Paul’s Case is an interesting story regarding a person who lacked adequate representation against allegations. Paul was called before the faculty of Pittsburg High School to account for his alleged misdemeanors. During the inquisition, opening statements were made by teachers regarding his disorderly conduct and impertinence. They stated his troubles were enhanced by his hysterical and defiant behavior without stated facts. He was suspended during the previous week; thereafter, his father called the principal and confessed bewilderment about his son. The case against him was airtight and the preponderance of uncontested evidence not in his favor.
There is a well known cliche which states, “The man who represents himself in court has a fool for a client.” This was very evident in Paul’s Case. The volume of allegations caused him to slip downhill. His rebuttal was in the form of body language by being polite with a smile during the hearing, which they claimed come from insolence. Although he tried to be positive, his polite body language was viewed as negative. He didn’t have a counselor or an advocate in his defense to plead his case. They didn’t even allow him a chance to cross examine his accusers.
He was shunned as living in a world of fairytale. The color blue was used to depict him living in a world of fantasy. The yellow wallpaper in his room showed how he lived with caution in a world different from what he envisioned. He dreaded his father, whom he visualized with a gun on the top of the stairs waiting to shoot, when he crept in his home through a window after coming home late at night.
His artistic talent regarding acting, pantomime, and music were never recognized and groomed by a mentor into fruition as a career field to pursue. With a mother’s love which was missing, his talent would have been tutored and mushroomed into greatness. Eventually, the faculty and his father agreed that he was a bad case, which caused Paul to run away from home. His dad, who should have been the chief defense witness to protect his son, turned and joined the faculty-Paul’s Case was shattered!
Before leaving town, he stole a substantial amount of cash from his employer to live the life he had always envisioned and escaped to New York. While there he slept under Roman blankets in his eight-floor fabulous suite at the Waldrof. He shopped on Broadway and at Tiffany’s for exclusive clothing. The orchestral music of excellence at the Waldorf greeted him when he arrived for dinner. The resonate tinge of champagne, white linen, and being away from his hometown gave him the reassurance he would not be humiliated again. He met a freshman from Yale and had fun with other great people on the town. He enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the moment; however, he was sinking deeply into a condition of helplessness without having a positive advocate, mentor, or counselor to stop his downward drift.
While living high at the Waldorf the stolen cash captured the morning news. His father made restitution, travelled to New York, and was searching the joints to find him. As a result, images of his hometown fell upon him like black water. Consequently, his chances of any victory vanished. Nausea and depression set in and he stared at a revolver. His red carnation drooped like dripping blood and he buried the blossom in a grave of snow. The closing argument was building when he heard the train. When the verdict was rendered, he felt the impact and saw the disturbing images flashed into black. He had no chance for an appeal or rehabilitation-the cold teeth of retribution had sealed his fate.
Paul's Case - One Thematic Analysis
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