Q 01/05

In "Paul's Case", what does Paul wear in his buttonhole to face the faculty who want him punished?

A) A white gardenia

B) A red carnation

C) A purple orchid

D) A pink rosebud

Answer · why

B) A red carnation

A red carnation struck the faculty as anything but contrite, and Cather describes even Paul's parting bow as a repetition of that scandalous bloom.

Q 02/05

Which evening job at Carnegie Hall lets Paul lose himself in the concerts in "Paul's Case"?

A) Usher

B) Porter

C) Page boy

D) Doorman

Answer · why

A) Usher

Usher was the one role in which Paul shone: gracious and smiling, he treated the hall like a great reception at which he was the host.

Q 03/05

In which industrial city does Paul live with his father before running away in "Paul's Case"?

A) Cleveland

B) Detroit

C) Pittsburgh

D) Philadelphia

Answer · why

C) Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh was home to Cather herself for a decade, and she fills the story with its landmarks, from the concert hall to the grand hotel nearby.

Q 04/05

To which city does Paul run for a week of luxury near the end of "Paul's Case"?

A) Chicago

B) Boston

C) Baltimore

D) New York

Answer · why

D) New York

New York hotels filled pages of Paul's scrapbook, and the grand hotel he picks stood on the spot where the Empire State Building now rises.

Q 05/05

Which grand hotel does Paul check into, taking a bedroom, sitting room and bath, in "Paul's Case"?

A) The Plaza

B) The Waldorf

C) The Astor

D) The St. Regis

Answer · why

B) The Waldorf

The Waldorf gives Paul its rooms without question, because he offers to pay in advance and claims his parents are due back from abroad.