Paul's Case

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Dr. Frye English 101 11/11/2013 The Mystery of Paul’s Case Willa Cather’s Paul’s Case invites oneself to investigate the inconspicuous mystery behind “Paul’s Case.” Cather provides the reader with plenteous clues and detailed descriptions of Paul’s temperament, however ultimately leaves Paul’s case unknown. At first glance it seems that Paul is possibly just struggling to pass through a phase in life, filled with egotism and conceit, that many teenagers must overcome; however, as Paul’s case continues to be explained it becomes clear that his predicament is more than what it seems. The mystery of Paul’s case has allowed room for various critics to come up with their own theories on Paul’s problem- some of which predict that Paul is a homosexual, has attention deficit disorder, or suffers from anxiety and depression. Paul’s plight causes many problems for him and leads to his eventual suicide. Certainly, juvenile arrogance cannot be the cause of such a serious result. Thus, Paul suffers from what is now known in the medical world as narcissistic personality disorder. According to PsychCentral, narcissistic personality disorder is a condition that is “characterized by a long-standing pattern of grandiosity (either in fantasy or actual behavior), an overwhelming need for admiration, and usually a complete lack of empathy toward others.” People with narcissistic personality disorder often feel as though they are of great significance in everyone’s life or anyone they are acquainted with. According to the DSM-IV (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), one must meet five or more of the following symptoms in order to be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder: “has a grandiose sense of self-importance (criterion 1); is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power,

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