Steppenwolf begins with a preface narrated by the nephew. The nephew meets Harry Haller, or Steppenwolf, when he rents rooms at the aunt's boarding house. The nephew dislikes Steppenwolf immediately because he seems shy, unsociable, and snobbish. The nephew admits that he grows to like Steppenwolf after spending time with him and learning about his divided nature. He views Steppenwolf as "a genius of suffering." The nephew tells the reader that he will present Steppenwolf and his story without any commentary, but he repeatedly interjects "psychological observation[s]." Steppenwolf leaves his manuscript to the nephew, who then publishes it. The text, or "Harry Haller's Records," is the result.
The remaining chapters, except for the treatise section, are narrated by Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf explains his disgust of bourgeois society, as well as his fascination with it. He chooses to live among the bourgeoisie even though he expresses contempt for them. This is demonstrated when he rents rooms from the aunt, just as he has rented rooms from countless other bourgeois individuals in the past.
Steppenwolf describes a typical day for himself. Everyday is the same for him now that he is an "old" man in his fifties. He reads the paper, reads books, checks the mail, and loses himself in the humdrum routine. His discontentment with society, his dissatisfaction with his own life, and his conviction that he has a divided nature, compel him to consider suicide. Later, Steppenwolf sees a sign: "MAGIC THEATER. ENTRANCE NOT FOR EVERYBODY. FOR MADMEN ONLY!" A peddler gives Steppenwolf a pamphlet entitled, "Treatise on the Steppenwolf."
