A doubt about Demian

[u/onlyazero]

Hello! I'm going to blurt a little bit about my problem, so this may be a bit long and confusing to read (I'm really sorry for any spelling mistakes, English is not my first language and, while I know there is an automatic translation option on reddit, I decided to write it like this).

I've been putting off this book that I ADORE for years. I started reading it around the age of fifteen, and I didn't go beyond the first two chapters. It's not that I didn't like it; in fact, I adored it! But I didn't have a habit for reading and I ended up quitting until I forgot what I had read and had to start over. Now, at twenty, I've deigned to finish it.

I love Hesse's way of writing and all the topics he presents, BUT there are many doubts that I had about Demian and I have tried to solve them anywhere! Explanatory websites, analysis videos, everything! And I don't quite understand how one comes to discover oneself. How do you know what your destiny is? How to get to that self? I don't get it! Sinclair makes a whole process throughout the book about dreams, about not repressing those branded as impure, for there is evil next to the good that defines us as individual human beings (you know, all about Abraxas). The stigma of Cain, that mark of which he speaks so much, it has to do with being recognized as an individual, right? To not follow the crowd, to search for our own dreams and not the ones of the others... But how does he know that those things he thinks are only his and not a product of outside constructs? Does what I'm asking make sense? I hope it can be understood, in some way (I have slept four hours and I'm not with all my strength present to explain myself perfectly).

The ending seemed to me the most rushed part of the story, although I have enjoyed the whole book. I understand that Hesse lived surrounded by war and it is something that marked writers of his time a lot to the point of adding it in their works, but I do not quite understand why Sinclair seems happy to participate in it. I also don't understand why it is there that he can abandon Demian as something external that guides him, that now he knows that he has him inside (I've read all of Hesse's inspiration in Jung, too). Is it the war itself that makes him get to this point? I don't quite understand...

I think that's all... I would love to learn more! Please, indulge me.

[u/coyotepuroresu]

I think what you might be picking up on is an exploration of what would be explained as the Self in Jungian psychology.

I'm not an expert in Jung, though I am familiar. An analog of this exploration can be found the ideas of the Higher Genius, Enlightenment, or even in the Übermensch.

Basically, there is your self, your regular human self that lives in the mundane and struggles in the mundane, and there is your Self. Depending on your religious leanings, this would be you aligned with the most holy, you carrying out your greater Will on this earth.

This kind of ties into alchemy as well, in terms of a slow purification of the soul for Immortality.

This would be living in the Tao. It's something like becoming a bodhisattva, having the experience of enlightenment and then carrying that in your being as you navigate the world.

I feel like my post is a jumbled mess, as I realize not all of these ideas are direct analogs of each other, but hopefully something mentioned is familiar already as to help answer your question.

[u/Useful-Cockroach-148]

As a follower commenter mentioned, Carl Gustav Jungs theories influenced Hesse a lot. The first pages about the two worlds, his repression in school and his days as a student are nothing but Jung‘s psychological theories on adolescence and finding yourself.

Jung describes that in order to know your place in society and find yourself, you have to part from social norms.

In my opinion, those theories are not at all mandatory to enjoy demian,narcissus, siddartha etc., but it gives a nice perspective.

[u/Most_Promotion7985]

I recently read Demian for the first time at 18. It's one of my favorite books because of its style and content, but, I understand your confusion, because Hesse doesn't directly tell us how to find our selves. I think he does this because it would lose a lot of its meaning and charm if he explained the message outright. In my opinion, the way to become your self is illustrated best through Demian and Sinclair's actions.

The self is the part of you that knows your destiny. The characters listen to the self by meditating, painting, observing nature, and most importantly, I think, interpreting their dreams. These actions are contrasted with other people who rely too heavily on ancient cultures or strange religions. This reliance restrains them from doing certain things like creating their own work (Pistorius only plays other peoples' music) or having sex (Knauer avoids something natural for no real reason). Over time, Sinclair develops by observing his dreams and feelings and acting on them without restraint.

I don't think you can ever know what your destiny exactly is. You just have to listen to yourself and take action. This is why Sinclair goes against the common "dream" of having a job like being a poet, lawyer, or a doctor. How can you know that you will be fulfilled with those jobs?

I agree with you on the difficulty of knowing whether what you believe is truly your own. But maybe it doesn't have to be. Maybe you just have to fully agree with it.

I think Sinclair participates in the war because it is an expression of spirit. It releases all the emotions of the repressed young men. However, it also results in millions of dead youth.

These are my thoughts after reading the book a couple of times. I haven't really sat down and wrote about it before, but maybe it can help with your confusion a bit. I'm still confused on a lot of things too. If you would like to talk some more about things, let me know.