To understand art, you must first understand the artist who created it and their motivation for doing so. In Willa Cather's short story “Paul's Case: A Study in Temperance” the protagonist, Paul, is a unique and complex character, which provides insight into the complexity of his creator. Understanding Cather's personality and her purpose in creating Paul is crucial in analyzing Paul as a character. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The story of “Paul's Case” was not wistfully imagined with the inclination to tell a feel-good story of light-hearted entertainment; the immaculate conception of the character Paul and the corresponding case is a forced emotional expression under the pressures of a society that renounces those with homosexual tendencies and the isolation that accompanies the concealment of such a secret. As scholar Marilee Lindemann states, “Cather's narrative is clearly and profoundly marked by a medical and legal discourse that pathologies non-procreative sexualities; often, instead of being subverted or criticized, these discourses are brutally applied, even by those who are most oppressed by them." Not that Cather was thrilled to share the story of a delicate young boy who "was tall for his age and very thin, with high, narrow shoulders and a narrow chest... and a red carnation in his buttonhole" (Cather) but rather he used writing as an escape from his own emotional struggles, with “The Case of Paul” being the accumulation of those thoughts and feelings when channeled as the written word. Paul is not only the protagonist but the manifestation of Cather's homosexuality. Paul is the opposite of the archetypal man. He is not interested in sports or chasing women, his main interests seem to be fashion and working "in the evening[s] as an usher at Carnegie Hall... where there were some of Raffelli's gay studios on the streets of Paris and an airy blue Venetian scene or two that always exalted him” (Cather). Paul has to share a locker room with half a dozen other boys, and unlike most high school-age males in a locker room, Paul "was always noticeably excited while getting dressed... and he teased and tormented the boys until , telling him he was crazy, they put him on the floor and sat on him,” which made Paul feel “a little calmed by his repression” (Cather). Paul's obvious feminine disposition is contrary to expectations and ideals of the role of males in society. This phenomenon of crossing gender norms had a constant presence in Cather's life, who for a time "dressed as a boy, cut her hair like a man's, and called herself William Cather" (Rose). Understanding Cather is only the foundation for understanding Paul. . Paul's creation is not entirely understood in the superficial exploration of his outward appearance and inward features; the environment in which Cather has chosen to place Paul and the story she has woven around him open a window of insight into the meaning of Paul as a character. The climax of “The Case of Paul” also provides the critical understanding of Paul's identity in the story as well. as Cather's influence. Paul finally removes the now wilted red carnation that has symbolized his resilience throughout the novel: “It occurred to him that all the flowers he had seen in the display cases that first night must have gone the same way, long before This . It was only a splendid breath they had, despite their brave mockery of winter outside the glass” (Cather). The “one splendid breath” of the flowers parallels the tribulations Paul faced in enjoying the slender>.