Chapter 38, The Hedgehog Summary

With Ulla's help, Oskar finds a cheap room to rent. The boarding house is across the court from a coffin warehouse. Zeidler, the landlord, resembles a hedgehog. Whenever he becomes angry with his wife, he smashes 8 glasses from their well-stocked cabinet against the stove in the kitchen. One of the boardinghouse residents is a trained nurse, Sister Dorothea. Although Oskar never sees her, she fascinates him. He begins monitoring the letters she receives, checking the post in the hall while she is at work. When she begins receiving decorous love letters from a doctor, Oskar determines to attend medical school.

Chapter 38, The Hedgehog Analysis

Almost as an afterthought, Oskar mentions that Maria has started seeing her boss, the owner of the delicatessen. As the romance blossoms, Oskar's interest in nurses grows. Nurses hold the same fascination for Oskar as...