Self-imposed Estrangement in Pauls Case Essay -- Willa Cather

Self-imposed Estrangement in Pauls Case, by Willa CatherMany times, we try to separate ourselves from the world around us we distance ourselves from society that gives us life. What is worse, we ar voluntarily subjected to the lonesomeness which precedes wallowing in our own self pity. Pauls Case, in which the theme of the fatal progression of deliberate seclusion presents the major conflict, centers around a childly man, in his alienation, suppressing his need for attention and satisfying himself through his own world established through his seclusion. The author, Willa Cather, renders this main theme by her insinuations of the character, by the point of visual modality she chooses to illuminate Pauls characteristics, and by key symbols that contribute to the overall work. The character presented by Cather through Paul, withdraws himself from his environment creating the base for the theme of his progressively escalate need for distinct separation. The reasons Paul acts the way he does seems two fold. First, the sequence of events could be caused by psychological damage or some mental condition, mayhap stemming from his mothers death, which was only alluded to in the story. Paul was a teenager who displayed certain signs of a mental illness. According to The Medical Advisor, Paul suffers from many of similar symptoms of a narcissist. Although the personality disorder was not diagnosed until 1977, and was not perfected until 1987 and expanded upon in 1994, Cathers character of 1904 embodies many of the symptoms listed. Of those Paul qualifies for are highly developed sentiency of self importance, preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, belief that he or she is special, feeling he has the envy of peers... ...in a connection with his mother. This bond further alienates him with the world by association with the departed his mother is separated by death, thus by professing to the world his connection with his mother brings him one step further fr om sanity. As he comes to realize that the mere emotional connection with his mother is not enough to isolate him, the flower becomes submersed into a sea of white as it is buried in the snow, and Paul achieves his ultimate escape and suicide creates the desired connection with his mother. Willa Cather, carefully weaving together a deep character to which brain is complex, an interesting and enlightening twist on the point of view, and multi-dimensional use of symbolic motifs that describe the characters personality and dreams, has created a universal theme of the heartrending progression of self-imposed estrangement.