teenage boy from Pittsburgh named Paul, who seems to be suffering from an unknown personality disorder, which psychiatrists and psychologists will eventually come to identify as Narcissistic Personality Disorder nearly eighty years after the publication of the story.

Cather presents Paul as a socially disconnected, irrational, and borderline delusional boy with an incredibly active imagination; he is sensitive, emotional, and convinced that he is destined for greater things. His peers and his teachers describe him as "peculiarly offensive, insolent, always irritable and wretched," and everyone, including his father, agrees that there might be something wrong with him.

Paul is fascinated by beauty, art, wealth, luxury and "all things shiny," because his own reality is the exact opposite of that. He adores his job as an usher at Carnegie Hall, because he can admire the beautiful and glamorous environment which surrounds him and, for a moment, can pretend that he's actually a part of that world. What's even more concerning, however, is that he seems ready to do whatever it takes to achieve that momentary fantasy; thus, he lies, he steals, and ultimately kills himself when he sees that he can no longer have the luxury that he desperately desires.

In his final moments, he realizes that there's so much more of the world to see; however it's too late. In the end, his delusion, his constant alienation from the real world, as well as the pressure he subconsciously feels from his family and the society in general ultimately lead Paul to his death.

In his analysis of Carher's story titled "'Paul's Case': A Narcissistic Personality Disorder, 301.81," author Rob Saari argues that Paul fits all nine diagnostic criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder.