########################################
#Written by David Tam, 1994-1995. #
#davidkftam@netscape.net Copyright 1999#
########################################
OAC English Thesis
==================
==============================================================================
Siddhartha - Plot Synopsis
==========================
The story took place in India during the time of Buddha. In the village
of the Brahmans there was a young, handsome, and wise boy named Siddhartha.
Unable to quench his thirst for truth, knowledge, and wisdom he and his close
friend, Govinda, left the village to join the Samanas, a group of ascetics,
holy men. For three years Siddhartha and Govinda lived the life of the
Samanas, by having no possessions, living in the forests, begging for food,
fasting, meditating, and practicing self-denial. They wanted to be empty of
thirst, dreams, pleasure, and sorrow. They tried to let the "Self" within them
die and to finally reach Nirvana. Without satisfaction, they moved on and
followed Gotama, the Illustrious One, Buddha. After hearing the preachings of
Gotama, Siddhartha was again unsatisfied in his search for truth. He decided
to leave but Govinda stayed behind. After his departure he suddenly became
aware of the immediate, physical world. His deadened senses had awakened. He
discovered that the "Self" lived in both worlds, the physical and the ascetic,
pure world.
On his journey, he crossed a river with the help of a ferryman and
arrived at a town where he fell in love with Kamala, a beautiful courtesan.
Following her recommendation, Siddhartha met a wealthy merchant named
Kamaswami. Siddhartha learned to become a merchant and worked for Kamaswami.
For years, he lived in the physical world but he grew sick and tired of it. He
fled this life and returned to the river he had once crossed. There, he
attempted to commit suicide but was enlightened by the holy "Om".
Consequently, he did not drown himself in the river, but fell into a deep
sleep, a restoration period. When he woke up he found Govinda, his friend, the
monk, watching over him. After a brief conversation, Govinda departed to join
with the rest of Buddha's followers.
Siddhartha was attracted to the river and decided to remain by it. He
revisited the ferryman, Vasudeva, who once took him across the river. He lived
the life of a ferryman and learned many secrets from the river. He was finally
content in his pursuit for truth, knowledge, and wisdom. He had learned to
love the world for the way it was. On a pilgrimage to visit Gotama, Kamala
stumbled across Siddhartha. With her was Siddhartha's son. Unfortunately,
Kamala was bitten earlier by a poisonous snake and died in the hands of
Siddhartha. He was left with the task of taking care of his young son. Like
Siddhartha himself, his son left the river and headed back to the town. More
years passed and Siddhartha learned many more secrets from the river. Vasudeva
was enlightened and fled the river to learn from the forest. In the last
chapter, Govinda revisited Siddhartha again and before he departed, with the
help of Siddhartha, he was enlightened. At last, they had both found what they
were looking for. They had both gained wisdom.
==============================================================================
Demian - Hermann Hesse, Log # 3
===============================
The 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 surrealistic quality to
it. 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 Jung approach. Hermann Hesse was obviously
under the influence of Dr. Carl Jung when he wrote the novel.
The story was told as a lookback into the past. By the end of the first
couple of pages, Emil Sinclair explicitly revealed this fact to the reader.
The development of the two worlds of good and evil took place early in the
novel. Sinclair's home and his family symbolized the good of the world, while
almost everything else outside of the household was considered the evils of
the world. Max Demian was a strange being because he seemed to be an all-
knowing character. He was the wise one, similar to the river in Siddhartha.
As the story developed, the narrator (Sinclair) became lost in his dreams and
the boundaries between reality and fantasy were frequently mixed up. Because
of his troublesome dreams, Sinclair slowly lost control of his life and was
controlled by them.
The paintings done by Sinclair were one of the most symbolic of all
symbols. His paintings transformed from one figure to another, right before
his eyes. Some times, they were two of more figures at once. For example,
his painting transformed from a picture of Demian, to Demian's mother, to
Beatrice, to himself, and to the bird. There were periods when the painting
showed all four of these figures combined. In some every strange way it
represented all of them. This idea still shocks me today. Demian's mother
represented some kind of mother figure. This could be traced to the
influences of Jung.
