Willa Cathers Paul‟s Case: A Study in Temperament Essay examples -- P

Willa Cathers capital of Minnesotas Case A Study in Temperament (1905) invites the proofreader to wonder, What really is capital of Minnesotas case? Cather provides us with ample clues and descriptions of capital of Minnesotas 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 respectable beginning to publish his theories and was therefore writing by intuitive annotation rather than by using a scientific approach. Because capital of Minnesotas Case is written much like a descriptive outline or case study in a patients temperament, the reader is left with several dilate about Paul that atomic number 18 mysterious and psychiatrically and medically un justifyed. The lack of a diagnosis for Paul has conduct many critics to develop their own diagnosis some say Paul is a stereotypical homosexual, has Aspergers Syndrome or Autism, or that he has a combinatio n of depression and anxiety. In my opinion, however, the most likely diagnosis for Paul is that he suffers from Narcissistic temper Disorder.According to the DSM-IV, plenty with Narcissistic Personality Disorder are preoccupied with fantasiesof unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal revel (Criterion 2) and believe that theyare special and unique and can only be understood by, or should be associated with, other special orhigh-status people (Criterion 3). Pauls clothing gives us our first clue to his narcissistic attitudesabout himself in Cathers description of Pauls dress, it is unpatterned that Paul is attempting to riseabove his lower-class status by mimicking the f number class appearance. The collar of Pauls overcoat isvelvet, and there was something of the slap-up about him, and he wore an... ...her was writing about a social distract that had not yet beenidentified or studied. Despite the lack of experience about Narcissistic Personality Disorderwhen Cather wrote this short story, she provides readers with plenty of details to diagnose theboy themselves. Narcissism is the only diagnosis that can explain all of Pauls attitudes and behaviors,and that is why it is the disorder that he must(prenominal) be suffering from. operations CitedDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of cordial Disorders DSM-IV. Arlington, VA. American Psychiatric Association, 2007. Print.Larry Rubin. The Homosexual Motif in Willa Cathers Pauls Case Studies in Short Fiction (1975) 127-31. Print.Perkins, Barbara, Robyn Warhol-Down, and George B. Perkins. Pauls Case A Study inTemperament. Womens Work an Anthology of American Literature. New York McGrawHill, 1994. Print.