I believe the dark side represents Emil's perception of adulthood which brings along with it burdensome knowledge (such as sex which he refered to as something horrible and disgusting as a child) and complicated emotions that contradict the rules set by society (ex. his emotional confrontation with his father). Emil also notes the "light" side which could be his perception of childhood ( represents innocence and rules) which he resided in for the most part until he first encountered Kromer (who first introduced Emil to the "dark" side and essentially embodied the "dark" side) and then Demian (who offered an alternative, and proposed an adulthood that wasn't "light" or "dark" entirely--something that Emil hadn't yet seen).
A possible reason why Emil was so comfortable, or accepting, of the "dark" side might be because a) it brought no accountability or responsibility, and b) it came naturally and it confirmed what Emil feared most about himself--that he was like Kromer.This fact is what made him being in the "dark" side so painful for him. I believe that the only reason that he resided in the "dark" side at all was because of this secret belief and he felt that that is where he belonged.
Don't many people feel the same?
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3 comments:
With the whole Emil feeling like he was just like Kromer is a very good point. i never thought about it that way and how Kromer had such an affect on him that he could be influenced to be just like him. And thats usually what happens to people. They get influenced by others and go towards the dark side and most the time don't realize it. But in Emil's case he knew it and thought he couldn't be saved.
What you said about "Emil feared most about himself--that he was like Kromer." reminds me of kids and people they don't like. The person you try sooo hard not to become, you end up being sort of like. Psychologists think it's because of the focus you have on this person, you end up imitating them without trying. Emil seems to be becoming a bit like Kromer in his paranoia..
Amanda, I believe you picked up on exactly what Hesse wrote and what Hesse thought. Not only was the light world childhood, but it held rules. He was confined under authority (ie; Father, Mother, God) and this light world is immature to him. It is what he believed before his devoloped mind set it is today. And you are right, Demian is not light nor dark. He is gray. He states in chapter 2 or 3 about how there simply must be a god of the gray if there is Satan of the Dark and God of the Light. This is not to say that there is a 3rd entity, but rather to say there is no god at all and there is no light and dark if you have just cause. He believes that if someone is burdening you that you have the right to kill them. But kill them for no reason? That is not accepted. I think the emotional confrontation with his father is probably a rebellion against God as this thinking begins to reside in him.
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