Demian

There is nothing better than having an RA who is uber excited about a book they loved, so was the case with this book, Demian by Herman Hesse, the author of another RA favorite book, Siddhartha.  Yes, the journey of life, this time the story of Emil Sinclair, a young boy raised in what one would characterize a “good” middle class family who is seen as ethical and value-centered.  Sinclair lives his early life as a good kid, but then he meets his first ethical challenge by trying to fit in with the local neighbors, when he lies about having stolen apples from the local orchard.  It becomes his own struggle between the “good” and the “bad.”  Neighborhood strong-boy, Franz Kromer, uses this information to hold over Sinclair’s head and forces him to steal from his own family to withhold the knowledge of the “made-up” apple robbery.  But then a new influence comes and helps Sinclair, Demian, the force that allows him to begin to turn inwardly to change his thinking and rely on an inner-force, a spiritual guide of sorts, who allows him to be saved from Franz and think about being thoughtful. Sinclair goes downhill again when he becomes slovenly while in high school at a boarding school, drinking and carousing and paying no head to his parents request to focus and do well.  He then finds a new “guide” who leads him to even further reflection about the actions he takes.  This again changes Sinclair to be more introverted and moves away from external influences that make him absorbed in habits that inhibit thinking and doing good.  Sinclair is moving to some level of self-realization and actualization throughout the book.  The time of the book was around the First World War and issues related to suffering, lack of clarity of purpose, and life being viewed as disposable for worthy purposes of the state were all influencing the author.  Religion and the idea that a God was just and present also are present in Sinclair’s journey.  Things happen for a reason and it doesn’t matter which way in the journey one chooses as the end is already determined is captured in this story, as well of the role of our dreams and how their meaning needs to be understand to help us better understand our journey and beliefs shared by the author.  Sinclair is trying to understand what life is all about and through the mentorship of three people in his journey he begins to have a better understanding as to why, a message that many of us look for daily.  I enjoy these type of books that ask us to search our soul and begin to find our “why”… just as Sinclair is led to do so when he faces the war and loses his good friend Demian, whom seemingly was the guardian angel for him over the years.  Hesse is a brilliant character developer, who understands the deeper philosophical aspects of our lives.  Two cheers for Hesse’s story.  Worth it and might motivate you to dig deeper for your own meaning and finding those around you who can help you dig deep.