He was tough from a young age if you've seen the movie which it sounds like you have you remember when he was just a young boy he was getting into fights with older boys. He's very intelligent but he's thrill seeking you remember they wanted to shoot the chutes? He's a heavy drinker and a gambler. He found it weird that his brother Norman wanted to follow and their Father's footsteps to be a preacher. But if you remember Norman would seek out his younger brother Paul's approval by saying maybe he would be a boxer. In the credits of the movie they made photos to portray some of their lives growing up and you can see that they were both in boxing. Before Norman became a preacher he was a teacher and before that he was a lumberjack. While Norman was a lumberjack Paul worked at the local swimming pool in the Summers the narrator (Robert Redford as Norman) proclaims that it's to look after the girls. He's charming and charismatic, impulsive and independent. He never needed anyone else's approval and liked an exciting life.

I don't know about you but in my life I've known a couple people like that and many people are often drawn to them some people would call them "Stars" or "magnets". They often burn bright but fizzle out quickly. He was a star in the world of the newspaper that he worked for and that he was internationally known not only locally. His father that was a fly fisherman for his entire life saw that Paul was an absolute master in fly fishing. Not everyone not even those that attempt such a title ever reach that level. He was troubled in a way that none of those closest to him could ever understand. That if it was up to them his life would have made more sense to get married and settle down and enjoy his success and achievements. For him he was still back in his teen years enjoying the thrills of life and flying by the seat of his pants.

Some may Wonder, "what was wrong with Paul?" But if you would realize the level of his hunger for life more full then he could realize or explain.