Scary Stories

In today’s world nearly everything revolves around money. Having enough to buy whatever you want is desired as much as anything. It is no different in the story “Paul’s Case” as Paul has become preoccupied with the thought of having money and being able to buy anything he wants no matter the cost. He believes that it will solve all of his problems much like how many people today do. The problem for Paul is that he has no work ethic, and similar to people today he feels entitled to having money.

In “Paul’s Case” the main character Paul struggles to understand the value of a dollar and misunderstands what money represents. Most people work hard to make a living and this reflects the amount of money they have or the things that they have purchased because of their hard work. He assumes that it will rid him of all of his problems and on top of that he has no interest in working to earn money. Paul can’t seem to grasp the concept that you need to work hard to earn the money even if it means starting at the bottom like the other boys mentioned in the story. Instead Paul wants to have money just to show that he has it. “He had not a hundred dollars left, and he knew now, more than ever, that money was everything, the wall that stood between all he loathed and all he wanted” (Cather). One would think that Paul would learn his lesson that having money all that money and then spending it would leave him feeling the same but instead it makes him realize that it is all he really wants. Even after blowing through all of that money Paul can’t seem to grasp the basic concept that money isn’t everything. It’s as if he has no morals and just doesn’t care or he seems to ignore it.

Purchasing a new item after having desired it for a long time is one of the best feelings in the world. Knowing that you worked hard in order to be able to buy something can prove to you if you work hard enough that you will be rewarded. This isn’t the case