Analysis of two Minor Characters in "Demian"
Uploaded by dono_di on Nov 23, 2006
Minor characters in literary works can be used for various purposes. Choose two minor characters from Demian and examine the ways in which they contribute to the work.
One of the main themes in the novel Demian is the opposing “worlds” in society; the opposition of Good and Evil. This theme is illustrated with in two minor characters, Sinclair’s Parents and Beatrice. This theme is an illustration of struggles we all face in our paths to finding our selves. This explains that there is not just a world of black and white, there is a middle ground, and this is what Sinclair (main character, narrator) tries to do.
A large part of Sinclair's maturation is his coming to accept that it is all right to indulge in the pleasures of life whether they are “good or bad.” The “good or bad” that he has learned are based on societal standards, and who are they to tell him or anyone what is right and wrong or good or bad. These opposing worlds, good vs. bad, ultimately lead to a decision of one or another, but Sinclaire searches for a balance between them. He also comes to realize that you can not have the good things in life with out first finding the bad parts. This is quickly illustrated in the first part of the book with the “dark and light” worlds in his own house and with his parents. Later on in the book he discovers the same opposition in his vision of a girl, Beatrice.
At the age of ten, Sinclair began to question society and his life in general. This is when he began realizing that there were aspects within him that were accepted by the standards of society and there were aspects that were not. He describes these as “day and night, two different worlds.” At this early time in his life, Sinclair sees the realms as very separate. One realm is illustrated by the world of his father’s house, which was “brilliance, clarity and cleanliness, gentle conversations, washed hands, clean clothes, and good manners.” The other realm, also within his own house, however, was one that “smelled different” and “contained servant girls and workmen, ghost stories, rumors of scandal.”
Sinclair’s parents are only present in the first part of the first chapter, but they play a big role in illustrating the opposing worlds. Since Sinclair has...