In the estate of Busch there is the note " Durch die Kinderjahre hindurchgeprügelt " ( Beaten 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 rattan stick , but symbolically with dried dahlia stalks , this for stuffing cow hairs into a village idiot 's pipe . Weissweiler observe that Busch probably saw canings at his village school , where he went for three years , and quite possibly also received this punishment . In Abenteuer eines Junggesellen Busch illustrate a form of nonviolent progressive education that fail in one scene , and caning in the following scene ; the canings that ensued indicate Busch 's pessimistic picture of life , which have 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 . Gentleness only lead to a continuation of man 's misdeeds , therefore punishment is required , even if he retain his unrepentant character , become a trained puppet , or in extreme cases , die .