In Demian, a novel by Hermann Hesse, the protagonist, Emil Sinclair, has a mystical experience of subconscious duality. Demian is his friend and Demian turns into an important symbol throughout the course of the book. He learns about Demian from a small note that Demian leaves him at his door. They then meet again after some time and their friendship develops from there. Demian’s insights help him to make sense of many events in his life including dreams he had been having about Demian.
In fact, he believes Demian saved him from committing suicide one night when they first met because Demian awoke something in him through their exchange. Emil Sinclair’s character undergoes several transformations during the novel Demian. At the beginning of Demian, Sinclair is a young boy with dreams and interests that set him apart from others his age. He is said to be very intelligent and thoughtful even though he can be shy and withdrawn at times. He enjoys learning about mysticism and symbols such as alchemy and tarot cards which Demian also shares an interest in.
However, Demian ends up leaving Sinclair after only knowing him for a short time because Demian begins to mature at a faster rate than Sinclair due to Demian’s more worldly experiences with people and life itself while Emil still acts like a child in many ways compared to Demian who seems more grown up than he really is. At some point during their separation, Demian takes on a spiritual form in Sinclair’s dreams where Demian helps Sinclair cope with some of the problems he is facing in reality.
After Demian leaves, Sinclair finds Demian’s note talking about Demian’s hopes for him and how to “read the book of his life. ” Demian ends up returning after some time later unannounced at Sinclair’s home where they begin to rekindle their friendship. Demian reveals new insights into life which help to broaden Sinclair’s perspective on things. Sinclair begins to see Demian as someone who can be trusted more than anyone else even though Demain has had many affairs with other women while away from Sinclair.
He sees Demian as Demian sees him, not just as Sinclair the boy but every aspect of who he is deep down inside. Demian says to Emil, “You are that which must overcome itself again and again. ” Demian also helps Sinclair see that they both share many similarities in their personalities with Demain saying, “We’re really very much alike,” Demian said. “We’re brothers in spirit. ” Demain later laments on how young they still are in comparison to others, “We are only beginning… It is good for us two to be together.
We have a long way before us—very long. The novel Demian ends with Demian disappearing after an arrest by the police because of his involvement with a political uprising. Demian says to Sinclair, “You are I and I am you. ” Demian’s absence marks the end of their friendship but Demian also serves as an important symbol throughout the course of Sinclair’s life because Demain tries to help him see things in a different light by bringing about new insights into his life. Demian helps Demain comprehend many aspects of life that other people cannot see for themselves.
The nature of Demian’s character inspires Sinclair to learn more about himself through Demain’s experiences with philosophy and mysticism. The novel Demian demonstrates how the loss or absence of one person can lead to another person being able to discover more about themselves which would have remained hidden beneath the surface if Demian had stayed with Demain or remained in Demain’s life. Demian shows Demain that they are more similar than different and he helps Demain know himself better by provoking him to think about his own values and beliefs which is why Demian remains such an important character throughout the novel.
It was Demian that made Herman Hesse known to the world. Demian, published in 1920, is a novel on coming of age and finding one’s identity. It is the Demian part of the story that fascinated so many people and which led them to this novel.
Demian starts with Max Demian visiting his parents’ house in the evening. Demian, Max Demian’s friend in his youth, had mysteriously disappeared when they were teenagers. Demian is now a famous artist. Demarian brings back memories of Demian to Maxwell Demian and his parents tell him stories about Demian which are both amusing and sad at the same time.
Max Demian also reveals that he is no longer called that but Emil Sinclair instead because he has started another life as an adult.
Emil Sinclair as a boy loved two things: nature and reading books from Herman Hesse who wrote many books with great imagination and covered various issues such as spirituality, sexuality etc. One could say that those early readings influenced his mind greatly. It was those books Demian read that made Demian who he was. Demian has been seen as a very secretive person because Demian occasionally talked in riddles to Demin.
After the Demian part of the story, it is revealed why Demian disappeared from Demin’s life and how they were reunited after 10 years.
Demian is not only a novel about friendship but also an analysis on one’s development towards adulthood and how a child should accept one’s parents while growing up. Demian can be considered to be a book that influenced many readers when it was written. It seems that Herman Hesse knew what was going on in the world at his time when he wrote this book.
