Why is it that we act the way we do and can we blame society for the acts that one commits? In the short story of “Tobias Mindernickel”, we will consider if the inhumanity and condemnation towards Tobias, led him to inflict pain on his dog for his own gratification. Tobias Mindernickel is a strange looking individual who did not fit in his community because of his appearance, his attire seem to be from another era (2). Tobias rarely left the comfort of his home for when he did a mob of children would gather around to “laugh and mock him”. This establishes the lack of courage to stand up for himself because despite the constant humiliation, he “would bow politely and humbly” to everyone passing him by and even after no one was taunting him, …show more content…
While Tobias was cutting bread, Esau jumped full of excitement at the bread and accidently ran into the knife that Tobias was holding. Immediately Tobias ran towards Esau, but his expression did not seem to be of concerned but rather of happiness and relief that Esau had gotten hurt. He tended to Esau’s wound and did not leave his sight, “yes, you are suffering my poor friend” he would tell him (24). Soon, Esau healed completely and was back to being joyful and full of excitement, but Tobias was not too happy about it he would look at Esau with such anger and jealousy (27). Tobias jealousy came from watching Esau enjoying life even though Tobias had concealed him from the outside world. What happened next was something unimaginable Tobias leaped towards Esau cutting him in the chest, this time no accident. Tobias laid next to Esau consoling him just how he did when the child got hurt, “poor brute, you suffer-but I am with you-here is my best handkerchief” This time Tobias made no efforts of helping Esau he just laid next to him watching him die(30). Once again, Tobias was all alone he had killed his only friend, had he still committed this cruel crime if things had been different and society had treated him with the dignity he deserved or is dignity only earned. Perhaps the narrator wants the reader to believe that Tobias is that strange person as describe in the beginning of the story. Therefore, society deserved to condemn him to such inhumanities. As the saying goes, what goes around comes