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Love In The Novel Narcissus And Goldmund, By Herman Hesse
"Love" in the novel Narcissus and Goldmund, by Herman Hesse Defining the word love is almost impossible. No other word in the English language has so many different connotations and uses. There can be no one true single definition. However, for the purpose of this paper, I have come to the following conclusion. Love is an intense emotion, characterized by unwavering admiration and caring between two people who consider themselves to be perfect equals in the eyes of God. To consider oneself a complete equal with another, a deep understanding and respect of the other person must be developed. There should be no instances of immature jealousy or pointless wishes. Each person must revere the other for who they are, and expect nothing more of them. Only when this point has been reached, true love will be present. As the story begins, Narcissus and Goldmund already have a very special relationship is growing and changing as the novel goes on. However, I believe that neither of them ever really experiences the bonds of unwavering love and equality until the very end. The relationship begins innocently enough. Goldmund is a young student, while Narcissus is his older mentor at the Mariabronn cloister. Goldmund admires the learned mind and discerning wit of Narcissus, while Narcissus respects the "strong, delicate senses" that Goldmund possesses. However, when Narcissus confronts Goldmund with his gifted observations of him, it is a valid indication of the type of relationship that has so far grown between them. "I am superior to you only in one point: I'm awake, whereas you are only half awake, or completely asleep sometimes... Natures of your kind are almost always superior to us creatures of the mind... You live fully; you were endowed with the strength of love, the ability to feel." Narcissus clearly feels that there exists a separation between himself and Goldmund. In his eyes, they are not and can never be equal. He even seems to imply that he himself is unable to feel love. Narcissus's words may have been honest, but they were stated without forethought and they demonstrated a lack of caring for young Goldmund. Narcissus has basically told an idealistic boy that looks up to him, that they will never be upon the same level and can never be true friends. These are the first two major violations of my definition of love that surface. Narcissus's perceptions, which he considers to be "spoken better than usual", have caused Goldmund to flinch, as though he'd been "pierced by an arrow." Had there existed true love between the pair, Narcissus would have carefully weighed his injurious words, or perhaps not spoken them at all. Narcissus's thoughts, though carelessly spoken, do have the desired effect on Goldmund. Goldmund realizes that he does not belong in the cloister, and he ventures out into the world. It goes without saying that many of the relationships that Goldmund has with women from that point on, are devoid of any form of love entirely. He lusts for these women, and usually only desires sex. Even when he stays with Lydia and Julie, he is pervertedly attracted to both of them, and is not deathly heartbroken when he is forced to move on. Later in the novel, he has matured a bit and has a somewhat extended relationship with Lene. However, when she is dying of the plague, he does not stay at her bedside because of his powerful enduring love for her. He remains there because he did not want "to leave the child there alone and dying." He definitely cared for Lene, but he lacked the faithful affection for her. In fact, it wasn't too long after her death that Goldmund made sexual advances toward Rebecca, an... This is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Academic Library. Please register below now!
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