"Paul's Case"

When Paul works at Carnegie Hall he is exposed to the rich and elite members of society. He sees the way they dress and act carefree and decides that wants to lead a lifestyle similar to them. Paul feels like his life is boring and familiar, “It was worse than jail, even… Sabbath school, Young people’s Meeting, the yellow-papered room, the damp dish-towels; it all rushed back upon him with a sickening vividness.” Paul feels out of place in his own life and like he deserves something better. The normalcy of his life drives him to take drastic actions in an attempt to be better than average and truly fit in.

In New York City Paul gets to live out the fantasy life he had always envisioned for himself in Carnegie Hall. He uses stolen money to buy expensive suits accessorized with Tiffany’s jewelry, stayed in the extremely expensive Waldorf hotel, and had box seats at the Metropolitan Opera. “This is what all the world was fighting for, he reflected. This was what all the struggle was about. He doubted the reality of his past. Had he ever known a place called Cordelia Street..” Paul feels as though he is living a high class, almost royal, lifestyle. By having these nice things no one can question him or humiliate him and he truly feels special. Paul likes it so much because he feels like he fits into that society and nobody can question him.