When Paul's father took him out of school and demanded he not work or see anyone at the Theatre, I believe it was at this point of the story that he took away apart of Paul's life, his fantasy life. He took away Paul's meaning of life and put him back into the reality, the world Paul did not like because for him it was the instruments, the music and the lights, as well as, his job responsibilities which made him feel like someone special.Once Paul lost all of this, he followed his dream about going to New York and while there, fell into more of a fantasy world. I think this is where Cather uses the weather to symbolize and point out Paul's feelings.I believe the phrase "The snow was whirling in curling eddies" was referring to Paul's excitement of being in New York whirling inside him recalling his dearest pleasures. "the grey winter twilight's in his sitting-room; his quiet enjoyment of his flowers, his clothes, his wide divan, his cigarette, and his sense of power". He could not remember a time when he had felt so at peace within himself.The statement "violets, roses, carnations, lilies-of-the-valley somehow vastly more lovely and alluring that they blossomed thus naturally in the snow" I feel was referring to how Paul felt inside while in New York. He finally could be at peace with himself and felt as though his life had blossomed, the story makes reference by Paul feeling that everything was perfect now, he was the kind of person he always wanted to be, perfect like the flowers. He no longer had to "wonder whether he was destined always to shiver in the black night outside, looking up at it all", looking for what he longed to enjoy, even if it were not forever.I think that when the Denny and Carson finally found out that Paul had taken the money, Cather refers to their anger by "The snow was whirling so fiercely outside". As Paul "watched the snowflakes whirling by his window until he fell asleep", he was replaying his ever...
