It is December 16, 2005. A homeless woman in Barcelona lies on the floor of an ATM vestibule in a tattered sleeping bag, trying to get some sleep; it’s almost midnight. She is not having much luck, however, as the lights are very bright and random money-seekers disturb her at all hours, but she has nowhere else to go to. Three teenagers in nice suits find her there as they are trying to get some cash. They wake her up, berating her for blocking their way. A vile idea forms among the mischievous boys: the woman is a pathetic worm, and they should rid the world of her disgusting presence. They start to beat her. The poor woman begs for mercy, but her pleas only fuel their anger. Then the teenagers see an old fuel canister in the dump outside the vestibule. Motivated by the pursuit of extreme excitement and a sense of condescending over poor and mob mentality, the youngest of them, who is under seventeen, pours what is left of the gasoline on the floor, and the second boy flicks a cigarette butt to ignite the fuel. The boys scatter, leaving the woman trapped and burning alive in the fire. This shocking event hits the news, and at once proves how vicious people, even children can be. In the prize-winning novel, The Dinner, Herman Koch lays the scene based on this true story, revealing the darkest alley of human nature.

In the beginning, Koch presents two couples and their sons: Serge, and his wife Barbette with their two sons, Rick (biological) and Faso (adopted). The other family includes Paul (the younger brother to Serge, the protagonist, and the narrator), his wife Claire, and their only son, Michel. Serge is a promising candidate for the Dutch Prime Minister. Paul is a teacher but has been put on leave from school for unclarified mental issues. His mental issues force him to stay out of work for almost a decade. All of the children are around seventeen and are deeply adored by their parents. Both families are classic wealthy and indifferent middle-class members of society.

Interestingly, Koch presents the story of The Dinner very much like a formal dinner procedure: The chapters were named by the courses: aperitif, appetizer, main course, dessert, and tip. Before the main course, like the purpose of the aperitif and the appetizer, Koch provides the necessary background information, whetting the appetite of the reader. Specifically, the server brings a bit of food and drink to engage the appetite, followed by a long void for your conversation. Just when the guests are feeling hungry and impatient for more, the server presents the wine, which settles the diners as they wait for their entrees. Similarly, Koch drops subtle notes and details about the family and the story, and just when you are thinking about putting the book down in frustration of wanting more, Koch intrigues you with a suspenseful and engaging detail to arouse your interest again. However, when the main course is served, the important and stunning information of the plot and characters are revealed, to keep the reader engaged. For example, the fact that Rick and Michel beat and set fire to a homeless woman, Faso films the action and uploads it to the internet to blackmail Rick, and Michel was put on the dinner table as an arousing appetizer. Then the two couples begin to discuss the murder in the main course. Serge wants to publicize and confess that the children are the murderer in a press conference and quit the election both for his political career and to free his penitent son from the struggle, while Barbette and Claire refuse. Claire thinks that this would destroy their son’s life, and Barbette wants a luxurious life of being the wife of the Prime Minister. So, Claire injures Serge to cancel the press conference and secretly tells her son, Michel, to murder Faso to destroy the evidence and to avoid blackmail. In the “Tip” chapter, Koch makes account for how the incident quiets down: Beau disappears and Serge, ends up losing the election without revealing the murder. The incident was not known by anyone else, and Paul’s family seemingly goes back to normal. At last, Paul hugs his son and smiles.

Although the story is complex, analyzing characters one by one can help the reader determine their motivations and the purpose of this disturbing story.

Readers hear the story from Paul’s view. Through Paul’s narration, Koch describes in detail how Paul feels about his older brother. He clearly views Serge as a tasteless, vulgar, and childish man. By contrast, readers may not find Serge purposefully provoking conflicts with Paul. Considering the fact that Serge is the most promising candidate for the Prime Minister and that Paul loses his teaching job, Paul is likely jealous of his brother. Although his mental illness is not specified, the author shows clearly that he is anti-social, as revealed by his strict criticism of one of his student’s work, calling it a piece of trash, which violates the occupation ethics. He also tends to attack people: Hitting his brother with a pan and punching the school principal. In his family role, he fails to educate his son but instead indulges him. He does not blame his son but is satisfied that his child took the lead in the vicious murder of an innocent woman. When he is leaving the restaurant, he pays the restaurant manager a few hundred euros if the manager promises not to say anything about his conversation with his son the manager overhears, which is obviously not from his generosity but to shut the manager up if the police ever asks any questions since he even complains about the restaurant for not offering free aperitif.

Paul’s son, Michel, is much like his father. As we say, “Like father like son.” Michel inherits a great proportion of his father’s dangerous characteristics including Paul’s anti-social tendencies. In a school assignment, he argues that harsh punishment outside of the law should be given to criminals, which is not humanized or civilized. Neither father nor son has a strong moral compass; Michel feels no guilt for murdering the homeless woman, and his father fails to hold his son accountable. Although according to Paul’s bias, Serge’s family is full of flaws, Rick and Serge do feel guilty that an innocent woman died at the hands of their out-of-control children. The ironic contrast provokes readers about what defines a good person: The flaw may not matter as much as a corrupted value of a person.

The wives of two families also contribute to Koch’s theme of injustice. Claire and Barbette love their children. Both try to conceal the shameful murder but fail to educate their children well. This is especially represented by Claire. She is blind to his son’s immoral behavior but argues that the homeless woman is responsible, too. The mother shows protectiveness toward Michel and even gets arrested for punching her husband’s brother to cancel the press conference. Since she uses “immature fault” or “impulsiveness” as an excuse to protect her son, the author suggests Michel will mature into a man with strong more values.

“The Tip” chapter reveals Koch’s purpose and is especially profound. Koch seems to present a happy ending for Paul’s family: The secrets get revealed and no one has to pay for the murder. But is it so? Michel escapes from the trial of justice and has a “glorious future,” avoiding prison and any punishment. But that stained heart knows not to repent and may commit more horrible crimes in the future because he is always indulged by his parents who fail to educate their son and one day he is paying for what he has done. Koch’s final message warns the reader about the effects of poor moral teachings. Children need strong parental guidance about what is right and wrong. When they do not fully understand the difference or the weight of their actions, they have no moral clarity or empathy. Koch suggests a lack of spiritual morality in the middle class, which primarily focuses on material satisfaction.