 In the estate of Busch there is the note " <unk> die <unk> <unk> " ( <unk> through the childhood years ) , however there is no evidence that Busch was referring to himself . He couldn 't recall any beating from his father . His uncle Kleine beat him once , not with the conventional <unk> stick , but symbolically with dried <unk> stalks , this for <unk> cow hairs into a village <unk> 's pipe . Weissweiler observes that Busch probably saw <unk> at his village school , where he went for three years , and quite possibly also received this punishment . In <unk> <unk> <unk> Busch illustrates a form of nonviolent progressive education that fails in one scene , and <unk> in the following scene ; the <unk> that ensued indicate Busch 's pessimistic picture of life , which has its roots in the Protestant ethic of the 19th century , in which he believed that man is inherently evil and will never master his vices . Civilisation is the aim of education , but it can only mask man 's instincts superficially . <unk> only leads to a continuation of man 's <unk> , therefore punishment is required , even if he retains his unrepentant character , becomes a trained puppet , or in extreme cases , dies . 
