Glad you decided to drop by the blog I made in about fifteen minutes during the class you skipped today to see a house made out of a full ton of Hershey's chocolate. I hope that you all had a great time. But you know what else I hope? That you were bothered during your field trip by the inexorable pressure of "The Dark Side."
(Did you visit that link? That TV show messed me up when I was a kid. Maybe I'll show you an episode sometime. Anyway.) I think the dark side that Emil Sinclair discusses is something we should talk about a bit more in-depth. What is the "dark side"? Does it represent our sin, our human nature, or the "dark side" of our own personalities? Why is Emil more comfortable there? Do you feel comfortable there? Sometime this weekend, write a response here on the blog to the first chapter of Demian. These are just questions to guide you - feel free to respond in your own way.
To respond to these questions or write a post of your own, set up an account. Once you do, e-mail me and I will add you as a writer on this blog. The automatic response from this website will direct you through the rest of the process. You can respond to this post in the "Comments" section by clicking the link above this post, or you can start your own by logging in to blogger. Add photos and video if you want to make your blogposts fun. Anything as long as you don't delete any information.
This is a great way to continue discussing our books outside of class and over the weekend. Not only will we have a space where we can continue discussions that go overtime, we'll be able to share videos, stories, pictures, and websites with one another. For those of you looking to be immersed in the literature we're reading - this is where you can do it. I'll be counting occasional blogging as part of your participation grade, so hopefully you'll enjoy dropping by.
Before you leave, check out the links above. We don't have a Facebook or MySpace yet, but you can feel free to make one. And make sure you take the poll to your right. Loads of fun.
Catch you on the light side....
5 comments:
The first chapter is really a starting point for the book. The ideas of the "Bright" and "Dark" Worlds begin here but there is a different reaction to it in this chapter than the rest of the book. After this chapter, Emil progresses farther and farther into the 'dark world' but after this it is barely even referred to as the dark world, but simply the gray. Another noticeable change is his reference to his parents. Mother and father are captilized in the beginning, but when he enters the "dark" world they are just mother and father. This is in direct relation to the segment on page 11 where he says he feels he is above his father. Emil has decieved his father and feels superior because of it. This trend continues to the point that by chapter 3 his parents aren't mentioned. In his chapter however, Emil wants to cling to the things of the bright world and home. His mother and father's coats and parcells are mentioned. He feels guilty and that he does not feel fit in this bright world anymore, he is not innocent. Again, just as he felt superior to his father, he takes comfort in the dark world as well and becomes more and more comfortable with it. In this chapter it makes him sick, this changes. It is important to note that as of this chapter he paints Emil as an ignorant and formerly innocent child. This is a grab at the reader. This allows readers to relate to him. "Yes, I have been in such positions as a child." This is dangerous! It is to let down the shields that protect what enters your mind. It opens you up to his ideas, views and values. I strongly suggest that you pray while reading this, because it is very easy to be decieved. There is a subtle sales pitch contained in this writing and it becomes heavier as you delve deeper into the book. It is informative to how he thinks though, readers just make heed in the reading and take careful consideration to how that relates to you and how you feel about it. The first chapter is subtle, attention grabbing, and manipulates the reader for what is to come in the rest of the book
Cameron - these are some absolutely excellent comments. A couple things I want to address.
Another noticeable change is his reference to his parents. Mother and father are captilized in the beginning, but when he enters the "dark" world they are just mother and father. This is in direct relation to the segment on page 11 where he says he feels he is above his father. Emil has decieved his father and feels superior because of it. - I love what you've pointed out here. We discussed this very concept on Thursday; however, the fact that the capitalization changed did not come up. Notice, his father is his model for God. When his father fails him, he loses the respect that we show God by capitalizing His name.
I strongly suggest that you pray while reading this, because it is very easy to be decieved. There is a subtle sales pitch contained in this writing and it becomes heavier as you delve deeper into the book. - I'd like to discuss this further, on here or in class. It is clear that Emil Sinclair's beliefs are based heavily on Gnosticism, a concept that seeks to unify all religions. Therefore, reading this work with prayer and discernment is absolutely essential if we wish to grow as Christians because of it. This book contains a mix of truth, half-truth, and outright lies. Let's treat it that way.
