Is St. Peter Presented In The Professor's House By Willa Cather
The Professor's House Bottom of p.238-239
"When the first of August came round, the Professor realized that he had pleasantly trifled away nearly two months at a task which should have taken little more than a week. But had had been doin5ttg a good deal besides something he had never before been able to do.
St. Peter had always laughed at people who talked about day-dreams,' just as he laughed at people who naively confessed that they had an imagination.' All his life his mind had behaved in a positive fashion. When he was not at work, or being actively amused, he went to sleep. He had no twilight stage. But now he enjoyed this half-awake loafing with his brain as if it were a new sense, arriving late, like wisdom teeth. He found …show more content…
Peter The Professor's House by Willa Cather dissects the life of Professor St. Peter describing his need to work in his study away from his family, his need for power in his household and his obsession with the idea that the past is better than the present. Throughout the novel, Cather portrays St. Peter as a workaholic who has no time for his family's frivolous activities. However, in this passage, St. Peter realizes that, in their absence, he can relax and the boy he once was can be reborn.
In the past, St. Peter had mocked anyone who did not use their time productively: "St. Peter had always laughed at people who talked about day-dreams,'" and "people who naively confessed that they had an imagination."' Now St. Peter seems to enjoy having daydreams and using his imagination. Yet, Cather still encloses the words in quotations as if St. Peter still somewhat mocks the idea of having daydreams and an imagination and finds them absurd. The word "naively" demonstrates that St. Peter felt that he was more knowledgeable than other people, which may be tied to his feeling of being more powerful. Cather then says that "all his [St. Peter's] life his mind had behaved in a positive fashion. When he was not at work, or being actively amused, he went to sleep. He had no twilight stage." The word "behave" gives the connation of St. Peter controlling his mind since it always had to "behave" well. Everything used to be organized for St. Peter because he never had …show more content…
Peter feels as though he is about to die, he has a rebirth, resulting from taking time for relaxation. He explains that it is "as if it [leisure time] were a new sense, arriving late, like wisdom teeth." His "wisdom teeth" are a reminder of his past and youth and since wisdom teeth are usually pulled when one reaches maturity, his "youth" was pulled from him when he married and had children. Now, St. Peter says: "He was cultivating a novel mental dissipation - enjoying a new friendship" with "the boy the Professor had long ago left behind the original, unmodified Godfrey St. Peter." Interestingly, Cather uses the word "novel" to describe St. Peter's mentality since he has spent his life writing novels, but here the word "novel" means "fresh" and "new" because St. Peter's mentality of indulgence is a new idea to him. St. Peter is also obsessed with the feeling that the past is better than the present and everything was better long ago than it is now. He has a friendship with himself, the unchanged one, who did not have to work to make money or get married and have children. He is the one that can enjoy life and have value just being alive. Using this passage, Will Cather changes the whole perception of Professor St. Peter who now enjoys the freedom of
"When the first of August came round, the Professor realized that he had pleasantly trifled away nearly two months at a task which should have taken little more than a week. But had had been doin5ttg a good deal besides something he had never before been able to do.
St. Peter had always laughed at people who talked about day-dreams,' just as he laughed at people who naively confessed that they had an imagination.' All his life his mind had behaved in a positive fashion. When he was not at work, or being actively amused, he went to sleep. He had no twilight stage. But now he enjoyed this half-awake loafing with his brain as if it were a new sense, arriving late, like wisdom teeth. He found …show more content…
Peter The Professor's House by Willa Cather dissects the life of Professor St. Peter describing his need to work in his study away from his family, his need for power in his household and his obsession with the idea that the past is better than the present. Throughout the novel, Cather portrays St. Peter as a workaholic who has no time for his family's frivolous activities. However, in this passage, St. Peter realizes that, in their absence, he can relax and the boy he once was can be reborn.
In the past, St. Peter had mocked anyone who did not use their time productively: "St. Peter had always laughed at people who talked about day-dreams,'" and "people who naively confessed that they had an imagination."' Now St. Peter seems to enjoy having daydreams and using his imagination. Yet, Cather still encloses the words in quotations as if St. Peter still somewhat mocks the idea of having daydreams and an imagination and finds them absurd. The word "naively" demonstrates that St. Peter felt that he was more knowledgeable than other people, which may be tied to his feeling of being more powerful. Cather then says that "all his [St. Peter's] life his mind had behaved in a positive fashion. When he was not at work, or being actively amused, he went to sleep. He had no twilight stage." The word "behave" gives the connation of St. Peter controlling his mind since it always had to "behave" well. Everything used to be organized for St. Peter because he never had …show more content…
Peter feels as though he is about to die, he has a rebirth, resulting from taking time for relaxation. He explains that it is "as if it [leisure time] were a new sense, arriving late, like wisdom teeth." His "wisdom teeth" are a reminder of his past and youth and since wisdom teeth are usually pulled when one reaches maturity, his "youth" was pulled from him when he married and had children. Now, St. Peter says: "He was cultivating a novel mental dissipation - enjoying a new friendship" with "the boy the Professor had long ago left behind the original, unmodified Godfrey St. Peter." Interestingly, Cather uses the word "novel" to describe St. Peter's mentality since he has spent his life writing novels, but here the word "novel" means "fresh" and "new" because St. Peter's mentality of indulgence is a new idea to him. St. Peter is also obsessed with the feeling that the past is better than the present and everything was better long ago than it is now. He has a friendship with himself, the unchanged one, who did not have to work to make money or get married and have children. He is the one that can enjoy life and have value just being alive. Using this passage, Will Cather changes the whole perception of Professor St. Peter who now enjoys the freedom of