Melissa+Hesse's+Demian+(EC)

 = = =  = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Demian = By: Hermann Hesse =    =  = Author Biography:  = = = Hermann Hesse was born on July 2, 1877, in Calw, Wurttemberg, Germany. Both of his parents had been missionaries in the East Indies, and Hermann Hesse grew up in a Protestant family. Their family was characdterized by piety and religious devotion based on biblical study. Hesse was also freely exposed to eastern philosophy and religion. Hermann Hesse attended the Protestant Theological Seminary in Maulbronn, Germany, but found it unbearable and ran away. He then attended the Gymnasium in Cannstadt, Germany, which he was later expelled from. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> <span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Mr. Hermann eventually found steady employment in a bookshop. His first novel, //Peter Camenzind// is about a failed writer. That was such a great success that he could afford to leave his job and become a full time writer. When Germany engaged in World War I, Hesse moved to Switzerland. He aided German soldiers by serving as an editor of a journal for German prisoners of war. Between 1916-1917, Hesse went through personal crisis as result of illness and death in his family. His personal distress led him to seek psychoanalysis with both Carl Jung and his disciple, J.B. Lang. The novel //Demian,// was wrote in 1919, and is based on his process of self-discovery through analysis. <span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: Impact, Charcoal, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Hermann Hesse wrote other books such as //Siddhartha, Der Steppenwolf,// and //Das Glasperlenspiel. //Hesse was married three times. The first two marriages ended in divorce. He had three children from his first marriage. Hermann Hesse died of a brain hermorrhange in 1962, at the age of eighty-five.

<span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">“Hermann Hesse.” __The Learning Network.__ 2008. 6 Nov 2008. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">http://www.online-literature.com/hesse/

=<span style="COLOR: #ff8000; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Plot Synopsis: = <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Demian is the story of a boy, Emil Sinclair, and his search for himself. Emil was raised in a good traditional home at the turn of the century in the young nation of Germany. His family is rather wealthy and they have a reputation as an upright, godly family. As a boy, Sinclair views the world within the walls of his home as representing all that is good, pure, innocent, and godly. But starting at a young age he feels a constant inner conflict between this world, which he refers to as the “world of light” and he outside world, or “forbidden realm” which represents sin, loneliness, deceit, and insecurity. And although his mother, father, and two sisters remain within the “world of light”, he constantly feels drawn to the outside realm and is in this way somewhat estranged from his family and their sphere of security. He ends up vacillating between both and not belonging to either. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">This struggle between Sinclair’s two worlds manifests itself when Sinclair is about 10 years old. While playing one day with some fellow schoolmates, an older boy, Franz. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Kromer, joins them. In an effort to impress the older boy and his schoolmates, Sinclair makes up a story in which he and another unnamed accomplice stole a bag of apples from a fellow neighbor. Although the story is untrue, Kromer threatens Sinclair with exposure if Sinclair does not pay him off. Unable to pay the full amount, Sinclair is forced to become Kromer’s slave, ultimately sending Sinclair into depression and paranoia. Sinclair feels trapped by Kromer, forced to live within the “forbidden realm”, which in turn exiles him from the “world of light” because he has defiled himself by lying and committing sinful acts for Kromer. This experience is traumatic for Sinclair and he is often haunted by nightmares, he is unable to eat, and he becomes withdrawn and sullen. His personality alters as he tries to cope with the bondage of his slavery to this lower-class, troublemaking kid, but he sees no escape and reluctantly succumbs to what he believes to be his fate. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">The arrival of a new kid in town, Max Demian, is noticed by everyone due to the strange aura that surrounds him and his recently widowed mother. From the start, Sinclair feels a type of fascination for Demian, a confusing feeling filled with both love and hate. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">“He was in every respect different from all the others, was entirely himself, with a personality all his own which made him noticeable even though he did his best not to be noticed; his manner and bearing was that of a prince disguised among farm boys, taking great pains to appear one of them” (Hesse 1). <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">After a number of years of only peripheral contact, Sinclair and Demian are reunited in a confirmation class. Though they do not spend much time together at first, their relationship is rekindled after the teacher discusses Cain and Abel in class one day. Demian switches his seat to be next to Sinclair and they spend much time discussing the will and exploring Demian's uncanny ability to affect how other people act. During this time, Sinclair's religious faith begins to wane. Demian presents him with the thought that worshipping the God of the Bible is not sufficient. The God of the Bible represents all that is sanctified and good in the world, but, Demian insists, one ought to worship the entire world—the evil parts too. Sinclair is elated that Demian has touched on these thoughts—that the world is divided in two realms—light and darkness, good and bad. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Sinclair enters boarding school. Also, he begins to take up painting and paints a picture of this girl. Days later he realizes that the picture is also a picture of Demian. In class one day, Sinclair finds a note that speaks about breaking free. Also, it mentions a god, Abraxas. Sinclair is certain that the note is from Demian. Only half paying attention to the day's lecture, Sinclair perks up when he hears his teacher mention Abraxas. The teacher says that Abraxas is an ancient God who contains both divine and satanic elements. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Strolling about town one day, Sinclair hears music emanating from a small, locked church. He is moved by it and sits outside to listen for a while. He does this many times and eventually decides to trail the organist as he leaves after playing on one occasion. Sinclair follows him to a bar and sits beside him. They begin to chat and Sinclair mentions Abraxas. At once, the organist, Pistorius, takes a great interest in Sinclair. This is the start of an intense relationship between the two men. Pistorius becomes a mentor to Sinclair, helping him to learn further things about himself and teaching him a bit about Abraxas. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Knauer, a classmate of Sinclair, approaches him after school one day, seeking guidance. Sinclair feels that he has very little to offer to the boy. Sinclair tells him only that he needs to learn to be comfortable with what his innermost soul wants. Later, out for a stroll one restless night, Sinclair comes across Knauer, who is ready to commit suicide. He saves Knauer, for which Knauer later displays much gratitude and allegiance. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Sinclair begins to see that Pistorius has limitations. He tells Pistorius that he is too "antiquarian." He brings Pistorius to recognize that he can only teach Sinclair about old gods and ideas of the past—he is not creative enough to invent new ones. Their relationship ends as Sinclair ends his time at preparatory school. Before entering university, Sinclair visits Demian's old house. There, the new owner shows him a picture of Demian's mother. Sinclair realizes that she looks exactly like the portraits he has been drawing, and he unsuccessfully searches for her. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">The book has a great ending with many falling actions that leads to the resolution of the story. To find out the exciting ending, read __Demian__ ! <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Hesse, Hermann. __Demian.__ New York: Harper & Row Publishers, Incorporated, 1999. =<span style="COLOR: #f77102; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Literary Information: = <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Full Title: Demian <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Author: Hermann Hesse <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Type of Work: Novel <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Genre: Bildungsroman (a coming-of-age novel about education or moral development) <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Climax: Sinclair’s discovery that the woman he has been painting is Demian’s mother. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Protagonist: Emil Sinclair <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Point-of-view: An older Sinclair, looking back at his childhood. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Tone: Contemplative and analytic; psychological <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Themes: Psychology; good and evil; the will; narration <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">“Demian.” __Spark Notes.__ 2008. 6 Nov 2008. <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/demian/facts.html <span style="COLOR: #ff6a0a; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> =<span style="COLOR: #ff6a0a; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Why the Book is Outstanding: = <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">__Demian__ is an outstanding novel for many reasons. It belongs on the Outstanding Books for the College Bound list most definitely. The book symbolizes two main things throughout. One thing is the God of Abraxas. The Gnostic deity Abraxas is used as a symbol throughout the text, idealizing the harmonious union of all that is good and all that is evil in the world. Demian argues that the Catholic God is an insufficient god; it rules over all that is wholesome, but there is another half of the world. The symbol Abraxas appears in the novel as a bird breaking fee of an egg or a globe. The Sparrow Hawk is another symbol in the novel. The sparrow hawk symbolizes Emil Sinclair. “Whoever wants to be born, must first destroy the world” (Hesse 63). Whoever, Emil Sinclair or anyone, wants to become part of the religion, must first destroy their image of the world or erase everything they know or have been told about it.

