She talks about the unjust educational system that imposes itself on students, restricting them within the limits of what the school wants, especially if it is religious, and does not leave them room to delve into themselves, nature, or learn from the sciences of philosophy, and this is what happened when the principal and teachers opposed the child, Herman. Heilner, who was reading Homer, poetry, and philosophy, led him to run away
The novel examines the life of a simple young man who is plagued by his ability to memorize and achieve academically in a small society that pins its hopes and disappointments on the backs of children and teenagers. Young Hans tries to fulfill everyone's dream by passing the most important test that will determine his fate to become either a priest that his father and small community are proud of, or an insignificant craftsman, as the novel depicts.