Narziss and Goldmund

A detailed Summary of Narziss and Goldmund

Humans are one of the only species that are expected to meet someone, fall in love, and mate for life. It is socially engraved in us that we are to marry for life, and to be completely faithful to that one person. Given a person of Goldmund's free spirit and constant need for change, and to experience the new, puts one giant obstacle in his path. He cannot settle down, however much he craves everlasting love. His one love and possible life long companion, need not be a 'wife', simply a person to share his soul with. That person is Narziss. There is, however, one flaw in the equation. Goldmund craves physical love as well as mental stimulation. Whatever possible mate meets his physical requirements in a lover, does not stand up to the standards created by Goldmund's relationship with Narziss. Goldmund is destined to wander, unhappy, searching for something, though he knows not what he is looking for. His many relationships with women, and his tremendous commitment to his art prove that all he ever wanted was for something to totally ensconce him, to totally envelop him, to fill the emptiness in his heart left by the mother who deserted him. Goldmund longs for something that can be attained by him at any given point in time, but t

In the third and final cycle, Goldmund experiences a relationship with Agnes. On the first day he meets her, he experiences his greatest ecstasy, but on the second day, her husband finds him and sentences him to death. Only through Narziss does Goldmund escape with his life. Narziss returns to Mariabronn with Goldmund, and creates for him a workshop for him to create many pieces that would be placed in the cloister. Goldmund, however, in all his creations, never brought to life the face of his Mother Goddess. In final frustration, Goldmund makes the decision to travel once again, he does not have a quiet soul, but a loud, free spirit inside him, hungering for the new, and the outside world. He returns to Nicholas, but finds him dead. Characters in this section are more spiritual than physical, as Nicholas' aged, worn daughter, as well as Agnes. Goldmund finishes a full spectrum of human experiences, but only after the Agnes-episode. In this cycle, ideas such as everything being transitory are explained, as well as the need for Goldmund to create something concrete with his life, something that will outlast him. Time was important here, as it played a role in Goldmund's capture. Place was important as well, concerning his meeting Agnes in the open fields, and his leaving for his final adventure. The book concludes with Goldmund dying as Narziss watched.

There are three separate cycles present in the novel. The first cycle occurs during the first year or two after Goldmund has left Mariabronn. It concludes with Goldmund witnessing a woman giving birth. He

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1055
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English