Steppe wolf is a psychological novel by the Swiss-German prose writer, essayist and poet Hermann Hesse. Released in 1927 (the final version appeared a year later), The Steppenwolf —Original name in German — was a book highly praised in Europe and of notable publishing success. However, the Teutonic author repeatedly complained that he had been misinterpreted.
In this regard, literary critics point out that the story of the wolf has its origin in a deep spiritual crisis suffered by Hesse in the early 20s. In any case, it is one of the great German literary classics of the XNUMXth century. Not surprisingly, this title is considered the masterpiece of a writer whose career was recognized with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946.
Analysis of Steppe wolf
Context of the work
The Steppenwolf It has been the subject of innumerable theses and academic studies; most of them coincide in pointing out the autobiographical nature of the book. Certainly, There are similarities between the psyche of the protagonist of the story and the life of Hesse. In fact, between 1916 and 1917 he was a patient of Dr. Joseph B. Lang, a ward of the famous Dr. Carl Gustav Jung, whom the author later met.
Psychotherapy was necessary due to the existential crisis of the writer caused by the death of his father plus the severe illness of his son Martin. In addition, his first wife suffered schizophrenic episodes (the marriage never got over that trance). After her divorce in 1923, Hesse went through another period of isolation and depression, both of which are evident in the history of the wolf.
Themes
The argument of the text reflects the hostility of the Teutonic writer towards the bourgeois society of his time. Likewise, Hesse uses the figure of the animal as a metaphor in order to contrast two lifestyles: the human and the wolf. On the one hand, man is concerned with civilized behavior, positive ideas, noble feelings and the conception of the beauty of things.
Instead, the dog is a figure whose opinion of his environment and those around him constantly distills mockery and ironies. Undoubtedly, the nocturnal carnivore is an enemy of humanity and of the socially accepted customs to contain the true wild nature of man. A) Yes, the story revolves around an incessant moral debate inside the head of the main character.
Elements of analytical psychology
The plot itself is a psychological analysis of Harry Haller, the protagonist, a brilliant writer and poet, mentally disturbed and downcast. Although from the outset this He is pristine and polite, clutter in your room is the first sign of your internal disturbances. As events unfold, the boundaries between reality and dreams become blurred.
In Haller, deep feelings of guilt coexist with obvious delusions of grandeur. In the same way, he possesses a sublime intellect that allows him to appreciate art and to sensitively grasp the essence of the elements around him. However, that same intelligence leads him to lose himself in his shadowy mental labyrinths in the midst of his philosophical deliberations.
Summary of Steppe wolf
Introduction
The first narrator (he introduces himself as the "editor" of Harry's manuscript) is the teenage nephew of the owner of the pension where the protagonist is staying. This rapporteur from time to time expresses his opinion on Haller, whom he describes as a man intelligent and thoughtful, yet spiritually disturbed.
Haller's writings
The main character he describes himself as a foreigner, thinker, lover of Mozart and poetry. He is also baptized as "the steppe wolf", a being extremely misunderstood and lonely. One night he decides to go out, and is achieved with a door to the "Magic Theater", but fails to cross it. Close to there, runs into a merchant, who, after a short conversation, hands him a small book.
Upon returning to his room, Harry discovers that the book is about him. The work contains a series of philosophical meditations on the virtues, problems and shortcomings of the self-styled steppe wolves. However, the text predicts the protagonist's suicide, something that he agrees, because he feels quite disappointed in his life.
The nocturnal animal
After a long walk, Harry enters the bar "The Black Eagle", where meets Hermine, an attractive young woman who licks men. Then, Haller becomes a kind of follower of hers and agrees to abide by all of her orders (including killing her). In return, the protagonist is offered "to learn to enjoy the pleasures of life."
Later, Harry meets Pablo, a hedonistic musician and host of the Magic Theater. Also, Hermine introduces her to Maria, who becomes Haller's lover. Eventually, the main character dares to dance and laugh at the wolf and the man. Next, the passages are loaded with laughter, drugs and strange trances between reality and fiction inside the Magic Theater.
The resolution
In the absurd spaces of the theater, Harry experiences situations typical of a nightmare; He even goes so far as to discuss philosophy and existentialism with a modern and burlesque version of Mozart. Near the end, Haller gets Hermine asleep naked next to Pablo, he which considers like a signal to fulfill the will of the eccentric girl.
Finally, the protagonist murders Hermine with a stab. Consequently, he is condemned to live forever. As part of the punishment, he must endure the strident laughter of the members of the court for twelve hours. In the closing, Haller decides to turn his life upside down, and sets out to learn to laugh at his fate.
About the author, Hermann Hesse
Birth and childhood
Herman Karl Hesse He was born in the small town of Cawl, Württemberg, Germany, on July 2, 1877. His father, Johannes Hesse, was a native Estonian physician descended from Christian preachers; his mother was Marie Gundert originally from India. During his childhood, little Hermann he studied Latin at Göppingen between 1886 and 1891.
From 1891 the future writer He experienced strong arguments with his parents and went through severe depressive crises (which he stated several times later). Furthermore, he escaped from an evangelical seminary and rarely spent six months in the same educational establishment. In 1892, his parents committed him to a sanatorium in Stetten im Remstal because of his suicidal writings.
First jobs
The last schools he attended were a special institution in Basel and the Gymnasium near Stuttgart. In 1893 he completed primary school and dropped out of school. Subsequently, he worked as an assistant in a watch shop and later as a bookseller in Tübingen. There he began to read mythology, theological texts and on philosophy by authors such as Goethe, Lessing and Schiller, among others.
His first publication appeared in a Vienna magazine in 1986, the poem Madonna. Later, Hesse published Romantische liede (1898) and Eine Stunde hinter Mitternacht (1899). In both collections, Hesse reflected the influence of renowned German romantics (Brentano, von Eichendorff and Novalis, mainly).
Literary consecration and marriages
The success of the novel Peter camenzind (1904) allowed Hermann Hesse to live off writing for the rest of his life. At that time the German writer had already been interested in spirituality (in particular, Hindu) and had been discarded for military service. On the other hand, The German author went through some difficulties in his love life (he was married three times).
Spouses
- Maria Bernoulli, between 1904 and 1923
- Ruth Wegner, 1927 to 1927
- Ninon Dolbin, from 1931 until Hesse's death in 1962 from a brain hemorrhage.
Most known works
- Gertrudis (1910)
- Demian (1919)
- Siddhartha (1922)
- Steppe wolf (1927)
- the game of the abalors (1943)
Legacy
Hermann Hesse's work includes more than 40 publications including novels, short stories, poems and reflections, along with more than 3000 reviews and edits. Therefore, it is not surprising that it has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, translated into more than 40 languages. Additionally, the German writer has an extensive epistolary record (more than 35.000 letters) and was an outstanding painter.