Narcissus and Goldmund

“You are an artist, and I am a thinker. You sleep at the mother’s breast; I wake in the desert.”

Part One: The Monastery

Narcissus, a disciplined and intellectual monk at Mariabronn Abbey, notices the artistic potential in Goldmund, a young student sent by his father to become a monk. Though Goldmund initially embraces monastic life, he struggles with rigid discipline. Narcissus, recognizing Goldmund’s restless spirit, encourages him to seek his true path beyond the monastery.

Part Two: Goldmund’s Wanderings

Goldmund leaves the abbey and embarks on a life of wandering, embracing freedom and sensuality. He encounters love, loss, and danger—seduced by women, surviving bandits, and witnessing death. His artistic talent awakens when he carves a statue of the Virgin Mary, revealing his calling as an artist.

Part Three: The Masterpiece

After years of wandering, Goldmund returns to Narcissus, now an abbot. He dedicates himself to sculpting under Narcissus’s guidance, creating masterpieces that capture the essence of life and suffering. Yet, his restless spirit lingers, and he eventually leaves again, unable to settle permanently.

Part Four: The Final Journey

Goldmund’s travels lead him to a plague-ridden village, where he witnesses mass death and despair. He reunites briefly with Narcissus, now an old man, before succumbing to illness. In his final moments, Narcissus reflects on their contrasting lives—Goldmund as the sensual artist, himself as the ascetic thinker—and their deep, unspoken bond.

Key Ideas

• The duality of spirit and flesh, intellect and emotion.
• The artist’s struggle between freedom and discipline.
• The search for meaning through experience versus contemplation.
• The transient nature of life and beauty.
• The tension between monastic asceticism and worldly passion.