= <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Criticism: = <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">I think that this book was excellent. It does not start out slow like a lot of other books at the beginning. That is a good thing, because you get caught up in suspense right away. Anyone who likes books that tell somewhat of an autobiographal story should read this. It happens during war and shows the actions of a boy's past. The book in my opinion is amazing. One thing that I do not think was too great in the book was when the characters went to boarding school and didn't explain in detail. It left out the significance of the schools and you did not get the full effect as a reader. Though, I personally thought the literature was excellent. "The electrifying influence exercised on a while generation just after the First World War by Demain.. is unforgettable. WIth uncanny accuracy this poetic struck the nerve of the times and called forth grateful rapture from a whole youthful generation who believed that an interpreter of their innermost life had risen from their own midst" From the Introduction by Thomass Mann ("Demian"). I recommend this book to everyone. It is written for a certain audience, but anyone would love this book. It is phenomenal and worth the time of reading it. __Demian__ is an outstanding book that is a fine piece of literature. It is no wonder that it has gotten so many awards and is highly regarded by many critics and readers. I think that everyone should read this amazing book! <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">“Demian (Perennial Classics).” __Powell Books.__ 2008. 6 Nov 2008. http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9780060931919

= <span style="COLOR: #ff7f00; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Recommendation: = I recommend this book to everyone. It is written for a certain audience, but anyone would love this book. It is phenomenal and worth the time of reading it. __Demian__ is an outstanding book that is a fine piece of literature. It is no wonder that it has gotten so many awards and is highly regarded by many critics and readers. I think that everyone should read this amazing book!

<span style="COLOR: #f77b08; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"> =<span style="COLOR: #f77b08; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">Wiki's to Check Out! =

<span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">**__A Separate Peace:__** <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">http://park204.wikispaces.com/Kyle G Knowles A Separate Peace <span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive">http://park204.wikispaces.com/Kelsey279 Knowles A Separate Peace

<span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif">__**Dracula:**__ http://park204.wikispaces.com/Ashley W- Stocker Dracula

<span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif">__**Catcher in the Rye:**__ http://park204.wikispaces.com/Lisa Catcher in the Rye

<span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif">__**The Color Purple:**__ http://park204.wikispaces.com/Katie The Color Purple <span style="COLOR: #f70202; FONT-FAMILY: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif">