Unable to Permanently Escape Reality in Paul´s Case by...

In the short stories, â€Å"Paul’s Case† by Willa Carter and â€Å"Araby† by James Joyce, both the protagonists are infatuated with the idea of escaping the conventional routines in their daily lives. Their main goal is to obtain a more romantic, extravagant, glamourized life. For Paul, his dream of a glamorized life lies in distant New York. For the unnamed protagonist in â€Å"Araby†, he hopes to find his in Araby with the neighbor girl who he barely knows. They believe that by achieving this escape, they’ll find the pleasure and satisfaction they’ve been hoping for. Both the protagonists dream to find a romance in a world hostile to romance by escaping the reality that they live in. Paul in â€Å"Paul’s Case† wanted to get away from the reality and the†¦show more content†¦Paul finally escaped the hostile world he lived in, but his money-bought romance did not last long. When he discovers that his theft has been made known in the new papers, and all the stolen money has ran out, he knew he had to go back to his real life. After a week of having the glamorized life he was longing for, Paul refused to go back to face the reality that he left behind in Pittsburgh. Paul knew he couldn’t go on forever in the City with no money in his pockets so he decided to give up on his own life. While going to get on his train that would bring him back to reality, Paul stepped out in front of it and killed himself. The unnamed protagonist in â€Å"Araby† is just an average adolescent boy. His schedule never changes; week to week it is always the same. Each week he helps his Aunt shop for groceries and for fun he plays outside with other boys his age. There is nothing special about his family either. He lives with his aunt and uncle in an average house, in a normal town. Like most kids, his best friend is his neighbor, Mangan. His uncle is a business man and seems to follow the same routine every d ay. The only thing that makes the boy excited each day is the thought of Mangan’s sister. He would time his mornings around her and make sure that when she left her house, he left his. He would follow behind her down the street until he had the chance to quickly walk by her. He has only spoken to her a couple times, but the thought of her drives him