Polycarp

Well, I think that Polycarp may have done more than set the scene. He actually says a lot about Herr Resch. The two facts(1. The landlord's wife had to trim the grass so that Polycarp could see over it, like Herr Resch not doing his job but leaving it to someone else and 2. Herr Resch cared more about Polycarp than Friedrich and his family) seem to insinuate that Herr Resch is rather inhumane, as Shirlyn says, and lazy to boot. That he would put his own garden dwarf in higher regard than a living person, Jew or no, already gives us the impression of a highly racist/sentimental (?) person. Not to mention his leaving his job to others, like Polycarp does. I think that the comparison to Polycarp tells you that others must do things for Herr Resch, that he is used to getting his own way and that others must bend to his will. Or something along those lines.
--Clarilyn