Psychology 43 questions - Essay Example

Running Head: Paul’s Case Paul’s Case s Paul’s Case Contrast Paul's three worlds in Pittsburgh: his school, Cordelia Street (home and neighborhood), and Carnegie Hall. How does he act - and feel - in each setting? How does each environment influence him?  Paul’s life in Pittsburgh is far from a happy one and this is largely due to Paul’s desire for an opulent lifestyle and his neighborhood is too mediocre for him; therefore Paul is highly repulsed by it. His character is greatly influenced by his home, school and Carnegie hall, where he eventually gets the job of an usher.

Paul lives in Cordelia Street, which was a working class neighborhood with haggard-looking businessmen rushing off to their work and though it was a decent place to live Paul seemed to loathe his neighborhood immensely. As for his school, Paul had the same sentiments and despised everyone; he was filled with a certain superiority complex that caused him to belittle everyone around him. The only place he ever loved was Carnegie Hall and did his duty as an usher wonderfully. In this very place Paul discovered his undying passion for the theatre and arts, and being around these things had a soporific impact and he completely forgot about all his worries in life.

And in Carnegie hall he completely changed as a person and it turned out to be an escape for Paul from the troubles of his real life. 2. What is the significance of the fact that his father and other men in his neighborhood worked for the "iron kings"? Whom does his father want Paul to emulate? Is such a role model suitable for Paul, given his character?  The legend of the ‘Iron kings’ was about a group of Cash boys and soon stumbled upon great fortune and the fact that Paul’s father had worked for him symbolized that one day Paul too, like these Cash boys would have a life of great wealth and luxury.

He was always busy dreaming about a life full of luxury. On the other hand, a young clerk was the model chosen by Paul’s father and wished to see his son as an accomplished clerk. However, given Paul’s temperament that characterized by impatience and hunger for wealth; it can be stated that a clerk’s position is not suitable for Paul. 3. What is the relationship between Paul and his father?  Like all the other people in the neighborhood and school, Paul despised his father and was constantly perturbed by the strong expectations he attached with him.

His quest for wealth often caused him to look down on his father for his modest life and income. On the other hand, Paul’s father is a kind and generous figure. He loves his son and even takes care of their needs no matter what. He even pays back the $1000 he steals and then comes looking for his son in New York, which shows what a loving father he was. But due to Paul’s behavior and self-important behavior they both had a troubled relationship. 4. Paul thinks, "Money is everything." is money his problem?

IS it everything that he's missing?  As Paul had grew up in such poverty and having lost his mother at such a young age, it is understandable that Paul became delusional. In order to cope with the loss of his mother, he displaced all his love on material wealth and believed that money was in fact everything. Though, money was not his only problem, his problem was his self-important behavior and this belief that he was better than other, though he wasn’t willing to prove how he was better then everyone else.

Same was the case with money, he thought money was important but did not want to make the efforts to achieve it. 5. Why the title? What is "Paul's case"? How is he viewed by the school authorities, his father, his peers, even those he idolized - the theater people? What is your analysis of "his case"? The title immediately gives people the idea that Paul’s problem largely stems from a psychological disorder. Therefore, the reader does not judge Paul but instead understand his behavior and his erroneous thought processes.

The school authority demonstrates immense hate and spite and even his peers start avoiding him due to the lies he tell them about his lavish life and contacts. His father believes that Paul has no ambition and must become a clerk. For the theater people he is just another one of their fans. Out of his teachers, Paul’s drawing teacher is the only one who understands him and brings the point to surface that he is not rude but just disturbed. The problem is that no one actually took the time to understand and instead relied on their intuition that caused them to eventually exacerbate Paul’s problem. 6. How are we meant to view his suicide?

Was it inevitable? How do you judge his resolution? If this was his resolution, what was his crisis?  His suicide is actually a sign of his guilt; even though it is understandable that Paul’s behavior was largely the result of his psychological disorder. However, his insight was intact and he was able realize that every single aspect of his life was a lie. Though he had realized this in the hotel room of New York, but finally when he discovered that his theft has been discovered, which was then paid by his father and now he was in New York looking for him.

He realized that he did not have the courage to face his father and a result the final resolution to his crisis was death and hence he committed suicide. 7. In the hotel in New York City, Paul reflected on the "meshes of lies" that were tightening on him: what in his life, and in him, was "true" and what was "fiction"? Sitting in his hotel room, Paul suddenly realized that he has been lying all this while and even though he is enjoying the life that he has always wanted to live, he still could not come to terms with the fact that it is all a lie and soon he will be returning to his old life in Pittsburgh.

The guilt of him stealing the money from his employers to afford all the luxuries in the hotel made him feel even worse and at that pint he could finally tell true from fiction. He realized that no matter how rich the hotel staff thinks he is, back in Pittsburgh he will be labeled as a thief and there is no escaping that. Reference: Cather, W. 2009. Paul’s Case: A study in temperament. Harper & Collins.