A sensitive and sickly child, "vague and dreamy", he was often taken to be intellectually disabled, and was beaten regularly at school by his teachers and at home by his father.
Ta oli tundlik ja haiglane laps; et ta oli "ebamäärane ja unistav", peeti teda sageli vaimselt alaarenenuks; koolis peksid teda õpetajad ja kodus isa.