In Willa Cather's "Paul's Case," the author uses symbolism and imagery to stress the disillusionment of teenagers and how it can eventually lead to death.
             Symbolism is relating symbolic meaning or significance to events, relationships, or objects (put source hear).
             In Willa Cather's essay, the teenage disillusionment of Paul can show the symbolic relationship between the red carnation that adorns Paul's suit, and Paul's dream for beauty, happiness, and belonging.
             We read that "Paul found the schoolroom more than ever repulsive,"(Cather 355) and that "he could not bear to have the other pupils think, for a moment, that he took these people seriously;"(Cather 355). These feelings that Paul possesses show that he is a very superficial person ( ), and that outer beauty, like that of the carnation, is one main key to his true happiness. Paul's " flippantly red carnation"(Cather 549) and his "conscious expression,...usually attributed to insolence"(Cather 549) lead us to believe that Paul finds himself better than everyone in his town, and those thoughts probably led to his decision of going to New York City to be "among his people" (Cather 358), to be among "the flowers, the while linen, the many-colored wine-glasses, the gay toilettes of the women, the love popping of corks," (Cather 358). Paul believes that beauty, is superficial, and to become beautiful, he must be around it. After Paul realizes that his time among "the beautiful" is expiring, we find him outside in the snow near a railroad. His dream dying, he begins to wilt like the carnations on his jacket, "their red glory over" (Cather 361). "It was only one splendid breath they had," (Cather 360) and Paul felt "it had paid indeed" (Cather 360). As if signifying the end of his dream he
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