I wanrt to know what "steppenwolf" by Hermann Hesse, is all really about, i didn't quite undertand it?

Question

i want to know if he really committ suicide or where he's at when he hears mozart at the end, and what happens to Maria, was he under the influence of some drugs or something else?

Answer 1

1) Where's he's at when he hears Mozart at the end? Harry enters the last door into a room called "how one kills for love" where he encounters and talks to Mozart.

2) What happens to Maria? She went on romancing her many lovers.

3) Was he under the influence of drugs? No, Harry's narrative is more likely a record of the author's actual psychoanalysis, and as an artist's exploration of his own dream world. (Hesse was neither a drug user nor an advocate of drug usage).

4) Did he really commit suicide? No, the conversation with Mozart contains the final message of Steppenwolf: "one must learn not to die but to live, even though to live is harder."

In the end, Harry agrees to live. He will become better at the game. He will make the exploratory journey into his inner self again and again, painful though it is, as often as necessary. Pablo and Mozart are both waiting for him-meaning that he may no longer suffer from his terrible solitude, that from now on he may be able to enjoy Pablo's world of pleasure as well as Mozart's world of art.

And so the book ends with a promise for Harry's happier future.

Answer 2

It's about loneliness of a human, or at least that is how i understood it [one of my favourite books].

It gets a little bit messy is the end, but please don't think it's like caused of drugs or anything. All these things happened in Harrie's head, his soul; the things were put in 'action' because the reader could understand it better.

This book wasnt actually meant to be understood, it should be 'felt'.

The only thing that i dislikes in the book was that Harrie's inner life was shown too openly, again, due to putting things 'in action'.
If i understand it right, you mean Hermina, cause i dont remember any Maria in this book.. I love Hermina. She's s mortal woman, mortal to any man and therefore mortal to herself. So mysterious, and so alluring. And i really hope that she was only fiction, not a real living creature, but Harrie's fiction. In either way, harry kills her. Or we could say she kills herself, as she has too much influence on Harry.

In the end, as i interpretate it, Harry dies. He doesnt kill himself. Literally. He does as he kills Hermina. Cause Hermina is Harrie's reflection in a woman, by killing her he causes his own death.

Well, thats how i understand it. Feel free to contact me if you want to discuss it.

Answer 3

me too