Demain: Vrai? Ou Faux?

Demian Essay

Upon the completion of reading the novel, Demian, by Hermann Hesse, the question arose in many readers of whether or not Max Demian was a physical character, or the creation of the narrator of the novel, Sinclair’s, imagination. One can clearly see that Demian is not a physically real person due to many supporting quotes found throughout the novel that support this argument. He was character that Sinclair would become at points in the novel when his alter ego would take over his body for a certain period of time. It is noticeably evident from this point of view that Max Demian is not a real character, but rather imaginary or a character of the “unconscious realm” of Sinclair as Carl Jung would put it.

Sinclair was a shy and troubled young boy, who never spoke out and lacked confidence. In contrast to such qualities, Demian feared no one, was self-confident, and often won the admiration of many, including the teachers. “He was not popular, did not take part in our games, still less in the general rough-house, and only his firm self confident tone toward the teachers won the admiration of the students” (Hesse, 21). When Sinclair was young, Franz Kromer, a bully, had Sinclair wrapped around his finger. When Demian confronted Sinclair about him, he promised Sinclair that they will find a way to stop his harassment and get rid of him. Sinclair does nothing, whereas Demian is somehow capable of diminishing the threat of Kromer. “…until I finally ran into Franz Kromer. When he saw me he flinched, his face twitched, and he turned away so as to avoid meeting me” (Hesse, 35). Why would Kromer flinch or be afraid of Sinclair even though Demian was not around? What had Demian said or done? Looking back, why did Demian’s characteristics contrast with that of Sinclair? Why did he not play any games? This can be interpreted as Demian being Sinclair and he himself playing the games, lashing out at Kromer, and putting in him fear of Sinclair, not Demian. This is similar to the narrator in the novel, made movie Fight Club, when the narrator’s alter ego plays the character of Tyler Durden. When people saw the narrator they called him Mr. Durden which confused him, until his alter ago confronts him in a hotel room and he realizes he is Tyler Durden. The only difference between Sinclair and the narrator of Fight Club is for the fact that Sinclair never finds out that Demian lies within him as he is never directly confronted by Demian.

Demian is not always around nor does he exist constantly throughout the novel. He appears only at some points, sometimes randomly, or sometimes on cue. As seen in the novel, he is not there for a while, or a huge chunk of Sinclair’s life, and then suddenly reappears in his life to guide him in a certain direction. “One day, I ran into Demian again” (Hesse, 35). “I had no news of him for years” (Hesse, 73). “How I longed for Demian. I had no idea where he was or how I could reach him” (Hesse, 75). This just shows how Sinclair’s alter ego or “unconscious realm” is not controlled fully by Sinclair and appears on occasion or randomly. “It occurred to me that I had written him several times without getting a reply” (Hesse, 73). “I could not have written to Demian even if I had known his address” (Hesse, 77). “…I had been living in such an unreal world with my paintings and my thoughts of Damien” (Hesse, 77). This is just more proof that Demian is not a physical reality. He gives no replies to Sinclair’s letters and Sinclair himself believes to be living in an unreal world full of thoughts about Demian. When Sinclair sent the painting he made to Demian, he had gotten a note back on his desk shortly after. How did the note get there right on his desk if Sinclair sent the picture to Demian’s old address? Clearly Sinclair wrote the note to himself while Demian was controlling him and then when he regained power, the note was there waiting for him to be read. Moreover, if Demian were a physical reality it would be quite a coincidence for them both to be going to the same university, in all of Europe. Demian was not around for much of high school for Sinclair, but they both happened to have gone to the same college? What are the odds? This just further shows that Demian was an imagination of Sinclair and was more needed to influence him in college when he was alone again, rather than in High school when Sinclair had plate full with other characters such as Beatrice, Pistorius, and Knauer. With those three not following him into college, it paved the way for Demian to reappear once again.

The ending of the novel brings about more evidence that Sinclair and Demian are one. With the final few chapters winding down the story