Respond to the quotation. Explain the quote. Analyze the quote. What does the reader learn? How does the quote relate to the theme of "fitting in"? Is there anything that you still have a question about?
"As for Paul, he ran down the hall whistling the "Soldiers' Chorus" from Faust, looking wildly behind him now and then to see whether some of his teachers were not there to writhe under his lightheartedness." (2)
(I did this one instead of the sample quote so grade me on this one) This quote helps demostrate that Paul, infact is actually not the mischievous teenager they thought he was. Even though at the beginning of the story, Paul was described as a troublesome kid with a nack for annoying teachers and disrupting class. In this quote, it shows that there is a kind side to Paul, by demostrating his love for drama as he sings this song from the opera Faust. This shows that fitting in society is unfortunately must be based on others and though some may understand your passions and drive, others will not and that is why it is difficult to be friends with everyone. Fitting in should be about people accepting others for who they are and if there are similarties between people it just makes it better, but in this world if you don’t persay have the ‘right clothes’ or play the ‘cool sports’ people would be less willing to spend time with those who they think are different. - Sebastian Pellejero
ReplyDeleteThrough the quotation, Cather expresses to the readers how Paul seems to not care about upsetting or being an annoyance to his teachers. In addition, it shows that Paul has a carefree attitude at times and uses it to upset the teachers. This illustrates that Paul is self-centered and thus does not care about what the teachers think about him, especially if it is negative. In society, there are many people who have similar attitudes; however in most cases this attitude is a false façade to cover insecurity. I believe that this is also true in Paul’s situation. Paul likes to give the impression that he is confident in order to avoid being viewed as a just another insecure high school student. I would like to know what it is that Paul is hiding through his actions and what is truly causing him to be such a troublesome teenager. Lauren Jacobowitz
ReplyDeleteCather is trying to express that Paul isn’t really ‘popular’ with his school teachers. They would do anything to see Paul get suspended because of all the wrong he has done in school. Paul is always walking around suave and in this quote it illustrates how he walks through the halls “whistling the “Soldiers’ Chorus”” but he looks around uncontrollably to make sure no teachers are behind him trying to hurt him. Obviously Paul has a problem with fitting in with the teachers or they wouldn’t all be at his throat. He does not show them much respect and tries to make them look in the wrong in front of the principle by lying. There are many students that will try this tactic and most of the time it does not work because the teacher has no reason to lie. Paul is one of those students, but being a pathological liar almost makes him more believable. It can be predicted that this is the reason he is still in school right now.
ReplyDeleteSamantha Guarnero pd 1
By reading this quote you can already develop a solid characterization about Paul. You’ll notice that he is not your average high school student, being one who tries his best to fit in and stay off the bad side of all his teachers. Cather makes sure the readers are aware of the teacher’s hatred towards Paul by saying that the teachers were writhing under his lightheartedness. For a teacher to show enough hatred towards another adult is one thing but in order for them to bring themselves down to the level of a high school student is far below the standards that most adults hold for themselves. Because of this, Paul must not be a normal high school student, perhaps he is one on the exterior but inside he harbors a twisted mind and wicked tongue beyond his years. Unfortunately for Paul, being this much different than his peers is not going to help him build relationships with other kids his age. I still wonder to what extent the teacher’s hatred for Paul will drive them to commit abhorrent acts against him.
ReplyDelete-Alex Seibel
In this quote, Carther portrays Paul as someone who doesn’t care about authority and the basic rules of the school, in the quote it states “some of his teachers were not there to writhe under his lightheartedness” writhe meaning: contortions of the body, squirming and twisting. So the quote is saying that Paul was at awe to see his teachers weren’t squirming because of his laid back, care free temperament. The reader learns that Paul has this positive attitude and that he doesn’t really care what the teachers or anyone else think about him. This quote relates to “fitting in” because it shows clearly how he doesn’t because running down the hall whistling isn’t what most normal people do. Some other questions I still have is, why was he so happy? Why does he purposely try to get his teachers angry? Why does he enjoy seeing his teachers being flustered and angry?
ReplyDelete-Erika Gunderson
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ReplyDeleteDuring this passage Paul was walking down the hall whistling a song and light looking behind him to see if his teachers are looking at him because he wants to make the mad he wants to make the teacher fell like his suspension did not mean nothing. He does fit in with the boys that work at the tether with him but at school he doesn’t fit in because he doesn’t like school he does not like no one there and he doesn’t try to make new friends and be a respectful and good student.
