On Steppenwolf: A Tract
"For mad people only"
20 Aug 2024
In Steppenwolf, Herman Hesse explores the nature of the human condition through the eyes of Harry Haller, a fictional character who is unable to reconcile his dual nature. At the start of the novel, Harry encounters a mysterious pamphlet titled On Steppenwolf: A Tract. The pamphlet introduces him to the bizarre concept of the Steppenwolf, a creature that is part human and part wolf. Even more bizarre is that the main subject of the pamphlet is none other than Harry himself:
"Once upon a time there was a man called Harry, otherwise known as Steppenwolf. He walked on two legs, wore clothes and was a human being, but in actual fact he was still a wolf of the steppes. He had learned a lot of the things sensible human beings are capable of learning, and he was a fairly clever man. One thing he had not learned, however, was to be satisfied with himself and his life. He was incapable of this: he was a dissatisfied human being. This was probably because in the depths of his heart he always knew (or thought he knew) that he wasn't actually a human being at all, but a wolf of the steppes."
Whether Harry's wolfish nature is innate or a product of his environment is unimportant. The point is that Harry, finding himself torn between two worlds, is unable to fully embrace either. The wolf within him is wild, untamed, and free, while the human side is domesticated, constrained, and repressed. Both sides are at odds with each other, whenever one side asserts itself, the other side immediately counters. All this leads to a sense of discontent and unhappiness in Harry, which more often than not bleeds into the lives of those around him as well. Still, there are moments when both sides are able to come together in a moment of unity. When this happens, the result is a transcendent experience, a glimpse of the divine, a fleeting moment of wholeness and peace. The great poets and artists of the past have known this feeling, and they have tried to capture it in their works.
The steppenwolf enjoys his solitude and independence, presumably because by being alone he can be himself without the constraints of society. He values his freedom above all else, and he is willing to sacrifice comfort and security for the sake of his own authenticity. This obsession with authenticity, although noble in its intentions, in that it seeks to uncover the true self beneath the layers of social conditioning, is also the source of much of the steppenwolf's suffering. Freedom to be also implies freedom to not be, that is, freedom to die. Every steppenwolf will inevitably have to face this fact as he walks the path toward autonomy and self-sufficiency. The wolf within him wants to roam the world freely, but the human side knows that the world can be a very dangerous place. Thus, what was once desired now becomes something to be condemned. And once the steppenwolf realizes this, he is unable to turn back. He feels intensely alone and isolated, and although he is able to form connections with others, these connections are always shallow. The steppenwolf avoids intimacy because he believes that intimacy comes at the cost of his freedom, and the wolf inside him will not tolerate such a loss.
Another aspect of the steppenwolf's nature is his suicidal tendencies, though not in the sense of taking one's own life. It's not that the steppenwolf actively seeks death, but that he uses the idea of his inevitable demise as a way to confront his own mortality. "If we're all going to die anyway, might as well experience life to the fullest," we can imagine the steppenwolf saying to himself. This attitude towards life, while morbid in its implications, is also liberating in that it allows the steppenwolf to transcend his fear of death, which ultimately leads to a more authentic life. Nothing is more effective at putting things into perspective than the thought of one's own impending death. Although viable as a coping mechanism, it is by no means an easy path to walk, and the author of the pamphlet reminds us that the temptation to end one's life can be strong, especially for those who are unable to find meaning in their own existence. Harry himself struggles with this temptation later in the novel, when he tries to postpone his trip home for as long as possible, fearing that he will kill himself once he gets there.
The steppenwolf also has a unique relationship with the rest of society, particularly that of the bourgeoisie, or the middle class. There exists a sharp contrast between the steppenwolf and the rest of society, and this contrast can take many forms (different values, beliefs, lifestyles, personalities, talents, etc.). However, although the steppenwolf may be unique in his own way, he is still fundamentally human, and therefore it is impossible for him to completely separate himself from society. Moreover, since he is human, he must also contend with the same basic needs and desires that all humans have, most notably the need for security, comfort, and orderliness. The steppenwolf may reject the ways of the bourgeoisie — doing so asserts his own identity and freedom — but he secretly enjoys the benefits of the bourgeoisie's lifestyle, with its comforts and conveniences, for they make him nostalgic for the life he once had as a child, always cared for and loved. This internal conflict becomes the source of the steppenwolf's despair, as he now finds himself torn between his desire for freedom and his need for security.
However, there is one important aspect of the steppenwolf's relationship to society that is not immediately apparent, and that is the steppenwolf's role as a catalyst for social change. The middle class is by definition conservative, in that it seeks to maintain the status quo, by tending towards the mean and the average. This is so because the bourgeoisie is not very comfortable with the unknown, a crucial prerequisite for change and progress. The steppenwolf, on the other hand, is far more able at adapting to changing circumstances. This capacity for adaptation is forged from his own attempts at reconciling the two sides of the human and the wolf. Thus, the steppenwolf is more likely to be the one who brings about social change, since he is capable of jumping from one extreme to another without losing his balance. In fact, the great artists and intellectuals of the past have all been steppenwolves in their own right, for not only were they able to explore their own conditions to the fullest, but they were also able to distill what they learned into artifacts that would outlive them and inspire future generations.
There is another passage in the pamphlet, which notes that the steppenwolf is also drawn to humor and irony, presumably because they are meaningful expressions rooted in the steppenwolf's own paradoxical nature. Humor allows him to oscillate between the two extremes, the human and the wolf, without having to take either side too seriously. Irony allows him to express the absurdity and paradox of life, through the juxtaposing of the one and its opposite, while still maintaining a sense of balance between the two, in that both what is said and what is meant are equally valid. Thus, humor and irony offer the steppenwolf a way to navigate the complexities of his own nature, and to find meaning in a world that is fundamentally confusing and contradictory. Self-knowledge is also important in this regard, and here we are reminded yet again of the Greek aphorism, "Know thyself".
Finally, the pamphlet ends with a cautionary note, warning that, as a symbol, the steppenwolf is of immense value in helping us understand the human condition, but we must be careful not to become too attached to the image of the steppenwolf, lest it constricts us too much and prevents us from growing and evolving. The human condition is rich and varied. Harry himself experiences the multiplicity of his own life, and of its infinite possibilities, when he finally enters the Magic Theater. But that comes later in the novel. For now, we are left with the following concluding remarks by the author of the mysterious pamphlet:
"Just imagine a garden with hundreds of different trees, thousands of different flowers, hundreds of different fruits and herbs. Now, if the only botanical distinction the gardener knows is that between edible things and weeds, he will not know what to do with the nine-tenths of his garden. He will uproot the most enchanting flowers, fell the finest trees, or at any rate detest and frown upon them. This is just what Steppenwolf is doing with the thousand blooms in his soul. He is totally ignoring anything that doesn't come under the heading of 'human being' or 'wolf'. And there is no end to the things he counts as 'human'! All things cowardly, vain, stupid and mean are classed as 'human' if only because they are not exactly wolf-life, just as all strong and noble qualities are attributed to the 'wolf' simply because Harry hasn't yet managed to master them."