Adolescence, Homosexuality, and Futility in Willa Cather’s “Paul’s Case”

Willa Cather’s “Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament” is a short story that highlights the early twentieth century’s discrimination against homosexuality and the devastating effects that oppression can have on adolescents. The story, published in 1905, is about a young man named Paul who flees his miserable home in Pittsburgh for a lavish life in New York. He finds immense joy and freedom here, and when this new lifestyle is threatened, Paul commits suicide instead of returning to his old home. This essay uses original research, the lens of queer literary theory, and a review of existing scholarship on the topic to demonstrate that “Paul’s Case” is an allegory for Paul’s struggle with his sexuality and the effects of the restrictions that were imposed on queer men during that time.theory, and a review of existing scholarship on the topic to demonstrate that “Paul’s Case” is an allegory for Paul’s struggle with his sexuality and the effects of the restrictions that were imposed on queer men during that time.