Tobias Mindernickel

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Tobias Mindernickel is a novella by Thomas Mann from 1898. The original title was pity , an indication that the story can also be understood as a parody of Schopenhauer's demand for pity .

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Mindernickel, a shy man, rarely leaves his unadorned apartment on the top floor of a poor apartment building in "Grauen Strasse No. 47", because he is then immediately mocked by street boys in his neighborhood and the adults do not stop this goings-on. This naughtiness and heartlessness of his fellow human beings was not only triggered by Mindernickel's old-fashioned and shabby appearance and his grim face, which looks "as if life had smacked him with full fist and laughing contemptuously", but above all his shameful feeling of inferiority. He was "simply not up to existence itself" and made "the painful impression as if nature had denied him the measure of balance, strength and backbone that would be sufficient to exist with his head held high."

One day, one of the boys who always chase him trips, falls on the pavement, and hits his forehead with blood. Suddenly Tobias is transformed, helps the boy up, comforts him and bandages his wound with his handkerchief. Word of the incident got around and for a while Minernickel was left alone, but this did not last long. Soon everything will be back to normal.

On one of his rare walks, Mindernickel spontaneously buys a young hunting dog , which he takes into his apartment and calls it Esau . Now Tobias, whose apartment was so far without life - even in the flower pot on his dark window sill , which he smells on every now and then, there is only earth and nothing grows - finally society and a job. But above all, he has someone who is dependent on him, to whom he can give his compassion and with whom he can play the master and forget his other impotence . Esau quickly learns to obey. But once his obedience weakens, Tobias quickly becomes impatient and gets into a "disproportionate and mad rage ". Mercilessly he then thrashes the little puppy with a stick , but just as quickly lets mercy go again, reconciles with the whimpering animal, enjoys showing him his mercy and compassion and spoils it from morning to evening.

In the long run, however, Esau is not prepared to just be pampered and petted on the sofa all day; he has to give in to his urge to move. One day he even escapes into the alley, which then becomes a special treat for the neighbors. Mindernickel reacts to such a surge of youthful zest for life again with a very bitter outbreak of beating violence. When Esau, on the other hand, ran into the clumsily held knife a few weeks later while Mindernickel was preparing his food and seriously injured himself in the process, Mindernickel's luck knew no bounds: the dog can no longer romp around in high spirits and "for no reason" but has to groom itself and let regret, a duty that his master only too gladly relieves, carefully and devotedly fulfills.

But no sooner has Esau recovered than the old difficulties begin. Mindernickel mournfully observed the fun-loving animal. Suddenly he is seized by another attack of blind anger . He takes the knife, jumps at Esau and drives the blade deep into his chest with a huge cut. In the next moment he laid the rattling dog on the sofa, talking regretfully, and kneels in front of him so that he can take care of him again. But he stabbed too hard. The animal dies in his hands and Tobias "wept bitterly".

expenditure

  • Thomas Mann: Little Mr. Friedemann and other short stories . S. Fischer, Berlin 1909. 171 pages, content: The will to happiness / disappointment / the Bajazzo / Tobias Mindernickel / Luischen / the hungry / the railway accident.
  • Thomas Mann: Selected stories . Bermann-Fischer, Stockholm 1948. 6. – 12. Edition, 860 pages. Thin print, linen (Stockholm Complete Edition). Contents: Little Mr Friedemann / Disappointment / Tristan / Tobias Mindernickel / Tonio Kröger / The way to the cemetery / Mr and dog / The wardrobe / Confessions of the impostor Felix Krull / Death in Venice / With the prophet / Disorder and early suffering / Difficult hour / Mario and the magician / The child prodigy / The swapped heads / The law.
  • Thomas Mann: All the stories. Volume 1. Fischer-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Frankfurt 1987, ISBN 3-10-348115-2 , pp. 95-101