quite easily be explained as a characteristic and symbol of his difference. In contrast to the drab world around him, the "dull" schoolmasters, the disgusting yellow wallpaper that covers his room, and the haunting eyes of George Washington and John Calvin, Cather portrays Paul's dress as fine. He wears an "opal pin" to his school hearing, and one of the first things that he does when arriving in New York is to order a new set of clothes, including silk underwear (1). In New York, as he surveyed the music scene, he relied on his looks to help him fit in, and remarked that "nobody questioned the purple," because he looked the part (Cather 52). Thus, though Paul's fine dress could be viewed as an indicator of homosexuality, it instead suggests that he is different.

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Along with flowers, dress distinguishes him from his dull situation. In New York, however, he experiences his one true happiness when he can express his difference among others who are similarly different. In other words, Paul's dress allows him to fit in while he is in New York, suggesting that he is among those with whom he feels accepted. Thus, Cather does not use Paul's dress to suggest that he is homosexual, but just that he is different. In addition to flowers, she uses his dress as a symbol to distinguish the difference from the similarities of the short story.

In sum, Willa Cather's short story, "Paul's Case" the author presents a troubling story about a boy who is different. While the boy's attiributes, such as his affinity for flowers and his dress, suggest to some his sexuality, Willa Cather's intention was not to use them as such. Rather she uses these characteristics not only to suggest the boy's difference from his surroundings, but also to emphasize the differences and the similarities in the story. Thacker's portrayal of Cather furthers this, when he states that Cather "creates a personal intimacy between writer and reader which both creates a deep bond and feels authentic, special" (3). The use of flowers and dress in this story is part of the personal intimacy between the writer and the reader that she establishes, allowing the reader to see the differences between Paul and his surroundings that he does not necessarily comprehend.

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