Paul's Case - Willa Cather

Halfway through Willa Cathar’s “Paul’s Case”, we are told that the character of Paul “had no desire to become an actor” (Cather 208), however, there are many instances throughout the story where Paul is purely acting by denying the truth of who he is. When Paul arrives at the Waldorf hotel, he tells a story about his parents arriving on a steamer just a short while after him (Cather 209). Although it is stated that Paul has no interest in acting, he seems to be quite a natural. Paul’s time in New York is spent pretending to be someone that he is not; essentially, Paul is playing a character and that character possesses the qualities that Paul desires to have. In New York, Paul feels more secure and sees big plans for his future. He creates a new identity by telling himself lies; when he realizes that he is simply playing a character and will have to return to his ordinary life, he completely breaks down. Unfortunately, life is not always easy and the lifestyle Paul so desperately wanted is not easily won. Paul’s suicide proved to be a cowardly action, for if he braved a few more years being himself he would have perhaps one day been able to return to the character he played so well.