Steppenwolf

:This article is about the novel. For the 1960s rock band known primarily for "Born to Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride", see Steppenwolf (band). Steppenwolf is a German language word which means a desert dog, or "wolf of the steppes."

Theme

The novel oscillates on the theme of self-realization. Haller is the protagonist and the antagonist himself. The wolf is a symbol of the multiple-dimensions of Haller's personality. The tractate der steppenwolf or treaties of steppenwolf explains:

Related Topics:
Protagonist - Antagonist

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"Harry consists of a hundred or a thousand selves, not two"; human nature is too complex to be viewed between only two extremes Harry's life oscillates, as everyone's does, not merely between two poles, such as the body and the spirit, the saint and the sinner, but between thousand and thousands". (Hesse, 66)

Related Topics:
Body - Spirit - Saint - Sinner

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The novel also plays on the themes of good and evil; a poignant hallmark of Hesse's works.

Related Topics:
Good - Evil

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