Causal Analysis of Pauls Case by Willa Cather

"Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have." (Schachtel) "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather, is a story of a young man that lives in a world in which he feels he does not belong. According to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Paul could be "suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder, which is a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, the need for admiration, and the lack of empathy." (NAMI) His desire …

…and he is not the happiest of people. Paul's suicide is a direct result of unhappiness from his isolation from an "unworthy" society, his inability to impress others with elaborate tales of his life and an obsession with glamour to the point of stealing money from his employer. One must wonder if Paul ever has a chance of not committing suicide with the life he leads. Perhaps it is the only way out for him.