Paul’s Closed Case
The end is one of the most important parts of any piece of art. As such, Willa Cather’s “Paul’s Case” would have benefitted from a change in its ending. As it stands, its last sentences is, “Then, because the picture-making mechanism was crushed, the disturbing visions flashed into black, and Paul dropped back into the immense design of things” (Cather, 1905, n.p.). In it, one can see how Paul commits suicide, ending his wild romp through New York City.
Nevertheless, in the spirit of the tale, it would have been better for him to keep living, as he could have kept enjoying himself. Even though what he did was wrong, one can see that he saw the world through a different set of eyes after his trip. If he would have survived, it would have sent the message that these experiences were worth something, and that he had seen something worth living.
This would leave a better impression on the reader, as it would make Paul’s journey more coherent and purposeful. It would not be a rose-colored, optimistic end, because he would still have to face trial and justice for what he has done. However, it would leave the reader to note the importance of experience. It would also be more coherent with his narcissistic features (Saari, 1997, p. 393).
Another way that this would change the rest of the work is that it would contrast sharply with the foreshadowing that precedes it. There are many instances where one can see that Paul is contemplating suicide, including the railroad tracks before, and the gun in the hotel room. By not having Paul kill himself, Cather would have set the tale on its head: as it stands, the actual suicide is an afterthought; nevertheless, she could have twisted the plot by having Paul live.
Reference List
Cather, W. S. (1905). Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament. Willa Cather Archives. Retrieved from http://cather.unl.edu/ss006.html
Saari, R. (1997). “Paul’s Case”: A narcissistic personality disorder. Studies in Short Fiction, 34(3), 389-395.
