Willa Cathers Paul‟s Case A Study in Temperament Essay

Willa Cather‟s â€Å"Paul‟s Case: A Study in Temperament† (1905) invites the reader to wonder, â€Å"What really is Paul‟s case?† Cather provides us with ample clues and descriptions of Paul‟s temperament with remarkable detail and insight into the human psyche considering that she had no formal background in psychology and that she was writing when Sigmund Freud was just beginning to publish his theories and was therefore writing by intuitive observation rather than by using a scientific approach. Because â€Å"Paul‟s Case† is written much like a descriptive analysis or case study in a patient‟s temperament, the reader is left with several details about Paul that are mysterious and psychiatrically and medically unexplained. The lack of a diagnosis for†¦show more content†¦They also have a strong sense of entitlement, and â€Å"begrudge others of their success or possessions, feeling that they better deserve those achievements, admirations, or privileges† (715). Paul evidently has the desire to be a part of the privileged upperclass, or at least play the role, perhaps because it makes him feel more comfortable to be luxurious, or perhaps because he enjoys being â€Å"special, or unique† (714) in comparison to those around him. Also related is Criterion 1, which states that people with Narcissistic Personality Disorder have â€Å"a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)† (717). Paul certainly feels superior to his living situation with his father on Cordelia Street. Paul never goes home â€Å"without a shudder of loathing,† because he had an overwhelming sensation, every time he approached the street, of â€Å"sinking back forever into ugliness and commonness† (688). He preferred a neighboring street that was respectable, and filled with businessmen and large families with children who went to Sabbath school and were interested in arithmetic (688). Sarah Kane Because life does not meet Paul‟s lavish expectations, he seeks them himself. He escapes his â€Å"flavorless,