We're all mad here… but maybe Harry is a tad bit madder. Harry Haller, Steppenwolf's main character, is a self-proclaimed schizomaniac, which is a sort of combination bipolar and schizophrenic.
This qualifies him to enter a mysterious Magic Theater, which is billed as for madmen only… and we're not talking about Don Draper and Joanie. Madness, in the novel, is actually a way of seeing the world that opens up the madmen to many more possibilities than an ordinary person has.
Questions About Madness
- What are the effects, positive and negative, of madness for Harry?
- Do you think that Harry is crazy? Why or why not?
- Why do you think that the magic theater only lets madmen in?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Harry is not really mad; he is just above society and therefore labeled as crazy.
Harry is a lunatic; the whole novel is the ravings of someone who is super mentally ill.