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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Part 1
Explanation and Analysis—Feminizing Paul:
Within the constructs of a patriarchal society, associating men with feminine things is often a linguistic shorthand to demean them or make them feel out of place. While all people who are socialized as men receive some such pressure to conform to masculinity, it is those who explicitly break the mold that receive the harshest punishment: in particular, LGBTQ+ men. Throughout “Paul’s Case,” the narrator uses feminizing language to describe Paul and distinguish him from his male peers, often going so far as to deliberately use words that signal queerness. This emerges as a motif within the text:
[B]ut for all that there was something of the dandy about him, and he wore an opal pin in his neatly knotted black four-in-hand, and a red carnation in his buttonhole.
In the language of Cather's time period, "dandy" was a term often used to call a man's masculinity into question, and it was frequently used in reference to men who were gay. This, combined with the narrator's description of his flamboyant clothing choices, distinguishes Paul as a non-typical masculine archetype—an "other." After solidifying this distinction, Cather makes clear how those around Paul view his queer affinities:
His eyes were remarkable for a certain hysterical brilliancy, and he continually used them in a conscious, theatrical sort of way, peculiarly offensive in a boy.
Paul is not traditionally masculine, and the narrator deems this "peculiarly offensive" not only to his peers, but to his parents and teachers. The implication is that a boy or young man should not "perform," yet it is theatricality that Paul is drawn to. Performance and art are his passions, but in a patriarchal society, they are fated to become the source of his alienation.
Related Themes:
