How Physical and Social Settings Contribute to a Story

How physical and social settings contribute to a story?

In the short story “Paul’s Case” written by Willa Cather, there are certain physical and social settings that the story revolves around in order to contribute to its overall meaning. These attributes will help contribute to the characterization of Paul. The protagonist in the story is Paul; who feels lost in his own world that exists in Pittsburg. Paul looks down on most of the people he knows, and craves attention from people within the art world. When Paul is forced out of the only parts of Pittsburg that he feels comfortable and accepted, he escapes to New York City to find solace for his remaining days. Why are his days numbered? Socially, Paul doesn’t fit in with the people in his regular life and seeks solace in deceiving people to think he is someone he is not. It is these settings that help identify the issues that Paul faces and which leads him to disparity.

The story starts out in Pittsburg with Paul getting suspended from school; afterwards he escapes to the theatre where he feels more comfortable and desperately wants to be accepted. This lends meaning to the story in that it shows Paul’s desire to fit in with the people in the art world. Pittsburg is a city that is better perceived as a blue collar city, while New York City is known for its art, theatre and culture. The authors’ choice to choose these two contrasting cities helps emphasize how physical settings contribute to a story. Had the author chosen two similar cities it would have been difficult to relate to Paul’s addiction to the art world, and his repulsion for the middle class world he wanted so badly to disassociate from.

Paul’s lies and deceptions eventually catch up with him and the people he seeks approval from find it comical, while his father forbids him from being anywhere near the places and people that Paul wants to be. This leads to Paul eventually stealing money from his employer and he...