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Paul's Case A Study In Temperament Analysis

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There have been many great pieces of Literature since the Civil War and a Paul’s Case a Study in Temperament by Willa Cather is one of those great pieces of literature. The prevailing theme in Paul’s Case a Study in Temperament reflects the struggles that many people go through with accepting their social class and wanted to be a part of higher society. The Author Willa Cather is able to portray many of the social issues that still plague us as a society today in this piece of literature that was first published back in 1905. This essay will discuss many of the relevant social topics that were addressed in this short story and are still very relevant today.
In the very beginning of the story the teachers were rather confused by Paul’s appearance. Paul presents himself in a very calm and confident manner despite his clothes being in somewhat disrepair. “Paul entered the faculty room suave and smiling. His …show more content…

Paul has a constant struggle inside of wanted to be more, be able to enjoy the finer things in life and to not just settle for being called middle class. Paul is ashamed of his social status and after spending one night as an usher at Carnegie Hall, Paul’s distaste for everything around him continued to grow. “The nearer he approached the house, the more absolutely unequal Paul felt to the sight of it all; his ugly sleeping chamber; the cold bathroom with the grimy zinc tub, the cracked mirror, the dripping spiggots; his father, at the top of the stairs, his hairy legs sticking out from his night-shirt, his feet thrust into carpet slippers.”(Cather 148) So much of one’s worth is placed on their possessions in life and not in fact on their contributions in life. This still holds true in society today and is something the character of Paul would continue to struggle with throughout the

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