What I'm interested to know, class, is whether you believe this books contains a "sales pitch;" that is, if you think the Gnostic course the novel is beginning to take reflects Emil's beliefs, Demian's beliefs, or if it is a reflection of Hesse's ideology. It might be a combination of the three, or something else entirely. Discuss!
The dark side that Emil talks about is really universal; and not just for kids. It intrigues everyone. I don't think it's so much about wanting to become corrupted, but wanting to be your own; wanting to make your own decisions, rather than the cookie-cutter actions that are expected of you.
I found it interesting how Emil absentmindedly compares himself to the scarlet letter. He feels as though everyone can see what he's done. His corruptness is plastered on him, sin is now a part of him. He understands that this sin is permanent. What he doesn't understand is forgiveness, and, as you said in class, father's are our models of God. If the father is unsimpathetic and a believer in paying for our actions, where is Emil going to get the idea of freedom from sin. He's going to grow up beliveing that there is no hope. That we are all condmned to die. And although there is truth in that, that a price must be paid for sin, Christ has freely done it for us; for Emil.
But, Emil doesn't know any of this. He still believes that he must pay for what he's done wrong. He doesn't see forgiveness as an option. This ten year old boy is carrying the weight of sin far greater than he will ever be able to repay. And he realizes this. He knows without thinking that he's not good enough to repay what he's done. He will always be a sort of imperfect.
At this point, life is bleak and purposeless for him. But the author forshadows in this little boy, a strong mind, a thinker. I predict he will search for the right answers in life. This is only the beginning of his adventure.
Emil compares 3 worlds. The light one, to which his parents beong, the dark one, to which Franz Kromer belongs, and the Demian's world, which he is struggling to place. Emil has determined that Demian is powerful, that he can do (and looks) other-worldly. He can save people and read minds and doesn't look completely human. Emil has also made the connection that if Demian was the one who restored him back to his matural, safe, and good state, then Demian is surely the one he needs to confess to. Yet, emil confesses to his mother. He confesses to the light, not to the one who saved him. The one who saved him is unpredictable. Emil knows for certain that the light will accept sincere apology. Pure light is steady (in all sences).
Now, what is left to analyze is why he doesn't turn to his 'savior', Demian. I have a biased opinion on this which goes back to the author. Herman Hesse was taught Christianity from a young age and refused it. He was so opposed to the idea of a saior. Could he have parallelled Demian to a savior without trying? Look at it this way. People are selfish, correct? We are all proud. We each pride ourselves over something. We don't like it when someone is better than us. We don;t like worshipping someone because that puts them abouve, or better than ourselves. So, wouldn't the simplest way of getting rid of someone be to reject them altogether? To forget them or avoid them? And isn't it ironic that just as Hesse did this to Christ, the ultimate Savior, Emil makes the same choice to do to Demian, his savior?
Now, I haven't finished reading Demian, nor have I heard the ending, but I predict that Hesse will paralell Emil's decision making to his own. Think about it, they both grew up in Christian homes, and just like each of us was drawn to the appearent freedom of the dark side. After losing their innocence through rebellion, they are saved just as the prodigal son was. And just as Emil feels superior and more knowledgable than his father, Emil returns in the same way. He returns to the parents and confesses to regain their trust, but this doesn't make them better than him. Neither return to their savior in repentance, but forcibly return.
That statement is very abstract. You see when Hesse rejected Christ he went searching for truth; but since Christ is truth he kept finding his philosophies pointing topic by topic towards the idea's of Christ. So, being forced to accept certain aspects of what Christ is and promotes, he agrees partly but does not profess or confess Christ.
Emil does the same thing. He knows that by confessing to Demian that gives him superiority over himself. And, although Emil knows that Demian's superiority over himself is out of his own control, he refuses to give Demian that satisfaction. So, he listens to Demian, and is persuaded by him on certain things (when what Demian is saying is unavoidably truth)but never says he believes in or wants to devote his life to what Demian says. He believes that their is definately something mysterious or wrong about Demian.
~ I agree. The story parallels Herman Hesse's own testimony, where he searches for truth other than that he has been taught, being Christianity. I'm sorry to be so stuck on eastern religion, but I'm convinced that that is what he found. I think Emil is scared of Demian because he knows there's something wrong with his philosophy and world view. Emil hits rock bottom in chapter four. He is miserable, unsociable, and corrupt. However, he will not turn to the "light" because of his selfishness and pride.
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