Paul's Case

“His teachers felt this afternoon that his whole attitude was symbolized by his shrug and his flippantly red carnation flower, and they fell upon him without mercy, his English teacher leading the pack.”

In front of the disciplinary committee who censure Paul’s behavior, he wears a red carnation in his shirt. His teachers interpret this as a sign of Paul’s dismissiveness and ostentation toward them. Here, Cather makes the first of many strong connections between Paul and flowers.

“As the house filled, he grew more and more vivacious and animated, and the colour came to his cheeks and lips.”

This quote describes Paul’s feelings as he watches the performers at the concert hall. It is one of the first glimpses of Paul’s aesthetic passions. Notice how Cather describes him as essentially feeling more alive. Color is such an important part of Paul’s interior life, so it is significant when such artistic performances bring color to his complexion.

“He felt a sudden zest of life; the lights danced before his eyes and the concert hall blazed into unimaginable splendour.”

Similar to the previous quote, this line illuminates the feeling and meaning Paul gets from watching the performances at his work. These moments, which he must steal while he ushers concerts at work (events he likely could not afford to attend), are the only ones that color his unsatisfying Pittsburgh existence.