Mans Struggle with His Identity in Steppenwolf :: Hesse Steppenwolf Essays

Man's Struggle with His Identity in Steppenwolf      Ã‚  Ã‚   "The Christian resolve to find the world ugly and bad has made the world ugly and bad." These are the words of Friedrich Nietzsche, among the most influential philosophers of the modern era and one who has exerted an incontrovertible influence on many German authors, including Hermann Hesse. That Hesse should feel drawn to a figure so prominent in the German consciousness is not suprising, that he should do so in spite of the religious zeal of his family seems almost heretical.    No less an influence on Hesse, though, was the groundbreaking psychologist Sigmund Freud, himself also an admirer of Nietzsche, and who "several times said of Nietzsche that he had a more penetrating knowledge of himself than any other man who ever lived or was ever likely to live." This theme, the "knowledge of self," is a recurring one in Hesse's works, and is central to the personal crises he faced in the years after the outbreak of World War I.    Hesse's post-1914 novels reflect his progress through successive self-examinations. Demian, published in 1919, explored his break with conventional morality in a decaying world. Siddhartha, published in 1922, features Hesse's lifelong fascination with Eastern spirituality. It was his 1927 novel, Steppenwolf, which first attained a complete break with the past while retaining an overtly autobiographical flavor amidst otherwise total abstraction.    It is Steppenwolf's break from the past which distinguishes it from the styles of two of Hesse's most prominent contemporaries: Thomas Mann and Franz Kafka. While Mann and Kafka are themselves dissimilar, their novels are characteristic of the novel as a form: as totality. Mann's novels are intricately detailed and firmly situated within their historical contexts. Further, we are intimately familiar with the characters, with their backgrounds, their tastes, their values, and their fates. And while Kafka's novels are heavily symbolic, we are nevertheless presented with a total worldview, a worldview we can consider in all its irony and terror. Moreover, we can identify completely with the characters, who are really only reflections of ourselves, struggling for definition amidst ambiguity.    Hesse's Steppenwolf, conversely, is quintessentially fragmentary. We know little of Harry Haller beyond that which is immediately apparent from the text. We are as the nephew in whose aunt's boarding house Haller resides. We are also unable to identify the historical setting for the novel without referring to Hesse's own life.

The Importance of Voting

Voting is crucial in the progression of our society, good or bad, and our future. The simple act of voting can change the entire United States of America. It can aid in the positive or negative political growth, creating allies with other countries, or simple things such as our rights as the American citizens. In order to vote, some political background should be present. This eliminates the issue of voting for a certain political party based solely from others beliefs. This knowledge can be obtained from basic research such as articles, novels, and trusted internet websites. Many people decide to vote before they truly know who they are voting for. Some may not even be educated on politics at all. For me what makes it so important is the amendments, we the people have a right to vote. Like the second amendment the right to bear arms there are some out there that want to take that away but to me, I think they're crazy for insisting that diminishing the use of firearms get rid of some crime issues. Criminals will find a way to get gun, whether it is legal or not, this will only stop the law abiding citizens from the right to carry. I believe that school can setup a system to keep guns out of schools. For me a firearm is is for hunt and protection, what they have been used for many generations. Our veterans had fought for our right to vote for what we believe in. People complain on how things are going in this country but most don't even vote so the have no right to complain because they're not trying to vote for what they believe that will make things better for we the people. As far as political growth is considered, many people believe straight Republican or straight Democrat. When someone is elected of a different political party, this creates a divide in our country. During election, when you look at the polls it is easy to notice that certain areas are predominantly one party. If it comes down to it, just a few votes could change the outcome entirely. For example, if your family is straight republican party, yet the democratic party is up in the election, encouraging your family and friends who share a common beliefs as you, can make quite a huge change. On the flip side of the spectrum, if you vote based solely off of what others believe, this could open the door for even a larger amount of dispute between groups. Personally, I was anti- Hillary Clinton from the start due to the fact that she considers herself a Modern Democrat as well as analyzing the way her husband ran our country while in office. Donald Trump not only is a Republican, he also has done many things to impact our economy in a positive way. This is an example of deriving information from trusted sources and voting for a party that I truly agree with. Another reason that it is important to vote is because we need to be able to create relationships with other countries. Our economy runs based off of the trade of goods and services to and from other countries. Having resources available that come from China, Taiwan, and many other countries helps our economy grow stronger. However, due to past electorates, we are very far indebted to China, this is one thing that Trump is working on eliminating. Being in debt to other countries creates conflict which directly leads to war. Voting is necessary to run a country and as a citizen on the United States of America, I believe that it is my duty to ensure that I have voted for the person I believe will run our country properly and effectively. To me, the most important thing that I look for in a possible president is if they have a common political view as me, someone who knows how to create allies with neighboring countries, and most importantly, someone who will not try to eliminate the so called, unalienable rights, guaranteed to citizens.

Short Story The Mask - 1115 Words

â€Å"Jake! You forgot your paper.† I turned around and grabbed the paper out of Ms. Duncans hand I walked out of English, by far my favorite class with all those brilliant authors Dostoyevsky, Dickens, Doyle, don’t know how but they just seem to make stories come to life. Me, well I’m a poet I don’t quite have the patience for full novels but I love having that outpour of emotions in my short little writings. Anyways I was walking out of my English class when I first saw her, an Angel. Big blue eye’s perfect smile with long incisors (That for whatever reason drive me crazy!), and the most beautiful blond hair I’ve ever seen. Walk towards her not quite knowing what to say and pass her now to nervous to turn around. I walked to PE and spent 80 brutal minutes hiding my abilities to outshine all of them instead I work hard at being slow and missing baskets. You might think looking at my five foot eight tanned body and elegant features that I w ould be quite the catch, well youd be wrong. I may be: Romantic, a Poet, and a pretty nice guy, but my features are too feminine and my shyness has kept me from going on one date my entire Junior year. As I walked out of PE sweaty and exhausted from the lack of exertion I saw her again, Isabella Jupiter aka Ella. This time I didn’t think, still sweaty and getting even more so I walk up to her â€Å"Hey, what’s up?† as I try to suppress my tears welling up from the sight of her beauty so close to me. â€Å"Oh I’ve just had a really long day, I can’tShow MoreRelatedPolitics And Politics In The Necklace By Guy De Maupassant707 Words   |  3 PagesEnd of Unit Essay First of all, politics heavily influence this and most all short stories in literature. The way that everyone acts can be traced back to politics and, of course, they make Mathilde act the way she does as well in â€Å"The Necklace†. Guy de Maupassant, the author of this short story, makes Mathilde, the main character, attempt to hide her true self by masking her true social class with a necklace that appears fabulously wealthy. When they are invited to a fancy ball for the nightRead More Poes The Masque (Mask) of the Red Death as Fantastic Genre Essays831 Words   |  4 PagesThe Mask of the Red Death as Fantastic Genre      Ã‚  Ã‚   American author Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849) wrote many poems and short stories back in the 1800s. Poe is said by some to have virtually created the detective story and perfected the psychological thriller. These works include The Raven, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Fall of Usher House, and The Mask of the Red Death (April 30, 1842). 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