"Paul's Case"

Paul feels that anything considered “commonplace” is unhealthy for him. He thinks that he was destined to live a finer life. Thus, he steals the bank notes and travels to New York City, where he stays for a little over a week before news reaches the Pittsburgh paper. It is in New York that he feels “at home.” He stays in a luxury hotel, dines at the elegant restaurant below, and dresses with style. The final cause in this situation is Paul’s death. Deciding not to take his life via revolver, he instead jumps in front of a train. The thought of leaving New York City, only to return to the modest “repulsive” life he lead on Cordelia Street, was “worse than jail.” He hated the smell of home cooking, the yellow wallpaper in his room, his father standing at the top of the stairway waiting for him, and the wet dishtowels. He thought that every aspect of his hometown was trivial, and that his purpose in life was to experience the elegance it had to offer. This motivation stems largely from his desire for music - he feels the “romance” of the melodies in Carnegie Hall. Lastly, it is not so much that Paul wants to be working for his success, but more so that he believes he is destined to at least live the life of a wealthy man. He finds happiness in expense, and spending a week indulging in the luxuries of New York City is worth it to him (so much so that he is willing to take his own life).