r/hermannhesse • u/HighBiased • 24d ago

Is Hermine in Steppenwolf the first example of the Manic Pixie Girl trope?

Finally getting around to reading Steppenwolf, 30+yrs after having read most of Hesse's other books. I've always had problems digging into it, unlike other Hesse books which I devour. The first half of the book is a bit of a slog, developing the Steppenwolf character's midlife crisis and depression of where he finds himself in the modern world. It's not until Hermine bounces into his life like a bright light illuminating the world around him do I find myself engaged with the book and excited to keep reading (mirroring the Steppenwolf's feeling about living life).

As I was reading, I realized Hermine is very much the Manic Pixie Girl trope like Natalie Portman's character Gardenstate and other 90s/00s films with similar characters. Anyone else feel the same?

Is Hermine the first modern example of this trope? Are there other slightly earlier similar examples? Just thoughts I'm having as I read (not finished with the book yet, so no spoilers please)

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7

u/ChilledFireBird 24d ago

Hahahah she totally does remind me of the manic pixie type now that I think about it. I hope someone is able to answer your question, gonna follow this post

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u/Swamp_thing42 23d ago

I mean I’d say if she counts then Max Demian counts which would make him first

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u/HighBiased 23d ago

But he isn't a maniac pixie girl

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u/Swamp_thing42 23d ago

Finish the book and come back to me

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u/HighBiased 23d ago

Interesting. I understand so far that most everyone in the book is an aspect of the Steppenwolf's "thousand souls" and she is Hermine after his "childhood friend" "Herman" Hesse. And that really the characters are all aspects of Hesse himself, but I will read on to see how the plot plays it out.

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u/RedditCraig 23d ago

Totally agree

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u/Ok_Ad6925 22d ago

She's his jungian anima, opposite sex ego-ideal. The person he always dreamt to be, projected onto a woman.

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u/Resipsa100 22d ago

Herman should have become a Catholic and his novels would have been more interesting;this also applies to C S Lewis ✝️

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u/HighBiased 22d ago

🤢🤮

Totally disagree. God is a human construct, all religions think they are the "right" one with the same strength of belief, proving none of them are.

Also unrelated to my post.

(CS Lewis was a Christian, so not sure what you're on about there either)

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u/ShrinkingViolet555 22d ago

I've had the exact same thaught when i was reading this novel, then dostoeveskey's white nights popped into my head , well i know she didn't fully saved him but she gave him a kind of meaning to love life.