reading, that physiological manifestations represent the inner working of
the mind, or soul. It is Franz' monologues in conjunction with his own
judgment about his ugliness that support reading him as the villain;
physiognomy plays no role here in judging Franz' villainy.
There are many factors contributing to Christian's expulsion from
society, but his physical disfigurement functions as the leitmotif, leading
to the conclusion that he is a victim of his own deformity. There is some
question about Christian's cognizance of his ugliness, and yet it is not
his knowledge of his physical deformity that compels him to a life of
crime. Rather, society's reaction to his malproportioned appearance leads
to his downfall. Christian becomes a poacher out of a desire to ingratiate
himself to a young woman in order to make "seine AuiSenseit geltend"
(Schiller 2004). It is this desire for social acceptance that leads him to fall
from grace. Three times, he is repelled by society. Christian is arrested
and punished three times, each punishment being successively more
stringent. The result of Christian's third punishment is mental and
physical injury from the hard labor and hardened company in prison.
Christian's turn to criminality and violence stems not from a desire
to do harm, but rather a desire to avenge himself against those that had
harmed him. Upon his release from prison, he offers a coin to a child
who rejects it. Christian is surprised at having his kindness rejected by a
child, children normally considered ignorant of the prejudices that
society later imposes on them. "Bin ich denn irgendwo auf der Stirne
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