The Inner Depths of the Dwarf"The human being needs flattery; otherwise he will not fulfill his purpose, not even in his own eyes." These are the words of the bold and ruthless protagonist of Par Lagerkvist's novel, The Dwarf. The keen insights of this twenty-six inch tall man, described throughout the book, are both shocking and inspiring. Told from the dwarf's point of view, the book contains numerous expressions of hatred towards humans and the dwarf's "detestable" race. The dwarf also shows his disgust for the princess intermittently throughout the novel. Living as a servant and confidante of a prince during the time when the Black Death was sweeping Europe, the dwarf experiences many instances where he must commit evil crimes for the prince. He does this willingly, given his lack of conscience. Ultimately, these crimes force him into eternal imprisonment in the prison beneath the fortress, where he can only write daily records of his empty life during the hours when the sun shines through the cracks, and hope to be called upon by the Prince again. At first, the dwarf condemns humans as "a bunch of winsome cows" who prize nobility and beauty and who babble about virtue, honor, and chivalry. He believes that human beings are "shrouded in mystery", but exclaims: "nothing ever emerges from my inner depths", nothing is mysterious in him. Despite these feelings, he is loyal and respectful of his lord, the prince. He expresses his gratitude for his masters' kindness and remains loyal, although he is strangely shocked by their actions. However, the main feelings of disgust stem from his view of his race and himself. "He is my fa... middle of paper... and for this he wishes to kill everything. Why should these disgusting creatures who call themselves men exist? He states that it is human culture to fight and that "All human culture is nothing more than an attempt to achieve something unattainable, something that far transcends the possibilities of realization. There he was, mutilated, tragic as a torso. Is not the human spirit itself a torso?" These shocking insights require the reader to reflect on the theme of human culture and the human spirit. The dwarf's thoughtfulness is extremely effective in conveying the meaning of the work as a whole. His belligerent attitude and negative attitude portrays the sense of desperation and ferocity, which makes the novel so intense and interesting. This attitude is responsible for noticing the blurred vision that humans have of the world, but "Human beings like to see themselves reflected in blurred mirrors..."