A major image was the fires that Sinclair and Pistorius stared into. The
bright yellow and red colours brought on the images of the devil and evilness.
When Sinclair stared into the fire, he was exploring the dark world.
In general, the author believed that in order to discover oneself, one
must first destroy the world around them. It must then be built up again,
slowly and painfully. This belief was symbolized in the images of the bird
breaking away from its egg. Sinclair was consumed by this thought. He
dreamed of it, painted pictures of it, and had seen it in this town. From
suffering comes redemption and this was the only way to experience life. The
author brought out the feeling that the symbolic bird was eating Sinclair from
the inside out. In the story Demian forced Sinclair to swallow the picture of
the bird. Sinclair had felt the bird inside himself. Sinclair was consumed in
his thoughts.
Sinclair shifted several times from the good world and the evil world,
trying to find his place in society. By the end, he discovered that the world
must have both of these worlds. With the help of Demian, he developed a new
kind of God that was both good and evil. He was called Abraxas. This final
idea was caused by a new interpretation of the story of Abel and Cain. Cain
had a mark on him because God had thought of him as unique and not evil. Cain
was the stronger of the two brothers and his actions were justified. Though
Demian had corrupted Sinclair by teaching him how to interpret the bible,
Demian was like a father-figure to Sinclair. Demian had lifted Sinclair out
of his ruined life and had given him freedom. Demian was some kind of free
spirit, almost like Christ.
Similar to the story of Siddhartha, 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. In the final page, the death of Demian
signified the achievement of his goal. He had gained experience in life. He
had discovered himself. Demian had moved on to another world when he saw that
Sinclair no longer needed his help.
==============================================================================
"The Journey of Self-Discovery"-OAC English Thesis
==================================================
Literature reflects many aspects of human nature. It can be seen as a
collection of mankind's thoughts. The intangible is transformed from
brainwave patterns to ink patterns. What leads to the writing of literature
varies from author to author. In the case of Hermann Hesse, it was his
personal experiences in life. In the novels Demian and Siddhartha, Hermann
Hesse was influenced by Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, both psycho-analysts.
A personal crisis, which caused Hesse to undergo psycho-analysis with Dr. J.B.
Lang, led to the writing of Demian in 1919. His fascination with Eastern
cultures and his trip to India in 1922 directly resulted in the creation of
the novel Siddhartha. The fundamental theme of self-discovery is evident
in both novels. Self-discovery involves developing the mind, experiencing
life, obtaining wisdom, learning about oneself, coming to an understanding and
acceptance of this, and by the end, discovering one's identity. This theme of
self-discovery was important to Hesse because he experienced similar events in
life. He was born in Germany in 1877 and raised in a Protestant household
with expectations to follow in the footsteps of his forefathers and become a
missionary. He did not wish to do so, partly because he was interested in
Eastern religions. This personal crisis of the questioning of fundamental
beliefs deeply affected Hesse. In Demian he writes, "There is only one true
vocation for everybody - to find the way to himself." (Hesse, Demian, 1989,
p.120) Through his struggles, he found that the road to self-discovery could
only be experienced firsthand and could not be explained in words or taught to
others. "... but it becomes clear to him that the way of salvation can not be
taught, that words and creeds are empty sounds, that each man must find the
way by himself, the secret of the experience can not be passed on."
(Malthaner, 1952, p.103) This underlying secret was incorporated into the
novels Demian and Siddhartha.
In both novels, Hermann Hesse explores the theme of self-discovery by
portraying two contrasting worlds, including an all-knowing figure, and
involving religion. By developing two contrasting worlds, the protagonist,
Sidd in Siddhartha and Sinclair in Demian, is able to explore different
philosophies and unite the two worlds to find a harmonious relationship
between them. The use of an all-knowing figure provides the protagonist with
a guiding mentor to aid in the exploration of life and in the attainment of
wisdom, which is an essential part of self-discovery. Religion, as a
fundamental road to self-discovery, is a foundation that is first accepted,
then questioned, eventually rejected, and finally modified. These three
elements of finding one's own personal philosophy, gaining wisdom, and finding
a place in society are stops along the road to self-discovery. In these
novels, success is the discovery of the true self.
