Demian by Hermann HesseThe biblical story of Abel and Cain was deeply rooted in this novel. This theme was used to explore the life of a young man growing up in Germany. Compared to the novel Siddhartha, Demian had a more surreal quality. Some of the physical events that occurred would not have been possible in reality. In Siddhartha only the mental events were surreal. The theme of self-discovery was explored with a Jungian approach. Hermann Hesse was obviously under the influence of Dr. Carl Jung when he wrote the novel. The story was told as a look back. At the end of the first two pages, Emil Sinclair explicitly reveals this fact to the reader. The development of the two worlds of good and evil takes place at the beginning of the novel. Sinclair's house and his family symbolized the good of the world, while almost everything else outside the house was considered the bad of the world. Max Demian was a strange being because he seemed like an omniscient character. He was the wise man, similar to Siddhartha's river. As the story developed, the narrator (Sinclair) became lost in his dreams and the lines between reality and fantasy were often blurred. Because of his troublesome dreams, Sinclair slowly lost control of his life and was controlled by it. The paintings made by Sinclair were one of the most symbolic symbols. His paintings transformed from one figure to another, right before his eyes. Sometimes they were two or more figures at the same time.&nb...... middle of the paper... they are unique and not evil. Cain was the stronger of the two brothers and his actions were justified. Although Demian had corrupted Sinclair by teaching him how to interpret the Bible, Demian was like a father figure to Sinclair. Demian had pulled Sinclair out of his ruined life and given him freedom. Demian was a kind of free spirit, almost Christ-like. Similar to Siddhartha's story, at one point in the novel Sinclair discovered the beauty of the world around him. Sinclair became as wise as Demian by the end of the novel. On the final page, Demian's death signified the achievement of his goal. He had gained experience in life. He had discovered himself. Demian had moved to another world when he saw that Sinclair no longer needed his help.