| While interpreters often mention Goethe's Faust in relation with Haller, the protagonist of Hesse's Steppenwolf, a more extensive analysis of the parallels and correlations between the two works has not yet been undertaken. By taking into account various aspects, such as the character of the protagonists, several structural elements, the role of magic and the mephistophelian element, this thesis attempts to show that Goethe's Faust and Hesse's Steppenwolf are indeed essentially related. Furthermore, it will be shown that the novel develops one specific way of reading Goethe's Faust and that it implicitly invites Haller to shape his personality and biography as a Faustian drama. Haller is viewed as a modern Faust-version, which implies that Goethe's Faust has been adapted to the circumstances of the 20th century and, thus, to a certain extent, changed. The first four chapters primarily concentrate on the numerous parallels and comparisons between the two works. The fifth chapter discusses to what extent Faust and Haller are representative of the modern individual. It will be shown that, as far as Hesse is concerned, the state of the modern, "Faustian" individual has become more problematic in the 20th century. |