ReplyDeleteRafael Marta
During this passage, Paul is leaving from a meeting with his principal regarding his suspension. During the meeting he didn’t stop smiling, sort of like tom cruise but creepier. This quote shows that Paul is trying to keep up the image for his teachers that he doesn’t care and he isn’t afraid of them. He keeps turning around in hopes that his teachers will take notice of his lighthearted exit. Through this, the reader learns that Paul is very cocky and seems to not have a care in the world, but evidentially, Paul has something to hide. This shows that Paul doesn’t seem as if he wants to fit in.
ReplyDeleteAndy O'Rourke
This quote shows readers how the protagonist behaves and how he interacts with people in his school. Although Paul was suspended, he walks into the school happy and very cocky. This quote explains that Paul tried "fitting in" by trying to do his own thing and constantly smiling. I can understand why Paul feels that by behaving like this, he can fit in, because students in my school also always try hiding who they are behind a smile. This really proves that you dont know someone until they open to you. Teachers do not understand Paul's strange behavior, but his behavior may be him trying to fit in with his peers and society.
ReplyDelete-Laura Senande
By reading this quote, the reader can understand how the teachers in Paul’s school react when they see him. His teachers believe he has an impertinence behavior and is very contemptuous. The reader also learns that Paul isn’t your average teenage boy. When someone is singing to themselves, it usually means that, that person is happy; but in this case, his teachers think he is different than all the other kids in the school. They believe he has a problem. I’ve seen a few people in my life that sing to themselves or are always smiling, but something didn’t seem right about them, but that is just my opinion. It is noticeable that Paul has a problem fitting in with the other students in school. His unfamiliar behavior is keeping him from being accepted by his peers and his teachers. I am interested on reading on to find out if he ever is going to be accepted for his abnormalities.
ReplyDelete-Marlina Gomez
From this quote, he seems that he is not concerned about how the teachers think about him and how they treated him. But his action “looking wildly behind him”, we learn that he hides to the teachers what he has in mind, and his real personality. I think that maybe he is too shy or nervous or didn’t have a chance to show the real him.I sympathize with him a little. Sometimes if I have a quarrel with my mother, I obstinate like him and act like I don`t care about it. I want to read more and see how he will “fit in”.
ReplyDelete/Miwa Kawachimaru
The short story “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather contains a perplex story about a boy who is not understood by any of his superiors. However it wasn’t his strange attitude or his constant aversion of the teachers that was currently worrying them. On this day, the day of his suspension hearing, it was a red carnation that seemed to fill the teachers with rancor and confusion. This being because on a day where it seems Paul should be repenting for his misdemeanors and should not be showing much jubilance, Paul was acting as if he was attending and wedding. For some reason this irks the teachers and reminds them of Paul’s theatrics. When looking on this event from above however you seem to get the feeling that not only does no one know what is circulating in Paul’s mind, but what he really did. The teachers knew that he acted differently but had trouble pinpointing his actions with precision, more relying on an overall view of contempt for him. However this red carnation I believe did symbolize something, it symbolized that Paul did not care for the schools systems and was not fazed by their intimidations.
ReplyDelete-Jake Zuckman Period 1
Willa Cather’s quote is telling the readers about the unique attitude/personality of Paul. After reading the first line of the quote I thought of positive attitude boy running down whistling, but when the quote stated that Paul looked back wildly I felt like I was reading about another person.Teenagers in school prefers friends who are kind and talkative but when a friend do not have the personality /characteristics of what they desired they usually avoid them(people that do not "fit in" the group) Paul who has two different personalities would probably not “fit in” the groups of his age because of the unique personality he has .-Gawon Song pd.1
ReplyDelete“In one way and another he had made all his teachers, men and women alike, conscious of the same feeling of physical aversion.”
ReplyDeleteWhat reader learns is that paul does not care about men or women, he makes his teachers hate him.He doesn’t fit in his classroom because he knew that his teacher had disliked him. It seems that his impertinence led to cause the feeling of aversion to his teacher s and some trouble happens between Paul and his teachers. I think to fit in classroom, it is important for both the teacher and the student to keep the attitude of respect between one another. If there is not mutual respect, the students can’t fit in it. I’m interested in finding out of they going to be able to council with each other , if so, how?