Demian

Max Demian is an older student at Sinclair’s school who serves as Sinclair’s spiritual mentor. Because of the novel’s first-person narration, Demian is only shown from Sinclair’s perspective. At the beginning of the novel, Sinclair is intrigued by Demian’s mystery and seriousness. Before Demian is introduced as a character, Sinclair refers to him as his “salvation” from Kromer’s blackmail, which establishes a mythic tone around Demian’s character. Further, Sinclair describes Demian as being “utterly stamped with his own individual personality” that appears “adult and polite” as well as “like a prince in disguise” (21). Demian’s attributes and characteristics appear mature and adult-like despite his adolescence, making Sinclair feel inferior. Due to Demian’s maturity and his ability to open Sinclair up to new interpretations and perspectives of the world, Sinclair idolizes the older boy as a god-like guiding figure.

Because the narrator idolizes him, Demian is a flat character. Sinclair feels as though he is “under [Demian’s] influence” (31), which indicates that Sinclair values Demian’s opinions and viewpoints. Demian serves as the main guide in Sinclair’s life, despite lapses of time where the two do not interact. Despite this distance, Sinclair continues to feel close and connected to Demian. After their reunion, Demian maintains his mythic image as Sinclair continues to view him with awe. Sinclair views him as being “magnificent” with “strong muscles” and an appearance that causes Sinclair to be “rooted to the sport” (116). Ultimately, Demian is a static character who only exists within the novel when Sinclair develops his own identity and sense of self.

Frau Eva is Demian’s mother, and she serves as a tool for Sinclair to finish his self-discovery journey. Like Demian, Frau Eva’s character is viewed only through Sinclair’s perspective. She is a static character who does not develop throughout the novel. At the beginning of the novel, she is nameless and does not have a role in Sinclair’s life. Rather, she does not have a clear form until Sinclair sees her picture and realizes she is the woman in his dream. In the picture, he views her as “beautiful and enticing, beautiful and unapproachable, daemon and mother, fate and lover” (106). This illustration of Frau Eva depicts an embodiment of feminine energy that Sinclair views as untouchable and larger than life. By calling her both a mother and lover, Sinclair focuses on her feminine attributes almost entirely without commenting on other aspects of her identity. He also utilizes the term “daemon,” which refers to a protective spirit or deity, creating an image of Frau Eva as being more than human.

Frau Eva’s embodiment as a god-like figure continues after Sinclair meets her for the first time. He begins to call her “Eve,” who is Adam’s wife and known as the first woman in Abrahamic religions. With this name, she fully embodies the role of mother and lover in Sinclair’s life. His first meeting with her is characterized by his feelings of “fulfillment.” She provides a safe space for him just as his parents’ home does in his early childhood, and he says that feels as though he “[has] come home” when he first sees her (113).