Paul’s Case

by Willa Cather

Paul’s Case: Setting 1 key example

Definition of Setting

Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Setting
Explanation and Analysis:

“Paul’s Case” is set roughly at the turn of the 20th century. Willa Cather originally published the short story in McClure’s Magazine in 1905, and later in a collection of her other short stories. The story begins in Pittsburgh, where Paul attends school and works as an usher at Carnegie Hall, not to be confused with the Carnegie Hall in New York City—which, incidentally, is the city that Paul ends up fleeing to after stealing money and abandoning his father. The story thus largely takes place in turn-of-the-century New York City, where Paul admires the opulence of Manhattan life.