An Exploration of the Self in Hermann Hesses’ Greatest Work: Steppenwolf

Abstract

The exploration of the self lies at the heart of a majority of Hermann Hesses’ works and it gain him recognition worldwide. He believes that the individual search for ultimate truth lies in the fate of man in a sordid world. As a German writer, his characters represent the significance and importance of the ‘self’ thereby relating it to the reality and existence of human beings in general. This paper attempts to study Hermann Hesses’ greatest work Steppenwolf in light of the significance and importance of the self in bringing about a change and renewal in the fate of man in this modern world. At the same time an attempt will be made to demonstrate Hesses’ ability to reveal the search for ‘oneness’ within the self which is basically the central theme in all of the author’s work.