Narcissus and Goldmund Herman Hesse

Throughout this book Hesse continuously explores the idea of the conflict individuals experience when searching for their true identity. Narcissus and Goldmund, two medieval men whose characters are metaphors for the underlying theme of mans individual search for self and the human experience. Narcissus is a monk firm in his religious and intellectual beliefs or so he thinks, and Goldmund a youth hungry for knowledge and life experience. Narcissus the intellect living a purely academic …

…book each is in the minds of the other throughout their separate lives. This is enforced for example when Goldmund is carving a statue of John the Baptist only to see that the face that he has carved is that of Narcissus’. Maybe the two men have one thing in common in that they are both living lives that are quite extreme, which was the entire focus that Hesse wanted for this book. Word Count: 421