Beneath the Wheel

Hermann Hesse's "Beneath the Wheel" is a thought-provoking and moving coming-of-age tale about academic pressures and an attempt for uniqueness in a conformist society. The novel is set in a strict early twentieth-century German boarding school and follows the lives of Hans Giebenrath, a gifted student who struggles with academic demands and cultural conformity. While attempting to grow intellectually, he is dealing with the emotional and psychological toll that this rigid system exacts. Hesse's powerful prose dives into a young man's head, exploring the struggle between personal impulses and society demands. "Beneath the Wheel" is a touching examination of the sacrifices people make in pursuit of achievement and the cost they pay for abandoning their true selves.