Who is he, the "steppe wolf" of Hesse - a philosopher or a murderer?

Hermann Hesse was born in Germany, but spent most of his life in Switzerland. Throughout his career, he was interested in various layers of world culture. Among his topics of interest were philosophical and religious systems, and even analytical psychology. All this was reflected in his works, one of which is “Steppe Wolf”.

Book in book

The novel begins with the discovery by the protagonist of the notes of a certain Harry Geller, but the most remarkable thing is that they were marked with the inscription "Only for the crazy." Actually, the whole story revolves around these notes. They describe the life of Geller, his thoughts, dreams and fears. He was the one who in the modern world will be called a “lonely psycho” - alienated and timid, at first he does not cause anything in the main character except alertness. But the more the narrator learns about Harry, the stronger his sympathy and understanding becomes. “Steppe wolf” - this is how Geller himself called himself, he saw himself lost in the middle of philistinism and civilization, as if he had no place anywhere in this world. He leads a secluded life, practically does not leave his house, sits, covered with books, reads the days away, sleeps a lot and sometimes writes in watercolor.

Personality suppression

Harry sees in himself two sides, one of which is human, and the other is wolf. And at first the novel “The Steppe Wolf” is filled precisely with the enmity and confrontation of the two sides of Geller’s personality. If most of his contemporaries were able to suppress animal will and pacify his wolf, then Harry is torn by the struggle of so many different sides of his personality. He does not want to be tamed, does not want to obey, so he is not able to live on, and more often suicidal thoughts arise in his head . In search of truth, he turns to books and classical music, but they do not give him comfort. Once again disappointed after meeting with a professor, a man who seemed to be as intelligent as he was, Geller realized that he also could not find understanding among people. He is even disgusted to listen to this man, saturated with the spirit of intellectual philistinism. Harry had already decided that the steppe wolf had won, and he should say goodbye to the whole philistine, learned and moral world, and indeed, to life in general. The only problem is the oppressive fear of death.

A meeting

Harry's life began to acquire colors after an unexpected meeting with a person named Hermine. Their relationship cannot be called a novel, but it truly was a kinship of souls. It was she who introduced Geller to nightlife, jazz, introduced people, but in the end, a secular mess brought him the realization that he was not a steppe wolf, but the most ordinary man in the street. He, like the rest, is ready to suppress his personality and abandon his words without a twinge of conscience. And only in drug intoxication, becoming a murderer, erasing the line between sleep and reality, he finds the answer ...

German Hesse’s novel “The Steppe Wolf” gives us a topic for reflection on the question of who we really are, and it gives us the opportunity to make an important decision. This powerful work, based on the lengthy research of Hesse himself, once helped him realize himself ...