Developing contrasting worlds allows the protagonist to explore different
philosophies and unite the two domains to find a harmonious relationship
between them. In this way, the protagonist eventually finds his role in
society. In Demian, the two contrasting worlds are the good and the evil.
The good world is represented by family and the household, while the evil
world is represented by the world outside of the innocent home. In
Siddhartha, the worlds are of the pure and the materialistic. The pure world
is represented by the domain of the Samanas, a group of ascetic holymen. The
small town of Samsara, where Sidd, the protagonist, accumulates wealth and
experiences romance, represents the materialistic world. In both novels, the
protagonist explores each of the separate worlds thoroughly, gaining a variety
of experiences and experiencing a variety of emotions. To emphasize the
contrast between the worlds, the protagonist shifts from the initial world to
the contrasting one and back again. These shifts are voluntarily taken
because of the wish to seek the meanings of life. By the end, the protagonist
sees that he must live in a world which is a combination of the two. Once he
accomplishes this, he lives in harmony with the universe once again. This
gives the protagonist the opportunity to explore what he is and is not,
allowing him to build his own world that includes both elements.
The combination of the worlds is symbolized by the river in Siddhartha,
and by a new god in Demian. It is at the river where Sidd discovers the need
for both worlds. "I sat here and listened to the river. It has told me a
great deal, it has filled me with many great thoughts, with thoughts of unity
[of the two worlds]." (Hesse, Siddhartha, 1971, p.114) The river has elements
of both the pure and materialistic life. In Demian, a newly created deity by
the name of Abraxas is a god that is both good and evil. Through Sinclair's
concept of this god, he discovers the need for both worlds. "He finds that
even the evil things which he had done lately had been necessary as an
experience in order to bring him to an understanding of what life really
was."(Malthaner, 1952, p.103) The value of exploring both sides of the world
follow Hesse's philosophy of experiencing firsthand in order to discover
oneself. In this way, the protagonist explores and achieves harmony between
the two worlds. However, the protagonist does not discover the need for both
worlds by himself.
On the road to self-discovery, Hesse provides an all-knowing figure to
guide the protagonist along the journey. Because of the belief in firsthand
experience, the mentors do not reveal all of the secrets to life. In Demian,
Max is a mentor who helps Sinclair explore the dark side. Max is a mortal
being but he is shown as an eternal entity. His experience in life is evident
in his words to Sinclair, "Examine a man closely enough and you'll soon know
more about him than he does himself." (Hesse, Demian, 1989, p.54) At the
beginning, Max liberates Sinclair from potential ruin and later helps him to
explore new possibilities in life, and new ways of thinking and interpreting.
Sinclair commits crimes under the control of Franz Kromer, a local school
bully, at the beginning. His future looks very dim until Max appears and
eliminates the nuisance. From that point onward, their relationship develops.
Sinclair asks Max numerous questions about life and receives many answers.
Max is a very surrealistic character who holds the answers to everything and
also possesses psychic powers. This mentor also provides a benchmark for
Sinclair to compare himself to on the road to self-discovery.
In the case of Siddhartha, it is by the river where Sidd attempts
suicide. The river in Siddhartha is the all-knowing figure who guides the
protagonist through the later stages in life. Sidd stays by the river for
many years and learns some of its secrets. "It seemed to him that whoever
understood this river and its secrets, would understand much more, many
secrets, all secrets." (Hesse, Siddhartha, 1971, p.101-102) He learns that
the pure and materialistic worlds must be harmonized. To Sidd, the end of
the road is the state of Nirvana.(1) This state is reached with the help
of the river. Hesse is careful not to reveal too many secrets from the all-
knowing figures (the river and Max in Demian). They only provide hints,
guiding the protagonists toward the proper path. Without the help of these
beings, the protagonists would have taken much longer and it would have been
much more difficult to reach the final state of "Nirvana", the end of the road
to self-discovery. Perhaps they would not have reached that state at all.
