Demian by Hermann Hesse - Summary of Events

Demian

A young Emil Sinclair who his whole life has known only the good realm represented by the innocence of his youth, his parent's house suddenly was introduced to the dark world with a fearful bitter experience caused by his bully franz kromer. Demian, a mysterious older boy, saves him from the nuances of kromer but also invokes unorthodox thoughts in Sinclair's mind by taking a blasphemius approach to the story of Cain the murderer. Sinclair unable to understand demian keeps  avoiding him.

Up to the period of pubescent, sinclair's endeavour clearly was to belong to world of purity and ignore the dark realm even though it fascinated him. But during his pubescent, no such endeavours were very helpful as his rising sexuality lead him to somewhere else that is forbidden. Years later sinclair encounters demian once again during the confirmation classes they take. And their friendship blossoms in the course of events but to his surprise, sinclair discovers demian has not bid him farewell properly. He leaves to attend a boarding school.

Here, Sinclair completely indulges himself into the dark realm as he proceeds to drink heavily and lay waste to life. But then he meets Beatrice who he thought he was in love with that has changed his way of life. After a few attempts at painting this androgynous woman, sinclair paints something which is not Beatrice yet holds him in great satisfaction. He, after a while he realizes the painting closely resembled his friend Demian who he resented at this point for not acknowledging their friendship. He again meets demian at a bar which ends up being rather an unpleasant meeting.

Sinclair's longing for Demian lead him to send a painting to him in which a bird struggles out of the shell. Later sinclair recieves a note saying, "The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God. That God's name is Abraxas."

Then he meets pristorious, a musician, a mentor figure from whom he learns a great deal about abraxas who is a god and satan representing both good and evil world as well as ancient religions. Together they question traditional rules , norms and expectations of society, explore unorthodox thoughts desiring to change the world. Their acquaintance ends rather abruptly when sinclair realizes it is not to be found in the ancient religions the truth that he seeks.

Sinclair saves a young boy from suicide in a mysterious episode of illusion process of which was completely unknown to him but which was of significance to the boy as he was searching for salvation. Earlier the boy had mentioned salvation through continence and accused sinclair of being pretentious when he advised the boy to embrace desire, an element of the dark realm.

All the while sinclair dreams of his beloved a masculine lady who he encounters was both his mother and Demian together. In a brief dream or illusional episode he draws a painting of this lady. Later sinclair attempts to find where demian lives while visiting his hometown but ends up discovering that the lady in his dream existed in real life, was none other than the mother of demian, herself.

He longs for her so passionately that he decides to search for her. His search for her comes to an end when he decides to attend university in H. There coincidentally he encounters demian and proceeds to follow him. Demian invites Sinclair to his house. The next day he finally gets to meet his beloved, the woman of his dreams who he desires, the ageless , the timeless Frau Eva, mother of Demian. He finds tranquillity in her presence and harmony within himself. Demian has premonitions of a great war breaking out for which he leaves so does sinclair after awhile. In the war sinclair is hurt and there he encounters demian for the last time where he for the first time addresses the incident with franz kromer. Demian assures him within himself sinclair can find demian whenever he needs him who represents the higher self of sinclair. Overcome with brotherly love, they share a kiss before Demian disappears.