keep your job (after saying he was fired)?”(67) Henry responded promptly with “Yes”(67). Mr. Hairston later told Henry the task he would have to perform, I want you to go to that craft center one day next week. On any day you choose. In the afternoon…When the center closes for the day—you said it closes at six o’clock?—you stay behind without being seen…You wait a while. To make sure everyone’s gone. Then you come out…Then you find a hammer. There must be a hammer there, right? You said they have tools of all kinds there. All right, find a hammer. Or even an ax. Something like that…I want you to take the hammer and smash the old man’s village. Smash it, break it….(69-70). Mr. Hairston doesn’t like Mr. Levine because he is Jewish, for this reason he tells Henry to destroy a miniature Jewish village, which Mr. Levine has handcrafted over many weeks. Henry knows that this is very wrong but if he goes through with it his boss will let him keep his job and he will also give Henry the tombstone that he wants for his brother’s grave, which Henry doesn’t have the money to buy. When Henry goes to the craft center to destroy the village a lot of thoughts run through his mind. Henry thought, “Do it. But could not. Could not move either”(89). Henry obviously has moral values otherwise he wouldn’t be contemplating on whether or not smashing his friend’s handcrafted village is worth it. Then suddenly a rat ran a crossed the village, which made Henry drop the mallet destroying Mr. Levine’s village. After Henry dropped the mallet he said to himself, “I didn’t want to do it”(90). He didn’t want to do it but his selfishness of the rewards he would get put him in the situation that would forever change his life. Also in the novel Tunes for Bears to Dance to, Henry’s family was ove...
