Isn't it ironic when there's a clown but he's not as happy as his painted smile portrays, he's actually quite depressed. In reality it is more than an individual who cannot put his life in order. In Tandulf the Great we meet Rodney, a troubled young man who seems to have lost his mind after reading a letter from his supposed love. Along the way we encounter images of “this is not me” and actions that lead us to the question “Is this really Rodney or could it be an alter ego?” Rodney's action consists of "self-destructive behaviors, mood swings and depression", as presented by the National Institute of Mental Health, these are all actions and symptoms of dissociative identity disorder, DID. Heartbreak can cause many things. It is ignored in his instructions for a table. The birthday boy's parent not only gives him a hard time from the moment Tandolfo arrives, but also makes it more difficult for him to find a table for Tandolfo. As he becomes increasingly irritated by his surroundings, Tandolfo makes a bold move by verbally attacking the birthday boy by calling him an "ugly piece of meat." after he [the birthday boy] ignored the stage rules to wear that stupid hat. In addition to being verbally abusive, Tandolfo tries to be physical with the boy, pulling his tongue, letting him squirm until he lets go, and the boy falls to the ground again. It has nothing to do with Rodney, as he was previously called "sweet clown". He's drunk, yes, but he's also having mood swings, which is a symptom of DID (National Institute of Mental Health). His constant change of mood in this situation is a great representation of what's going on inside. He's about to get irritated with the crowd around him as he repeatedly asks for a table, but he pauses for a moment to try to connect with a woman "in her gentlest voice as she can." When he finally gets his table, he once again begins to get annoyed with the crowd. His mood is when we read more about the cake we are presented with the image of “The bride and groom are almost supine, one on top of the other”. This is when we truly see the conflict of personalities. Tandolfo and Rodney are represented as spouses who try to dominate the other to be omnipotent. When the end comes, the story gives us the depiction of leaving a burden behind in the form of a cake, but it's more than that. This is a representation of how Rodney is the underdog in the end and is choosing to be killed because the cake gets run over by a stranger. Tandolfo left the cake, Rodney, and is ready to move on. As we read the story we begin to see how different the two are and what he is willing to do to overcome the heartbreak. Rodney would stay because he doesn't want to be away from his “love”.” ,