Hello people! It's me again, still, reviewing a book with the title "Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair's Youth" by Hermann Hesse. This will be the last part of my review, if you guys haven't checked the previous chapter, check these links out:
Part 1 Part 2 and
Part 3
Here we go!
#Chapter
6: Jacob Wrestles with the Angel
Sinclair
and Pistorius were getting along together. Pistorius became Sinclair’s role
model, he listened and gave some advices to what Sinclair told him. They
"worship" Abraxas and discussed dreams, desires, and the world.
Pistorius told Sinclair that he “can’t consider prohibited anything that the
soul desires.” However, Sinclair was still not sure about that, about what
Pistorius told him that, for instance, one must kill someone simply because one
doesn’t like the person. Pistorius responded that even this, under certain
circumstances was acceptable. Sinclair was stuck between what Pistorius stated
and the things Demian had said to him.
When
Sinclair was walking home, Knauer, his classmate, approached him and talked
about certain spiritual exercises that he performed. Knauer revealed that he
was celibate and he insisted that in order to live a spiritual life, one must
remain celibate. He admitted that he thought about sex and it made him
difficult to remained the celibate. He confessed that he needed help to
suppress his desires. Sinclair said that the only advice he could offer was
that Knauer had to learn to accept who he was and acted so as to fulfill his
desires. Then Knauer threw a fit and cursed on him.
Sincslair
dreamed the same dream, the sparrow, his mother, and the woman looked like
Demian. He painted another painting and realized that the woman had also some
features that resembled Sinclair himself. His inner world became violent, he
reacted very strongly to the painting. He couldn’t sleep, and took a bath in
the middle of the night and went out for a walk. He ended up in an alleyway and
saw Knauer. Knauer confessed that he was about to kill himself.
Sinclair
spent his last few weeks at school with Pistorius. He gained answers to all of
his questions by concentrating intently on the ideal woman of his picture. And Knauer
began to attached himself to Sinclair and followed him around, but still they did
not get too close. Sinclair began to realize Pistorius’s limitations. He no
longer saw him as his role model. He felt like Pistorius only gave him a dull,
impersonal history, not a real personal experience. Pistorius took Sinclair’s
criticism very personally. Their interaction was no longer as good and close as
before. But then, in a later conversation, Pistorius admitted his limitations,
he said that he was not a man who can
actualize the ideas they had been discussing, a man who can bring Abraxas to
the world. Sinclair felt like he lost his guidance and were not sure about how
to proceed. He then decided to enter a university after the vacation and
studied about philosophy.
#Chapter
7: Eve
Sinclair told the moment when he
visited the house where Demian used to live. The current owner cannot help him
to find the Demian family, but showed him an old photo album containing a picture
of Demian’s mother. He quickly recognized her as the woman who he has been drawing,
the woman who had been in his dream and desires. But this photograph led him on
a failed journey to find Demian’s mother before he entered his university
study.
One evening, as Sinclair walked
around the town, he heard a familiar voice that he recognized as Demian’s.
Sinclair and Demian were finally reunited. Demian showed Sinclair his current
house and invited him whenever he wanted to. The next day, he went to Demian’s house.
As the maid let him in, Sinclair recounted many of the significant events that
had marked his life and his relationship with Demian. He finally met Demian’s
mother, who recognized him at once. They got along well quickly as they talked
about what Sinclair’s current feeling and the journey that had brought him to
her. Even Demian’s mother asked him to be one of her vey dearest friends and to
call her ‘Frau Eva’. Sinclair then went to the garden, then Demian
congratulated him that he was the first person whom Demian’s mother has told
her name during their first met.
The older Sinclair thought this visit
to Demian’s house as a watershed event. Afterwards, he said that he could
freely went to the house just “like a son or brother, but also someone in love.”
Then Sinclair began to center his life in Demian’s household. Many people, with
different interests and beliefs, passed through his circle. However, Sinclair
and Demian did not take the religious beliefs of their acquaintances seriously.
Rather, they concerned themselves with each individual’s self-realization.
Sinclair’s relationship with Eva grew
stronger. Eva seemed understood his every thought and desired. She confronted
Sinclair about his love for her and told him that he must allowed it to fully
manifest itself in order to win her over. He spent his Christmas at home for
two weeks, made him thinking about Frau Eva, but when he returned, he was not
fully ready to make his move. Then, he found Demian passed out in the house. He
then wandered out into a storm and saw the sparrow hawk which was in his dream.
He returned to Demian’s house to find that he had experienced an ominous sign
in the form of a dream, though Demian refused to reveal him all of the details.
#Chapter
8: The Beginning of the End
Sinclair spent the summer at the town
where his university is located with Demian, Eva and others in the garden near
the river. He somehow felt peaceful and relaxed, though this made conflicting
emotions in him. However, he found comfort in Frau Eva.
Demian came running in and informed
Sinclair that war with Russia was imminent. Demian took this to be the sign of
the coming of a new world. Then Sinclair learnt that Demian was a Lieutenant
and would likely soon go off to war. Demian told Sinclair that he must have
called either himself or Frau Eva that day. Sinclair admitted that he called
Frau Eva. Then Demian revealed that Frau Eva had sent him. Sinclair was very fascinated
that Frau Eva heard his call. After the dinner, Frau Eva said convinced
Sinclair that every time he needed her, he could call her then she would send
someone who was just like her.
The war had started and Demian went
right away. After that, Sinclair was also sent to the battle. One night, he guarded
over a farm, Sinclair began to enter the dream-like state. He recalled the
images of Frau Eva and Demian. When he looked up across the night, he saw Frau
Eva in the sky, with the Cain’s mark illuminated on her forehead. From the
mark, the stars appeared and one of the stars hit Sinclair. Sinclair then was found
wounded and unconscious on the battlefield.
Sinclair was taken care, but somehow
was left to lie around in a state of semi-consciousness. He then managed to
gather all of his energy to get what he wanted. He finally was brought to a
facility for wounded patients. In the next bed, laid Max Demian who asked
Sinclair whether he remembered Franz Kromer, they exchanged a smile. Then
Demian told him that he had to go, but if Sinclair probably needed him, Sinclair
must look deep into himself and he would realize that Demian was within him. He
told Sinclair to close his eyes and gave him a kiss from Frau Eva.
That’s how the story that is so inspiring me end. The friendship
of Demian and Sinclair has touched my heart. Friends who guide us in a positive
way.
A big shout out to my friend whom introduced me to
this book.
Thank you for everyone who have been read this review. See you guys
on my next project!
