Paul's Case

What do you make of Paul? Is he a sympathetic character, unsympathetic, tragic? Use events, episodes, and lines from the text to support your answer.

Throughout the story, Cather uses free indirect discourse, meaning that she neither resorts to the first person (using “I”), nor does she preface Paul’s expressions with “Paul thought” or “Paul said.” What added dynamisms and insights does this provide? How would the story be different with a first-person point of view?

How does Cather’s own biographical overlap with Paul’s work into an understanding of the story? Does knowing the details of her life enhance or diminish the power of the story?