Steppenwolf

Herman Hesse’s “Steppenwolf” is quite a complex novel. It may be criticized and analyzed from many opposing standpoints. Even so, it clearly depicts a man, caught between two ages, and his struggles within himself. From a philosophical point of view the notion of “finding” one’s self is utterly distinct. The novel’s protagonist, Harry Haller, seeks a way of escaping from the bourgeois or middle class world. He believes he is a “wolf of the steppes”, however, his howls go unheard. In order to escape conformity, he must first, in a quest to find himself, understand it, join it, and live it. All his life, Haller has neglected the life of the body and focused solely on the existence of the mind. While doing so, Haller becomes a character of his own personal theatre. Through powerful motifs such as music, women, and dance, Hesse exposes the reader to the value and importance of Steppenwolf’s/Haller’s sufferings.
Although a narrative, Hesse’s attention to ...