"Harry Haller, a thinly disguised representation of Hesse himself comes to realize his true self. "
Amanda Van Laarhoven, Resident Scholar
"Steppenwolf is the story of Harry Haller, a recluse among society who feels his existence has become a heavy burden. He rents a room from a middle aged woman and her nephew, where he resides for six to eight months. He has very little to do with the pleasures of life, and spends most of his days in his room with his books, and most of his nights in lonely taverns. Though he is an intelligent man who once had many stimulating conversations with noble scholars, he finds himself lost between man and wolf. The man inside is starving for the bond with middle class society, and the wolf is eager for the return to isolation. During one of his late night walks, Harry is given an invitation to the Magic Theater, described as a place for madmen only.
Weeks later, he assures himself that the theater was only an illusion, and contemplates his demise by means of self destruction. However, Harry is somewhat terrified of death, and instead of returning home to his razor, he takes a chance and goes to a jazzy nightclub (of which he has always detested). There he meets Hermine, a beautiful woman who seems to know more about him than he himself. Harry becomes her obedient student. She teaches him little things about life that the middle class society finds pleasurable, and teaches him things about himself that had eluded him before. Hermine has the ability to take the Steppenwolf under her wing and understand his self torture, luring him out of deaths door.
"
Carla Taylor, Resident Scholar
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Review Analysis of Steppenwolf
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- thoughtful
Time/era of story
- 1900-1920's
Internal struggle/realization?
Yes
Struggle over
- nature of existence (heavy philosophy)
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- scholar
- journalist
Age:
- 40's-50's
Eccentric/Mental
Yes
Eccentric:
- eccentric
Ethnicity/Nationality
- German
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- physically sick
Main Adversary
Identity:
- natural phenomena
- society
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- throughout most of the book.
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 5 (an average amount)
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Germany
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
- rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- descript of kissing
- touching of anatomy
Unusual Style:
- a lot of stream of consciousness
- written like a journal/diary/letters
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
