Matt Verhagen
Paul’s Case
Teen Suicide is a major problem in the United States and the rest of the world. Teen Suicide is the third largest cause for death for teen ages 15 to 24 in
North America. In 2001 alone there were 3,971 deaths’ from teen suicide and over
132,000 attempted teen suicides in North America. In 1998 studies show that white
Americans represent 84% of teen suicides, of those white Americans 61% of them are male. The most common form of male teen suicide is by firearm. All facts have been acquired from Wikipedia.org.
In the short story Paul’s Case by Willa Cather, Willa uses flowers as a symbol for Paul’s life. Paul sees the flowers as the life he always wanted; although, he has no possible way of reaching. Flowers are a way for Paul to relate himself to the high class dream.
The first flower that appears in the story is a red carnation. This flower was on Paul’s jacket when he addressed the school staff in relation to a school suspension. “…and a red carnation in his buttonhole.” Page 195. The red carnation is a beautiful and delicate flower. When the flower is picked and presented at the right time it is exceptionally full of life and energy. At this time in the story Paul chooses to wear the carnation to feel closer to the Paul he has always thought he should be. Paul takes comfort in the fact that he wears this flower, for not only does it upset his teachers “…his whole attitude was symbolized by his shrug and his flippantly red carnation flower” Page 195 it makes him feel that he truly does not belong at the school or living on Cordelia street. This flower makes Paul appear as if he is on top the world; and, he has tons of energy and a great plentiful life. It is his rebellion for the dreary life he must endure with the torn wallpaper, dull dreary kitchen, and picture of George Washington. Paul longs to belong to another life, he sees himself as being stuck in a life that was not meant for him.
In the life that Paul desires, or truly believes he belongs to he sees flowers as a symbol, he sees them at the theatre that he loves, in window boxes of fancy homes and hotels, in hotel rooms and on the lapels of men of higher standing.
When Paul was virtually shut out of the theatre by his father he knew his destiny was set. The thought of not having this place to escape his dreary life was unacceptable to him. Paul stole some money and immediately started to fulfill his destiny Upon arriving at the hotel everything looked just as he imagined it would with one exception the lavish hotel suite did not have flowers in it. “…he saw at a glance that everything was as it should be; there was but one detail in his mental picture that the place did not realize, so he rang for the bell-boy and sent him down for flowers” Page 205. For Paul flowers were the sign of wealth, comfort and belonging. Once receiving the flowers in his room he was immediately breathing in the scent that drifted him further into his new life.
While in New York Paul took the time to observe every detail of this previously forbidden world. He took careful note of the architecture, the “props” as he would call them, the colors, the art work, and the flowers. He did not long to be the center of attention only to fit in comfortably. This he achieved well, he ate well, drank champagne and even dressed the part. It was like before he arrived in New
York his life was a play, where he was the star, only the roll was not meant for him

Matt Verhagen to play. “…he doubted the reality of his past” Page 207. He felt neither guilt nor shame for the lies he told or the money he took from Denny and Carson’s.
When faced with the reality that his father was looking for him in New York and meant to bring him back to that place he came from he could not take it. His father paid his debt and obviously wanted him back but Paul struggled with the idea of returning to the life he had so easily left behind.
When Paul decided what to do with his life, he knew he could not do it in the hotel or even in New York, the place that had accepted him and made him feel whole for the first time in his life. Paul traveled out of town memorizing the faces of the people he encountered and walked through the snow until he noticed the flowers in his lapel had started to wilt. He removed a single bud and buried it in a shallow grave in the snow. “The carnations in his coat were drooping with the cold, he noticed; their red glory over. It occurred to him that all the flowers he had seen in the show windows that first night must have gone the same way, long before this.”
Page 210.
Paul came to realize that the flowers symbolized his life “…It was only one splendid breath they had, in spite of their brave mockery at the winter outside the glass. It was a losing game in the end,…” Page 210. To Paul his life was only complete for that one moment in time, he spent years reaching that moment when he could feel complete, and he felt his time was over just as the flowers were only brilliant for a short period so was he. With that he proceeded to take his life along with it any chance of returning to his old life.