[The] figure of the Prodigal Son, or as he is known to the Germans, the Lost Son, corresponds to Hesse's self-image as well as to the image of his protagonists.

The epithet verlorener Söhn is first specifically used by Hesse in the poem "Die Entgleisten."…

This Lost Son is but the first of many. Knulp, Emil Sinclair, Harry Haller and Goldmund are all explicitly called verlorene Söhne either by the narrator in editorial comment, by the characters themselves or by another character. And even where the identification is not explicit, we shall find the figure of the Prodigal haunting virtually every work, major or minor, of Hesse's long literary career. (p. 14)

Hesse repeatedly recasts the Biblical parable in his novels and tales. Its structure and general atmosphere inform his works, yet it is altered to conform to his personal and maturing convictions. Hesse's hero, with few...