Max and the river also aid the protagonists in developing new interpretations
of the world.
Religion is constantly being redefined in the novels. It is involved in
the novels as a foundation that is first accepted, then questioned, eventually
rejected, and finally modified. This shows the development of the protagonist
as he is travelling along the road to self-discovery. The questioning of
religion is a crisis that is eventually faced by every person. The biblical
story of Abel and Cain are the roots for the changes of Sinclair in Demian.(2)
This story is interpreted differently by Max, causing confusion in Sinclair.
The new interpretation states that the mark of Cain actually indicates a
strong, courageous individual, as opposed to one who is branded as a murderer.
"According to Demian, the story was not properly recorded or interpreted: Cain
was neither the villain nor someone to pity; rather he was a man of courage
and character." (Horowitz, 1980, p.176) Though it requires time for Sinclair
to realize that there are other interpretations of religion, he gradually
begins to question the traditional interpretations. In grammar school,
Sinclair is shown questioning all interpretation under the encouragement of
Max when Sinclair says, "I could not and would not abandon Abel and glorify
Cain now that I myself had once more become an Abel." (Hesse, Demian, 1989,
p.44) After deep thought and incubation, the traditional interpretations of
religion are rejected. Following his confirmation ceremonies in grammar
school he truly believes in Max's interpretation. Religion is modified when
Sinclair discovers Abraxas, a god that was both good and evil. Sinclair's
conclusion is that the world as a whole consists of both the good and evil,
and religion must to accept both.
In Siddhartha, the aspects of Buddhist religion are laced throughout the
novel. The protagonist is obsessed with achieving the state of Nirvana. His
first experience with the ascetics is in the hopes of achieving this state but
he eventually questions whether he will ever reach it. Sidd says to his
friend, Govinda, "He is sixty years old and has not attained Nirvana. He will
be seventy and eighty years old, and you and I, we shall grow as old as he,
and do exercises and fast and meditate. But we will not attain Nirvana,
neither he nor we." (Hesse, Siddhartha, 1971, p.18) Sidd's rejection of the
methods of reaching Nirvana (self-discovery), is shown when he explains his
belief to Gotama, the Illustrious One. "You have learned nothing through
teachings, and so I think, O Illustrious One, that nobody finds salvation
through teachings. .... That is why I am going on my way - not to seek another
and better doctrine, for I know there is none, but to leave all doctrines and
all teachers and to reach the goal [Nirvana] alone - or die." (Hesse,
Siddhartha, 1971, p.34) This also shows his modification of the Buddhist
religion, his belief that Nirvana can only be achieved by one's own desire and
actions, not through teachings. The questioning of fundamental beliefs and
the development of such a situation shows the maturation of a character who is
on the road to finding himself. These developments in personal beliefs are
one of the obvious results of a quest of self-discovery.
The common theme of self-discovery in Demian and Siddhartha is explored
by providing firsthand experience for the protagonist. In each case, the
protagonist is immersed in two different worlds, guided along by an all-
knowing figure, and given the opportunity to re-evaluate religion. The most
important result of the exploration of the two worlds is the realization that
a combination of both worlds is necessary, finding a place in society.
Guidance is provided by the all-knowing figure, accelerating the attainment of
self-discovery. Religion is examined to allow the protagonist to develop his
own personal philosophy. Hermann Hesse follows the philosophy of firsthand
experience by employing these three elements. In each novel the protagonist
reaches his destination of self-discovery through similar paths. Though the
road to self-discovery is a long and painful journey that must be experienced
firsthand, the rewards of self-discovery (Nirvana) are well worth the
undertaking.
==============================================================================
End Notes
=========
(1) The term "nirvana" will be used to describe the state of mind reached when
one has reached self-discovery. It is the Buddhist idea of heavenly peace,
perfect happiness reached by the complete absorption of oneself into the
supreme universal spirit.
