The pursuit of self-fulfillment on “A Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather
Introduction
The society is made up of many young people struggling to achieve their self-fulfillment regarding issues such as fame, prosperity, and riches. They engage in any form of action, either good or bad, as long as they achieve what they desire. Just like the case of Paul, the pursuit of self-fulfillment is mainly achieved through egoistic behaviors (Cather, Willa & Oresick 16). Peoples’ lives are entirely based on opera and imagination in their quest to hide the underlying low self-esteem. Paul’s Case-based on the collection of The Pittsburgh Stories of Willa Cather highlights the story of a young boy struggling to fit at home, school, and the world. The case symbolizes ultimate glamour and sophistication during Paul’s time in New York. Thus, one will focus on egoistic factors such as self-destruction, desire for prestige, and the development of remorse as a way of self-fulfillment. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The pursuit of self-fulfillment in the case
Paul’s quest for self-fulfillment was mainly based on his self-centered character. Self-destructive impulses lead him to escape the life he was living by submerging into the world of art, suggesting his longing for oblivion. Thus, Paul desires life to take him away. Paul highlights that he wants art to take him away “blue league after the blue league, away from everything.” Paul’s desire to live a prestigious lifestyle is achieved by stealing money from Denny and Carson, which he uses to travel to New York. The escape thus gives him “a curious sense of relief “(Cather, Willa & Oresick 12). Despite the theft, his ego in embracing a high life leads him to the development of remorse towards his actions. Paul feels that stealing is not wrong since he views not all people out there are living an honest life through his sentiments, “what all the struggles were about.”
Conclusion
One view that despite rich life, his low life-esteem does not change since he was still living inconspicuously, thus displaying a quiet dignity.
Work cited
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Cather, Willa, and Peter Oresick. The Pittsburgh Stories of Willa Cather. , 2016. Print.
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