In the 1905 short story “Paul's Case,” author Willa Cather leaves the reader wondering what exactly Paul's “case” is . Throughout the story, there seem to be clues left by Cather as to what Paul's obstacles are. Some of Cather's indications of what Paul is dealing with make it appear that Paul is suffering from narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) and the effects of an unresolved Oedipus complex. These potential factors of Paul's ambiguous personality are expressed through his actions. Examples of some of his alarming behaviors would be his views on society and his poor decisions towards the end of the story. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Willa Cather's story, "Paul's Case," the opening scene begins with a meeting discussing whether Paul, the story's main character, should be allowed to return to school after his one-week suspension Before. After the meeting it turns out that there was something about Paul that no one could directly understand. It turns out that at an early age Paul lost his mother. It is clear that he would not remember this experience or not at all, but there are many direct effects that come with losing a parent. A consequence of losing a parent could be the development of narcissistic personality disorder. This disorder can cause a person to feel better than those around them and feel that they are entitled to more than they have earned. There are many other symptoms of this disorder such as: “Feeling and behaving in socially distressing ways, limiting your ability to function in relationships and other areas of your life, such as work or school… feeling a sense of entitlement – ​​and when do not receive special treatment, you may become impatient or angry. You can insist on having “the best” of everything…” (Mayo Clinic) These examples of NPD are clearly shown in Paul's arrogant personality. When Paul's teachers realize they should be easier on him, he is allowed to return to school. After the meeting, Paul goes to his workplace, Carnegie Hall, where he works as an usher. Being an usher seems to be Paul's calling in life. He appreciates this occupation and admires what he does, to the point of making it slightly alarming. Paul seems to be infatuated with art and theater: “The instruments seemed to release a powerful and entertaining spirit within him… He felt a sudden joy of living; the lights danced before his eyes and the concert hall shone in unimaginable splendor” (Cather). The author's descriptions of Paul's euphoric experience express that art is like an escape for him. However, for someone in a disordered state like Paul, these types of escapes are not beneficial. He's already so out of touch with reality, so further disappointments won't help his distorted view of the world. After the symphony, he follows a singer from the show to her hotel, he is left outside daydreaming about what it would be like to live a luxurious lifestyle like her. He believes that his daydreams about this life should have reflected the possibility of living in this disorder. This possibility is reflected through his other actions. His actions also reflect the possibility of other problems within Paul. Willa Cather describes the street where Paul's house is located as "highly respectable." As Paul walks home, Paul is said to feel a shiver of disgust as he heads down his street. He hates the simplicity of life around him, the author describes his views as: “…contempt for bedsrespectable, of common food, of a house penetrated by the smells of cooking; a trembling repulsion for the tasteless and colorless mass of everyday existence; a morbid desire for beautiful things, soft lights and fresh flowers” ​​(Cather). While he still lives a wealthy life, but still desires more. These greedy ways towards him can be explained by his disorderly personality. When Paul finally arrives home, we discover new information about Paul. Cather states that Paul was afraid of mice and didn't like the basement of his house, but to avoid confrontation with his father, Paul chooses to sleep there. This shows the strong feelings he must have towards his father. However, to the reader, it does not appear that Paul's father has many strong negative feelings towards Paul. It turns out that Paul's father really wants the absolute best for Paul, this is also reflected later. The following evening, Paul goes to the theater, to go out with a friend called Charley, who seems perhaps more than just a friend. Cather describes their relationship as: “For more than a year Paul had spent every available moment loitering in the dressing room of Charley Edwards… the young actor, who could not afford to hire a wardrobe” (Cather). Willa Cather also goes on to say that the theater was Paul's infatuation, but mentions it in a way that might suggest something more about Charley: "This was Paul's fairy tale, and had for him all the charm of a secret love." ( Cater). This statement seems to imply that Paul may have been homosexual. His feelings towards Charley, his feelings towards his father, and his mother's death point to the possibility of an unresolved Oedipus complex. The Oedipus Complex, a theory of Sigmund Freud, suggests that during a child's development it is important to have a "...desire for sexual involvement with the parent of the opposite sex and a concomitant sense of rivalry with the parent of the same sex" (The Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica). This is important because it helps shape a child's personality. When the child finally subconsciously realizes that he cannot be with the parent of the opposite sex, he takes the same-sex parent's qualities to try to be more like him, hoping to find someone similar to him. In Paul's case, he only had his father his entire life. If this process of Freud's is so crucial to sexual development and personality shaping, Paul failed to complete it, leaving it unresolved. This could have resulted in him only being subconsciously attracted to his father, developing a more homosexual personality. Being homosexual could have contributed significantly to Paul's problems considering the time period and likelihood of being accepted for who he was by society and his father. These ideas are further demonstrated later in the story when Paul meets another boy. This possible unresolved Oedipus complex and narcissistic personality disorder could contribute to Paul's case. These contributors then have a strong impact on Paul's fate. Over the course of “The Paul Case,” Paul seems to lose himself and become more and more distant as we get closer to the finale. Paul's narcissistic personality disorder symptoms grow as he grows fond of Charley. Paul starts boasting at school about how close he is to theater and different actors; a symptom of NPD is “…exaggerating one’s accomplishments and talents” (Mayo Clinic). It becomes alarming for the school and Paul's father. Eventually, Paul's father pulls him out of school and makes him stop working at the theater. In addition to taking away his dream job, she no longer allows him to see Charley. Paul's father didn't do this to hurt him, he actually did it for his benefit. Following these