(2) Abel and Cain both made offerings to God but only Abel's offering was
accepted. Cain committed the first murder by killing his brother, Abel, and
was branded by God with a special mark.
==============================================================================
Works Cited
===========
Hesse, Herman. Demian. Toronto: Paladin, 1989.
------
Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. Toronto: Bantam Books, 1971.
----------
Horowitz, Renee B. "Cain and Abel as Existentialist Symbols for Unamuno and
Hesse". Papers in Languages & Literature. Vol.16. No.2. Spring 1980.
--------------------------------
Malthaner, Johannes. "Hermann Hesse: 'Siddhartha'". The German Quarterly.
Vol.25, No.2, March 1952. --------------------
Timpe, Eugene F. "Hesse's Siddhartha and the Bhagavad Gita".
Comparative Literature, V.22 No.4 , 1970, p.23.
----------------------
"Nirvana". The World Book Encyclopedia, (Vol.14).
---------------------------
Toronto: World Book, Inc., 1987, p.332-333.
==============================================================================
Bibliography
============
Primary Sources
===============
1. Hesse, Herman. Demian. Toronto: Paladin, 1989.
------
2. Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. Toronto: Bantam Books, 1971.
----------
Secondary Sources
=================
1. Butler, Colin. "Literary Malpractice". U of T Quarterly,
Vol.11, No.2, 1971. ----------------
2. Field, George Wallis. Hermann Hesse. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1970.
-------------
3. Freedman, Ralph. Hermann Hesse Pilgrim of Crisis A Biography.
-------------------------------------------
New York City: Pantheon Books, 1978.
4. Glenn, Jerry. The Major Works of Hermann Hesse A Critical Commentary.
Monarch Press.------------------------------------------------------
5. Horowitz, Renee B. "Cain and Abel as Existentialist Symbols for Unamuno and
Hesse". Papers in Languages & Literature, Vol.16, No.2. Spring 1980, p174-
183. --------------------------------
6. Kern, Edith (Ed.). SARTRE A Collection of Critical Essays.
--------------------------------------
Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1962.
7. Lazare, Christopher. A Measure of Wisdom.
-------------------
8. Malthaner, Johannes. "Hermann Hesse: 'Siddhartha'". The German Quarterly,
Vol.25, No.2. March 1952, p103-109. --------------------
9. Mileck, Joseph. Hermann Hesse Life and Art.
--------------------------
University of London: California Press, 1978.
10. Mileck, Joseph. Hermann Hesse Life, Works, and Criticism.
----------------------------------------
Fredericton: York Press Ltd, 1984.
11. Norton, Roger C. Hermann Hesse's Futuristic Idealism.
-----------------------------------
Frankfurt: Herbert Lang Lan Bern Peter Lang, 1973.
12. Sedmair, Smith Martin. Funk & Wagnalls Guide to Modern World Literature.
------------------------------------------------
New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1972.
13. Timpe, Eugene F. "Hesse's Siddhartha and the Bhagavad Gita".
Comparative Literature, V.22 No.4 , 1970.
----------------------
14. Walter, Soreil. Hermann Hesse The Man Who Sought and Found Himself.
--------------------------------------------------
London: Oswald Wolff, 1974.
15. Wast, R.W. (Ed.). Modern German Authors New Series. (Vol.2).
--------------------------------
16. Benet's Readers Encyclopedia Third Edition.
------------------------------------------
Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1987.
17. "Hesse, Hermann". The New Encyclopedia Britannica Micropedia, (Vol. 5),
------------------------------------------
Toronto: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1990, p. 899.
18. "Nirvana". The World Book Encyclopedia, (Vol.14).
---------------------------
Toronto: World Book, Inc., 1987, p.332-333.
19. Twentieth Century Authors. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1942.
-------------------------
20. The Works of Hermann Hesse. Toronto: The Publishing Company Ltd., 1980.
--------------------------
(
geocities.com/siliconvalley/campus/9640/HighSchool) (
geocities.com/siliconvalley/campus/9640) (
geocities.com/siliconvalley/campus) (
geocities.com/siliconvalley)