Adolescent Depression In Paul's Case By Willa Cather

As a teenager, it is typically considered a right-of-passage to misbehave, act moody, be short-tempered, or slack off in school. Unfortunately, these behaviors are often symptoms of underlying issues. Depression is a common problem among adolescents, but is infrequently recognized among parents or teachers. In "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather, it is clear that Paul is unhappy with life, and is making life difficult for those around him. Unfortunately, nobody came to Paul's aid, and with no resources or confidants to rely on, Paul's hopelessness took over and he took his own life. In "Paul's Case," Paul suffers from adolescent depression and had this been addressed, he could have received life-saving treatment.

According to the American Psychology Association Classifications, several criteria need to be met in order to properly identify a major depressive episode. If these criteria are met for at least two consecutive weeks, it can be said that a person is experiencing a major depressive episode (Kim 2012). Paul meets several criteria that could indicate he's suffering from depression. Paul has a tendency to act out, engage in reckless behavior, and project an irritable attitude towards his teachers. These problems have been going on for a significant length of time,

Teachers and parents should be informed of the warning signs of depression so that they may know when their own children are suffering. When bratty behavior is considered normal for a teenager, it becomes increasingly important for parents and teachers to maintain awareness and differentiate between normal moodiness and depressive behaviors. Perhaps if Paul's father were able to comfortably speak with him about his troubles, Paul would not have felt so isolated and