Paul's Case Literary Analysis
Point of View
The point of view in the story is third person limited. It focuses on Paul. Through the point of view it can be seen that Paul beautifies things in his mind that he enjoys in reality. When he follows the singer home he imagines that she is going to meet her kids and family. He can't accept any beauty he finds in the real world, instead he takes it and uses his imagination to warp take pleasure in what he sees. The picture is of a theater. Paul only focuses on things he enjoys, such as the experiences he has in theater.
Characterization
Paul is really unhappy with the way his life is going. He only finds beauty in creations like paintings and music. He loves things that are created, not naturally existing. The picture of the paints represent his love for art and its artificiality.
Setting
Paul hates his home in the suburbs. To him the people there are more focused on life rather than pleasure. All of his memories of his neighborhood are bad ones. The general environment of the suburb was one of complacency and normalcy, things that Paul loathes. The picture is of a typical suburb, one that Paul would despise.
Symbolism
Paul wears a red carnation throughout the entire story. In the beginning when he is confronting the teachers it is bright and distracting. Right before he kills himself he notices that is has wilted and buries it in the snow. The flower symbolizes Paul's life. It's bright and annoying in the school, and wilted and dying when he is at his lowest. The picture is of a red carnation just like he was wearing.
Theme
The theme is that beauty only exists artificially, not naturally. Paul usually finds things that are not natural more beautiful than real things. When he goes by a park in New York he thinks that the flowers blooming in the snow are not as beautiful as the flowers in a flower shop he just passed. The picture relates because the flowers which could be considered prettier than real flowers are artificial.
Works Cited
Suburb
Des Blenkinsopp. Suburb in England. Digital image. Geograph.org.uk. N.p., 4 Nov. 2011. Web. 8 Feb. 2013.
Carnation
Hans. Turkish Carnation. Digital image. Pixabay. N.p., 17 Aug. 2011. Web. 8 Feb. 2013.
Paint
Nemo. Pallete with Paint. Digital image. Pixabay. N.p., 14 Apr. 2012. Web. 8 Feb. 2013.
Origami Flower
Origami Lotus Flowers. Digital image. Fotopedia. N.p., 26 Feb. 2011. Web. 8 Feb. 2013.
Theatre
Theatre Royal Panorama, Brighton, UK. Digital image. Fotopedia. N.p., 4 Dec. 2009. Web. 9 Feb. 2013.