Friedrich

Polycarp first appears in Chapter 1, then very briefly in Chapter 8, and then not again until the last chapter. The name is derived from Greek (πολύκαρπος) and means “he that brings much fruit.” This name coincides well since Polycarp is a multifunctioning symbol, paralleling both Herr Resch and Friedrich, their characteristics and fates. Garden gnomes are used as symbols for good luck, because they watch over the earth, and thus, maintain its fertility. In this sense, the symbolism is both apropos and ironic. For the narrator’s family, their luck and prosperity does indeed increase, but the Schneiders’ luck most certainly decreases. In reference to the name’s meaning, Polycarp does bring about much “fruit” in the sense that the building, in front of which he stands, represents a microcosm of the larger events surrounding Jewish persecution at the hands of the Nazis.

Polycarp symbolizes Herr Resch in several ways. Like every character in the novel, Herr Resch’s physical description is never fully given, other than that he is fat and out-of-shape. Polycarp is given more description than any other character in the novel, and because of his affiliation as Herr Resch’s garden gnome, one imagines Herr Resch’s appearance as something gnomelike.